rocket
1 Americannoun
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any of various simple or complex tubelike devices containing combustibles that on being ignited liberate gases whose action propels the tube through the air: used for pyrotechnic effect, signaling, carrying a lifeline, hurling explosives at an enemy, putting a space vehicle into orbit, etc.
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a space capsule or vehicle put into orbit by such devices.
verb (used with object)
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to move or transport by means of a rocket.
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to attack with rockets.
verb (used without object)
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to move like a rocket.
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(of game birds) to fly straight up rapidly when flushed.
noun
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any of various plants belonging to the genus Hesperis, of the mustard family, and related genera.
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Also called roquette. Also called rocket salad,. the arugula plant, used in salads.
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a noxious weed, Barbarea vulgaris, of the United States, having lobed leaves and clusters of small, yellow flowers.
noun
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a self-propelling device, esp a cylinder containing a mixture of solid explosives, used as a firework, distress signal, line carrier, etc
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any vehicle propelled by a rocket engine, esp one used to carry a warhead, spacecraft, etc
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( as modifier )
rocket propulsion
rocket launcher
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informal a severe reprimand (esp in the phrase get a rocket )
verb
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(tr) to propel (a missile, spacecraft, etc) by means of a rocket
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(intr; foll by off, away, etc) to move off at high speed
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(intr) to rise rapidly
he rocketed to the top
noun
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Also called: arugula. a Mediterranean plant, Eruca sativa , having yellowish-white flowers and leaves used as a salad: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)
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any of several plants of the related genus Sisymbrium , esp S. irio ( London rocket ), which grow on waste ground and have pale yellow flowers
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any of several yellow-flowered plants of the related genus Barbarea , esp B. vulgaris
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any of several plants of the related genus Cakile , esp C. maritima , which grow along the seashores of Europe and North America and have mauve, pink, or white flowers
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another name for dame's violet
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have rocketedperfect
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has rocketedperfect 3rd person singular
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rocketssingular 3rd person
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is rocketingprogressive 3rd person singular
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am rocketingprogressive 1st person singular
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have been rocketingperfect progressive
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are rocketingprogressive
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rocketingparticiple
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has been rocketingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
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had rocketedperfect
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was rocketingprogressive singular
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rocketedsimple
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rocketedparticiple
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had been rocketingperfect progressive
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were rocketingprogressive plural
Future
Etymology
Origin of rocket1
First recorded in 1560–70; from Italian rocchetta, diminutive of rocca “distaff” (with reference to its shape); from Germanic
Origin of rocket2
First recorded in 1525–35; from French roquette, from Italian ruchetta, ultimately from Latin ērūca kind of herb
Explanation
A rocket is a space vehicle or missile, or the special engine that's meant to propel such a vehicle into the air. You can even get a model rocket that's small enough to shoot off in your backyard. A rocket or rocket engine uses thrust to propel something toward the sky, whether it's a spacecraft that will orbit the Earth or a bottle rocket that will explode overhead. You can use the word as a verb, too, to mean "move or rise up rapidly": "The startled pheasant rocketed out of the brush and disappeared into the trees." It can also be used figuratively to mean "increase rapidly": "The company's stock price rocketed after the announcement of the new CEO."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The space-exploration company’s market debut went off without a hitch on Friday, instantly making Elon Musk’s rocket company one of the highest-valued in the U.S., at a market capitalization of $2.1 trillion.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 14, 2026
The rocket, satellite and artificial intelligence company said it raised US$75 billion on June 11, 2026, in the offering, giving it a valuation of $1.77 trillion.
From Salon • Jun. 13, 2026
The feat, while impressive, is only the first part of SpaceX's plan to make Starship a fully reusable rocket -- a goal it remains in pursuit of while dealing with several technical challenges.
From Barron's • Jun. 12, 2026
His ambitions — from sending rocket ships to Mars to putting AI data centers in space — were a major draw.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 12, 2026
When the great rocket designer Sergei Korolev died in 1966, Gagarin said, “I won’t feel right until I’ve taken Korolev’s ashes to the moon.”
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
