cruise missile

American  

noun

1. a winged guided missile designed to deliver a conventional or nuclear warhead by flying at low altitudes to avoid detection by radar.

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cruise missile British  

noun

1. an air-breathing low-flying subsonic missile that is continuously powered and guided throughout its flight and carries a warhead

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cruise missile Cultural  

1. A military missile equipped with an onboard computer that allows it to guide itself on a preprogrammed course over long distances by sensing the terrain and comparing it to maps stored in its memory. (See smart weapons (see also smart weapons).)

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Cruise missiles first came into public awareness during the Persian Gulf War.

Compare meaning

How does cruise-missile compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cruise missile vs. ballistic missile

Example Sentences

The minister also said Sweden was investing 1.3 billion kronor in its "space capability, with around 10 military satellites that will enhance the effectiveness of our unmanned systems and cruise missiles".

From Barron's

Tokyo is also worried about North Korea, which claims to have test-fired long-range strategic cruise missiles that could carry conventional and nuclear weapons.

From The Wall Street Journal

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un oversaw the test-firing of a strategic long-range cruise missile into the sea, state media reported Monday.

From Barron's

We're told to turn off our phones - such is the secrecy around the production of Ukraine's Flamingo cruise missile.

From BBC

Central Command, which oversees American operations in the Middle East, confiscated Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components headed to Yemen’s Houthis militants near the coast of Somalia.

From The Wall Street Journal