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

It also has significant stockpiles of short-range missiles capable of reaching U.S. bases in the Gulf and ships in the Strait of Hormuz, as well as antiship cruise missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal

They include Poseidon - a new intercontinental, nuclear armed and nuclear powered undersea autonomous torpedo, and also Burevestnik – a nuclear armed and powered cruise missile.

From BBC

President Zelensky has said more than 70 ballistic and cruise missiles were fired - significantly more than usual - together with 450 drones which are used to overwhelm Ukraine's air defences.

From BBC

Then, the U.S. carried out its “Midnight Hammer” operation against three Iranian nuclear sites using B-2 bombers and submarine-launched cruise missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Patriot interceptors can shoot down ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and aircraft.

From The Wall Street Journal