Exocet
[ek-soh-set]
- a winged, radar-guided French anti-ship missile, launched from the surface or an aircraft, that skims the waves at close to the speed of sound.
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Exocet
- trademark a tactical missile with a high-explosive warhead, which is guided by computer and radar, travels at a very low altitude at high subsonic speed, and has a range of up to 70 km. It may be launched from a ship, aircraft, or submarine
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Word Origin for Exocet
C20: from French, from New Latin Exocoetus volitans flying fish
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Word Origin and History for exocet
Exocet
1970, proprietary name of a rocket-propelled short-range guided missile, trademarked 1970 by Société Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale, from French exocet "flying fish" (16c.), from Latin exocoetus, from Greek exokoitos "sleeping fish, fish that sleeps upon the beach," from exo "outside" + koitos "bed."
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper