interceptor

American  

[in-ter-sep-ter] / ˌɪn tərˈsɛp tər /

Or intercepter

noun

1. a person or thing that intercepts.

2. Military. a fighter aircraft with fast-reaction capabilities, used to identify and, if appropriate, engage other aircraft in combat.

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interceptor British  

/ ˌɪntəˈsɛptə /

noun

1. a person or thing that intercepts

2. a fast highly manoeuvrable fighter aircraft used to intercept enemy aircraft

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Etymology

Origin of interceptor

1590–1600; < Latin, equivalent to intercep- ( intercept ) + -tor -tor ( def. )

Example Sentences

Facing that volume, Ukraine built a counterdrone industry from scratch: cheap, mass-produced interceptor drones costing $1,000 to $2,500 per unit, capable of destroying targets autonomously.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 13, 2026

Low-cost autonomous battle systems, missiles, and interceptor missiles have dominated those conflicts, with combatants looking to add more autonomous systems and counter-drone systems to achieve technical superiority.

From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026

Israel and Gulf states may be running low on interceptor missiles, according to Cembalest.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 6, 2026

The British company is developing a missile called Starhammer built for high-speed targets like ballistic missiles, alongside an antidrone and cruise missile interceptor called Skyhammer.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

Piper put her new sword to good use, while spraying food from the cornucopia in her other hand—using hams, chickens, apples, and oranges as interceptor missiles.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan