interceptor
Americannoun
-
a person or thing that intercepts.
-
Military. a fighter aircraft with fast-reaction capabilities, used to identify and, if appropriate, engage other aircraft in combat.
noun
-
a person or thing that intercepts
-
a fast highly manoeuvrable fighter aircraft used to intercept enemy aircraft
Etymology
Origin of interceptor
1590–1600; < Latin, equivalent to intercep- ( see intercept) + -tor -tor ( def. )
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.
Pentagon officials this year reached an agreement with Lockheed Martin to more than triple production of the latest Patriot interceptor model, the PAC-3 MSE, to about 2,000 a year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Yurii Inhat, a spokesman for Ukraine's Air Force, says the main problem remains "the limited number of interceptor missiles available for Ukraine's air defences".
From BBC • May 26, 2026
More than 1,000 interceptor drones roll off Ukrainian production lines every day, at $1,000 to $3,000 apiece.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 19, 2026
Reports later suggested that stocks of the more advanced Arrow interceptor system had fallen dangerously low.
From Barron's • May 16, 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
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.
