intermediate range ballistic missile

noun

1. any supersonic missile that has a range of 800 to 1,500 nautical miles (1,500 to 2,800 km) and follows a ballistic trajectory after a powered, guided launching. : IRBM, I.R.B.M.

intermediate range ballistic missile

noun

1. a missile that follows a ballistic trajectory with a medium range, normally of the order of 750–1500 miles IRBM

intermediate-range ballistic missile

1. A missile that carries nuclear warheads and is launched from the ground or submarines, but that has a range of only a few hundred to fifteen hundred miles.

Word History and Origins

Origin of intermediate range ballistic missile¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Related Words

• intercontinental ballistic missile
• surface-to-air missile