Iron Dome

American

[ahy-ern dohm] / ˈaɪ ərn ˈdoʊm /

noun

an Israeli air defense system that uses radar to detect incoming rockets, calculates whether they will hit Israeli towns, and launches missiles to shoot them down.

Etymology

Origin of Iron Dome

First recorded in 2010–15

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.

According to the Financial Times, discussions are under way with Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, the company that designed Israel’s Iron Dome.

From Barron's • May 16, 2026

The Iron Dome is an advanced Israeli air defence system used to intercept and destroy a range of aerial missiles, rockets and drones.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Israel's famed Iron Dome system is the third tier and was originally designed to intercept short-range rockets and artillery shells.

From Barron's • Mar. 28, 2026

Last June, Israel stopped almost all Iran’s Shahed drones using aircraft, helicopters, its Iron Dome short-range missile system and electronic warfare.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 15, 2026

It was initially using pricey systems such as Iron Dome and F-16 jet fighters to shoot down the cheaply made drones.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 1, 2026

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023