midcourse

American  

[mid-kawrs] / ˈmɪdˌkɔrs /

noun

1. the middle of a course, course of events, or course of action.

   Congress has already had cause to complain of the court's changing its interpretative rules in midcourse.

2. Rocketry. the portion of a ballistic trajectory between the end of powered flight and the beginning of the reentry phase.

3. Aerospace. the portion of a space trajectory between leaving the earth's vicinity and arrival at the desired destination, as another planet.

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adjective

1. happening or done at some point during the journey of a ship, airplane, missile, or spacecraft.

   When the midcourse maneuver was attempted, one engine failed to ignite and caused the space vehicle to tumble.

2. happening or done in the middle of a course, course of events, or course of action.

   The company is conducting a rigorous midcourse assessment of the process itself.

Etymology

Origin of midcourse

First recorded in 1555–65; mid- + course

Example Sentences

Based on these changed facts, a midcourse correction is required — a different and tougher approach.

From Washington Times • Dec. 5, 2023

“It’s not unusual for a campaign to have a midcourse adjustment and that’s what you’ll be seeing here with Rob’s departure and with readjustments that we’ll make in the campaign staff.”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 28, 2023

The ministry said in a brief statement late on Sunday that the "ground-based midcourse anti-missile intercept technology" test had been carried out that night.

From Reuters • Jun. 20, 2022

Indeed, an ICBM's trajectory has three different phases: boost phase, midcourse phase, and terminal phase, all of which typically occur in less than an hour from launch to strike.

From Salon • Mar. 3, 2022

But Wycherley knew the tide filled Teviot Bay and wondering fishes were at liberty to muzzle the toys, by this, and merely shrugged at his mishap, midcourse in toilet.

From The Certain Hour by Cabell, James Branch