missile

American  

[mis-uhl, -ahyl] / ˈmɪs əl, -aɪl /

noun

missiles plural

1. an object or weapon for throwing, hurling, or shooting, as a stone, bullet, or arrow.

2. guided missile.

3. ballistic missile.

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adjective

1. capable of being thrown, hurled, or shot, as from the hand or a gun.

2. used or designed for discharging missiles.

missile British  

/ ˈmɪsaɪl /

noun

1. any object or weapon that is thrown at a target or shot from an engine, gun, etc

2. 1. a rocket-propelled weapon that flies either in a fixed trajectory (ballistic missile) or in a trajectory that can be controlled during flight (guided missile)

   2. ( as modifier )

      a missile carrier

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• missiles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of missile

1600–10; < Latin, neuter of missilis, equivalent to miss ( us ) (past participle of mittere to send, throw) + -ilis -ile

Explanation

A missile is an object that can be projected toward a target. Examples include a spitball shot through a straw, a poison-tipped arrow sent via bow, or a self-propelled heat-seeking rocket, designed to take out targets at long range. When you learn about the Cuban Missile Crisis in history, the missiles in question were guided rockets loaded with nuclear warheads, supplied to the Cubans by the Soviet Union. A missile defense strategy is one where you send up defensive missile to blow up your enemy's offensive ones before they can reach you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

missile missiles

The law also prohibits throwing a “stone, pellet, bullet, arrow or any other missile, in, over, across, along or upon any street or sidewalk or in any public park.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026

The U.S. military’s own weapons stockpiles, including crucial drone and missile interceptors, were expended in the first period of the war.

From Salon ● Jul. 23, 2026

The strikes targeted "Iranian military targets including maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air defense assets," it said.

From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026

On Wednesday afternoon, a US missile hit Larak island in the strait, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported, saying the extent of the damage was being investigated.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

But before a spear or a missile could be thrown, Jess had gone.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

The fibers are engineered to a length that enables them to resonate, producing a return that confuses enemy radar or tricks radar-guided missiles into locking onto the wrong target.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

The Jordanian army said it intercepted four Iranian missiles, while two others fell in an open area.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Jordan's military also reported intercepting five Iranian drones, followed by three missiles, in two waves of strikes that caused no casualties or damage.

From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026

Thunder is an autonomous attack aircraft that can carry missiles or rockets, patrol airspace and carry cargo.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Thousands of flying avatars and ships continued to buzz around the shield, occasionally firing bullets, lasers, missiles, and other projectiles at it, all of which impacted harmlessly on the surface.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• ammunition
• bomb
• bullet
• projectile
• rocket