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

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Etymology

Origin of missile

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

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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

Pyongyang said at the time there was "no way to avoid" the hypersonic missile, which was "capable of changing its flight orbit at a low altitude".

From Barron's ● Oct. 17, 2026

Pyongyang said its latest AI-assisted hypersonic missile followed a "wave-like trajectory" that left South Korea and Japan unable to track it effectively.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Earlier, the Houthis denied that they had attacked Saudi Arabia on Thursday, after the coalition said its forces had intercepted a cruise missile in the Medina region, home to one of Islam's holiest shrines.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

While power plants and oil refineries have been hit, data centers and internet facilities are becoming the latest quarry for drone and missile strikes — and not just in Europe.

From Salon ● Oct. 15, 2026

Charles Monet had been an Exocet missile that struck the hospital below the water line.

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

The militants began building up positions threatening the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandeb in several locations, deploying missiles and radars with help from Revolutionary Guard officers inside Yemen, people briefed on regional intelligence said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026

But a jet fighter can cost about $15,000 an hour to operate, without factoring in its missiles, ammunition and maintenance costs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Hypersonic missiles travel at more than five times the speed of sound and can manoeuvre mid-flight, making them significantly harder to track and intercept.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

Information Minister Moammar al-Eryani told the BBC that the prime minister and other ministers were unhurt when five ballistic missiles hit al-Maashiq Palace, but that many others were injured.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

He looked at photos of Soviet missiles taken at various May Day parades and identified each one, explaining its capabilities.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin

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Related Words

• ammunition
• bomb
• bullet
• projectile
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