missile

American  

[mis-uhl, -ahyl] / ˈmɪs əl, -aɪl /

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of missile

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

Example Sentences

As the U.S. redirected aircraft in the region to help with the mission, some planned targets—including missile launcher sites—were left untouched.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026

On Sunday morning, authorities in Abu Dhabi said they were battling fires at a Borouge petrochemical facility caused by falling debris from an Iranian missile.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

Centcom then released a statement on 31 March denying it was a US missile, instead saying that footage of the attack was consistent with an Iranian Hoveyzeh cruise missile.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

The market entirely shrugged off the Cuban missile crisis, the Kennedy assassination, the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

The agency envisioned itself developing the technology to launch weather satellites, probes we could send to the moon, and satellites that could warn us if a missile was coming.

From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson

Related Words

• ammunition
• bomb
• bullet
• projectile
• rocket