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

Gulf countries are looking nervously at Saudi Arabia, where missile and drone attacks by Iran-backed Houthi militants have damaged energy facilities and the international airport in the capital, Riyadh.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026

Zelensky said earlier he had had a "constructive discussion" with Rubio about the need for US early warnings, missile interceptors and SpaceX's Starlink internet network.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

North Korea has separately tested a slew of weapons recently, including a "new-type" precision-guided torpedo system and an intermediate-range hypersonic missile, both of which were said to employ AI technology.

From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026

Eighteen months after landing back in Los Angeles, Folger is a success-seeking missile.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026

‘Artemis knows a lot about missile weapons. She told us Octavian has ordered some . . . surprises for Camp Half-Blood. He’s used most of the legion’s treasure to purchase Cyclopes-built onagers.’

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

It has also verified footage filmed near the market that shows a large plume of smoke, at least one petrol tanker and someone talking about five missiles being fired.

From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026

The government in Kyiv first said it was caught off-guard last week, when a wave of ballistic missiles and fast-moving attack drones slammed into the capital and elsewhere before air raid sirens could sound.

From Barron's ● Oct. 19, 2026

Ukraine also needs jet engines for its own missiles and strike drones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

One of them is Ukraine-based Culver Aerospace, which is building jet engines domestically for its own and other companies’ drones and missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

On the last night of July, South Vietnamese sailors on patrol boats fired missiles at radar stations in North Vietnam.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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Related Words

• ammunition
• bomb
• bullet
• projectile
• rocket

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