projectile

American  

[pruh-jek-til, -tahyl] / prəˈdʒɛk tɪl, -taɪl /

noun

1. an object fired from a gun with an explosive propelling charge, such as a bullet, shell, rocket, or grenade.

2. a body projected or impelled forward, as through the air.

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adjective

1. impelling or driving forward, as a force.

2. caused by impulse, as motion.

3. capable of being impelled forward, as a missile.

4. Zoology. protrusile, as the jaws of a fish.

projectile British  

/ prəˈdʒɛktaɪl /

noun

1. an object or body thrown forwards

2. any self-propelling missile, esp one powered by a rocket or the rocket itself

3. any object that can be fired from a gun, such as a bullet or shell

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adjective

1. capable of being or designed to be hurled forwards

2. projecting or thrusting forwards

3. zoology another word for protrusile

Etymology

Origin of projectile

1655–65; < New Latin, neuter of prōjectilis (adj.) projecting. See project, -ile

Explanation

A projectile is a type of weapon that is propelled towards its target. If you fire a cannon, the cannonball is a projectile, but the cannon itself is not. When projectile refers to a weapon, it is always propelled by something else. Think of the bullet in a gun or a spear thrown by a person. A rocket, which is self-propelled, is also called a projectile. As an adjective, projectile means "propelled forward" as in a projectile force or weapon. Sometimes you see the expression, projectile vomiting, a particularly violent way to throw up.

Example Sentences

It came a day after Estonia said Nato shot down a drone over its territory, which it suspected was a Ukrainian projectile knocked off course by Russian electronic interference.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Navy officials have said the new battleship would be armed with unproven next-generation weapons including lasers and rail guns, which are weapons that use electricity to fire a projectile instead of gunpowder.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

Soon after that, Margo projectile vomits during a waitressing shift and claims not to know why.

From Salon • May 4, 2026

A federal jury has awarded $11.8 million to a Los Angeles Dodgers fan who was blinded by a police projectile during a World Series celebration downtown in 2020.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 16, 2026

He decided there was something more beautiful than an off-course projectile: the Athena Parthenos gleaming in the sunrise, flying in from the coast, suspended from the tethers of six winged horses.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Related Words

• arrow
• bullet
• dart
• missile
• rocket
• torpedo