projectile
Americannoun
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an object fired from a gun with an explosive propelling charge, such as a bullet, shell, rocket, or grenade.
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a body projected or impelled forward, as through the air.
adjective
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impelling or driving forward, as a force.
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caused by impulse, as motion.
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capable of being impelled forward, as a missile.
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Zoology. protrusile, as the jaws of a fish.
noun
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an object or body thrown forwards
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any self-propelling missile, esp one powered by a rocket or the rocket itself
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any object that can be fired from a gun, such as a bullet or shell
adjective
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capable of being or designed to be hurled forwards
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projecting or thrusting forwards
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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.
Vocabulary lists containing projectile
Schooled
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Force and Motion (Mechanics) - Middle School
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Force and Motion (Mechanics) - Introductory
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And you can put stuff in a guy’s mouth and have him spit it out, but to really get a good projectile vomit, you need to have some sort of cannon apparatus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
"Being impacted by such a rare, distant projectile really underscores how unlucky the dinosaurs were," says Dr. Claeys.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
Another vessel was attacked by an unknown projectile near the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, according to the U.K.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
It reported a separate attack by an unidentified projectile on a tanker Monday.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Certainly. It is a question of time. I could not conscientiously open a knee like that before the projectile was encysted.”
From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
