rocket
1 Americannoun
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any of various simple or complex tubelike devices containing combustibles that on being ignited liberate gases whose action propels the tube through the air: used for pyrotechnic effect, signaling, carrying a lifeline, hurling explosives at an enemy, putting a space vehicle into orbit, etc.
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a space capsule or vehicle put into orbit by such devices.
verb (used with object)
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to move or transport by means of a rocket.
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to attack with rockets.
verb (used without object)
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to move like a rocket.
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(of game birds) to fly straight up rapidly when flushed.
noun
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any of various plants belonging to the genus Hesperis, of the mustard family, and related genera.
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Also called roquette. Also called rocket salad,. the arugula plant, used in salads.
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a noxious weed, Barbarea vulgaris, of the United States, having lobed leaves and clusters of small, yellow flowers.
noun
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Also called: arugula. a Mediterranean plant, Eruca sativa , having yellowish-white flowers and leaves used as a salad: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)
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any of several plants of the related genus Sisymbrium , esp S. irio ( London rocket ), which grow on waste ground and have pale yellow flowers
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any of several yellow-flowered plants of the related genus Barbarea , esp B. vulgaris
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any of several plants of the related genus Cakile , esp C. maritima , which grow along the seashores of Europe and North America and have mauve, pink, or white flowers
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another name for dame's violet
noun
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a self-propelling device, esp a cylinder containing a mixture of solid explosives, used as a firework, distress signal, line carrier, etc
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any vehicle propelled by a rocket engine, esp one used to carry a warhead, spacecraft, etc
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( as modifier )
rocket propulsion
rocket launcher
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informal a severe reprimand (esp in the phrase get a rocket )
verb
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(tr) to propel (a missile, spacecraft, etc) by means of a rocket
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(intr; foll by off, away, etc) to move off at high speed
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(intr) to rise rapidly
he rocketed to the top
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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rocketsimple
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rocketssimple
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have rocketedperfect
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has rocketedperfect
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am rocketingprogressive
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are rocketingprogressive
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is rocketingprogressive
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have been rocketingperfect progressive
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has been rocketingperfect progressive
Past
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rocketedsimple
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had rocketedperfect
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was rocketingprogressive
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were rocketingprogressive
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had been rocketingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of rocket1
First recorded in 1560–70; from Italian rocchetta, diminutive of rocca “distaff” (with reference to its shape); from Germanic
Origin of rocket2
First recorded in 1525–35; from French roquette, from Italian ruchetta, ultimately from Latin ērūca kind of herb
Explanation
A rocket is a space vehicle or missile, or the special engine that's meant to propel such a vehicle into the air. You can even get a model rocket that's small enough to shoot off in your backyard. A rocket or rocket engine uses thrust to propel something toward the sky, whether it's a spacecraft that will orbit the Earth or a bottle rocket that will explode overhead. You can use the word as a verb, too, to mean "move or rise up rapidly": "The startled pheasant rocketed out of the brush and disappeared into the trees." It can also be used figuratively to mean "increase rapidly": "The company's stock price rocketed after the announcement of the new CEO."
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.
A Chinese submarine test-fired a missile carrying a dummy warhead on Monday, with monitors saying the rocket appeared to land in a patch of ocean somewhere between Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu.
From Barron's • Jul. 9, 2026
A Chinese submarine test-fired a "strategic" missile carrying a dummy warhead on Monday, with monitors saying the rocket appeared to land in a patch of ocean somewhere between Solomon Islands, Nauru and Tuvalu.
From Barron's • Jul. 8, 2026
Rocket Lab also has a new rocket in the works.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 8, 2026
SaxaVord Spaceport in Shetland has announced a "launch window" for a possible rocket test flight.
From BBC • Jul. 7, 2026
I feel a little like Nellie DuMont Frissé—soaring in her rocket ship, boldly exploring the vast, unknown voids of a new galaxy.
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
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.
