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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rockets,
present (3rd person singular)
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rocketed,
past participle, past
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rocketing
present participle
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to move or transport by means of a rocket.
-
to attack with rockets.
verb (used without object)
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rockets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
rocketed,
past participle, past
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rocketing
present participle
-
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, 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.
See Examples For:
Yet the mastermind behind Beagle 2 was never your typical rocket scientist.
From BBC ● Oct. 8, 2026
If successful, it would mark a step toward a fully reusable rocket system, which would drastically lower launch costs and speed up the deployment of next-generation infrastructure.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Although he arrived at Michigan last year as a supposed can’t-miss prospect, with a five-star rating and a rocket arm, he has thrown just five touchdowns and four interceptions in his sophomore campaign.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
The satellite was among several payloads loaded on a rocket that lifted off from California just after 11:30 a.m. local time.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 1, 2026
The flare in my chest reignited and spread like a rocket launch through my body, heating me from my scalp down to the tips of my toes.
From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas
That has left the kingdom searching for friends beyond Washington, for allies ready to put rockets where the rhetoric is and assist in a fight Saudi Arabia considers existential.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
The company wants to launch thousands of rockets each year from a planned spaceport in Louisiana.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
With one Starbase site already operating in Texas, SpaceX is working to make another Gulf Coast area its home for rockets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
“There’s a lot of panic in the market right now,” said Andy Lapsa, chief executive of Stoke Space, which is developing its own rockets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
In a November issue of Life, I found, to my great interest, drawings of the internal mechanisms of a variety of different kinds of rockets.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
But gold costs rocketed higher in 2025, dovetailing with unexpected changes in tariff policy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 4, 2026
Mo’ne Davis rocketed to fame after a historic run in the Little League World Series.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
According to ImmediateAnnuities.com data, today’s rates beat those available pretty much throughout this millennium, apart from a brief period during the 2007-09 financial crisis when bond yields rocketed.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
McIlroy was unable to rediscover the rhythm that rocketed him into contention on Saturday, with his topsy-turvy round of 69 containing four birdies, an eagle and five bogeys.
From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026
As soon as he was clear of the Customs booth, however, he stomped a tasseled loafer down on the accelerator and the squealing Cadillac rocketed away.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
But a critical mass keeps the theory alive and rocketing around the internet.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
Nothing will slow the object down, like the atmosphere would do here on Earth - and nothing will prevent the estimated million kilograms in debris from rocketing up into space.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
The waterway is a critical route for energy transit, sending oil prices rocketing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 17, 2026
When the news sent crude-oil prices rocketing, he logged on to Hyperliquid and closed his position to lock in a massive 243% gain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
Kendra’s escorts followed, rocketing up beyond the treetops.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
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.
