rocket

¹ American  

[rok-it] / ˈrɒk ɪt /

noun

1. 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.

2. a space capsule or vehicle put into orbit by such devices.

3. rocket engine.

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verb (used with object)

1. to move or transport by means of a rocket.

2. to attack with rockets.

verb (used without object)

1. to move like a rocket.

2. (of game birds) to fly straight up rapidly when flushed.

rocket ² American  

[rok-it] / ˈrɒk ɪt /

noun

1. any of various plants belonging to the genus Hesperis, of the mustard family, and related genera.

2. Also called roquette.  Also called rocket salad,.  the arugula plant, used in salads.

3. a noxious weed, Barbarea vulgaris, of the United States, having lobed leaves and clusters of small, yellow flowers.

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rocket ¹ British  

/ ˈrɒkɪt /

noun

1. a self-propelling device, esp a cylinder containing a mixture of solid explosives, used as a firework, distress signal, line carrier, etc

2. 1. any vehicle propelled by a rocket engine, esp one used to carry a warhead, spacecraft, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      rocket propulsion

      rocket launcher

3. informal a severe reprimand (esp in the phrase get a rocket )

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verb

1. (tr) to propel (a missile, spacecraft, etc) by means of a rocket

2. (intr; foll by off, away, etc) to move off at high speed

3. (intr) to rise rapidly

   he rocketed to the top

rocket ² British  

/ ˈrɒkɪt /

noun

1. Also called: arugula.  a Mediterranean plant, Eruca sativa , having yellowish-white flowers and leaves used as a salad: family Brassicaceae (crucifers)

2. any of several plants of the related genus Sisymbrium , esp S. irio ( London rocket ), which grow on waste ground and have pale yellow flowers

3. any of several yellow-flowered plants of the related genus Barbarea , esp B. vulgaris

4. 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

5. another name for dame's violet

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rocket Scientific  

/ rŏk′ĭt /

1. A vehicle or device propelled by one or more rocket engines, especially such a vehicle designed to travel through space.

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Other Word Forms

• rocketlike
  adjective

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

It could be the biggest initial public offering of all time; Elon Musk’s rocket company is aiming to raise as much as $80 billion or more.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 15, 2026

SpaceX plans to raise as much as $75 billion, valuing Elon Musk’s rocket company at up to $2 trillion, in a midyear IPO.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

It featured solar arrays that made the satellite far longer than the company’s Starship rocket, which is around 400 feet tall.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 12, 2026

I watch rocket launches from my front yard every week.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

“No, but I know the rocket will launch from a place on Earth called Florida. Right now, we are in a place on Earth called California.”

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga

Related Words

• ascend
• climb
• escalate
• grow
• lift
• rise
• sail
• skyrocket
• soar
• take off
• zoom