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. 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 ² 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 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

Mortgage giant Rocket agreed to buy Redfin in March 2025, followed by Compass striking a deal to acquire Anywhere Real Estate, the parent company of brands including Sotheby’s International Realty and Coldwell Banker, in September.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 27, 2026

The weapon is the Army’s High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, each of which can fire six rockets or one missile at ranges of up to 185 miles.

From Slate • Apr. 24, 2026

And to think he still operates with such brute force that he was shoving Rocket defenders all over the court.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Rocket Lab shares, however, were up 330% over the past 12 months, coming into Monday trading.

From Barron's • Apr. 20, 2026

Rocket fuel burns in the engine and is sent out the back of the rocket, driving the spaceship forward, just as the rush of air out of a balloon sends it flying around the room.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

Related Words

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