standoff missile

noun

a missile capable of striking a distant target after launch by an aircraft outside the range of missile defences

RELATED CONTENT

“Mystery missile” web sensation may have simply been a “contrail.” What does that mean?

A mysterious event in the sky outside of Los Angeles last week grabbed the attention of the media and conspiracy theorists. Was it a secret missile test? Even the Pentagon seemed flummoxed. This week, the military weighed in, dismissing it as the contrail of an ordinary jet. Not to be confused with a coelacanth, the Contras, or any conspiracy-themed topic, a contrail is the benign conjoining of “condensation” and …

Blue Steel

Read more in this article about some frequently asked questions and fun facts related to our definitions.

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012