warhead

American  

[wawr-hed] / ˈwɔrˌhɛd /

noun

1. the forward section of a self-propelled missile, bomb, torpedo, or the like, containing the explosive, chemical, or atomic charge.

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warhead British  

/ ˈwɔːˌhɛd /

noun

1. the part of the fore end of a missile or projectile that contains explosives

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Etymology

Origin of warhead

First recorded in 1895–1900; war ¹ + head

Example Sentences

Iran isn’t currently enriching uranium, U.S. officials have said, and would need to enrich it to weapons grade and also build a warhead or bomb if it wanted to become a nuclear weapons state.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 29, 2026

"Missile range is an elastic thing - in that if you put a lighter warhead on a missile, you can extend its range," he told the BBC.

From BBC • Mar. 23, 2026

The complexity of reworking an existing warhead or missile means Iran likely prepared for the attack long before the war, said Farzin Nadimi, an Iran-focused senior fellow with the Washington Institute, a U.S.-based think tank.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

It can do this at a high altitude, beyond even the Earth's atmosphere, which was seen as especially useful in South Korea, because it could be used to intercept and destroy a nuclear warhead.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

Both bombs would be housed inside the casing of a single warhead.

From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin