Definitions for missile
ˈmɪs əl; esp. Brit. -aɪlmis·sile

Princeton's WordNet(2.00 / 3 votes)Rate this definition:

1. missile(noun)

   a rocket carrying a warhead of conventional or nuclear explosives; may be ballistic or directed by remote control

2. projectile, missile(noun)

   a weapon that is forcibly thrown or projected at a targets but is not self-propelled

GCIDE(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Missile(n.)

   A rocket-propelled device designed to fly through the air and deliver a warhead of explosive materials to a target.

   Etymology: [L. missile.]

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. missile(Noun)

   An object intended to be launched into the air at a target.

   Etymology: From missilis, neuter missile, in plural missilia, from mittere.

2. missile(Noun)

   A self-propelled projectile whose trajectory can be adjusted after having been launched.

   Etymology: From missilis, neuter missile, in plural missilia, from mittere.

Webster Dictionary(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Missile(adj)

   capable of being thrown; adapted for hurling or to be projected from the hand, or from any instrument or rngine, so as to strike an object at a distance

   Etymology: [L. missils, fr. mittere, missum, to cause to go, to send, to throw; cf. Lith. mesti to throw: cf. F. missile. Cf. Admit, Dismiss, Mass the religious service, Message, Mission.]

2. Missile(noun)

   a weapon thrown or projected or intended to be projcted, as a lance, an arrow, or a bullet

   Etymology: [L. missils, fr. mittere, missum, to cause to go, to send, to throw; cf. Lith. mesti to throw: cf. F. missile. Cf. Admit, Dismiss, Mass the religious service, Message, Mission.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Missile

   In a modern military, a missile is a self-propelled guided weapon system, as opposed to a unguided self-propelled munition, referred to as just a rocket . Missiles have four system components: targeting and/or guidance, flight system, engine, and warhead. Missiles come in types adapted for different purposes: surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missiles, surface-to-air missiles, air-to-air missiles, and anti-satellite missiles. All known existing missiles are designed to be propelled during powered flight by chemical reactions inside a rocket engine, jet engine, or other type of engine. Non-self-propelled airborne explosive devices are generally referred to as shells and usually have a shorter range than missiles. An ordinary English-language usage predating guided weapons is simply any thrown object, such as items thrown at players by rowdy spectators at a sporting event.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Missile

   mis′il, adj. that may be thrown from the hand or from any instrument.—n. a weapon thrown by the hand. [L. missilis—mittĕre, missum, to throw.]

Military Dictionary and Gazetteer(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. missile

   Capable of being thrown; adapted for hurling, or to be projected from the hand, or from any instrument or engine; as, to wing the missile dart.

2. missile

   A weapon thrown or intended to be thrown, for doing execution; as, a lance, an arrow, or a bullet.

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'missile' in Nouns Frequency: #1921

Anagrams for missile »

1. smilies

2. similes

How to pronounce missile?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say missile in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of missile in Chaldean Numerology is: 2

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of missile in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of missile in a Sentence

1. The Pakistani minister:

   We said if you will fire one missile, we will fire three. Whatever India will do, we will respond three times to that.

2. Russian President Vladimir Putin:

   Until now, those taking such decisions have lived in calm, fairly well-off and in safety. Now, as these elements of ballistic missile defense are deployed, we are forced to think how to neutralize emerging threats to the Russian Federation.

3. Pieter Wezeman:

   With four battalions, they should be able to deploy missile systems in four different locations.

4. Hossein Jaberi Ansari:

   The U.S. sanctions against Iran's ballistic missile programme ... have no legal or moral legitimacy.

5. Sergei Ryabkov:

   If the United States rejects this proposal, the natural conclusionthat we draw is that they headed for the creation of attack systems fordeployment in outer space. There is no other logical conclusion fromthis position of their denial, we, by the way, have manyreasons to be concerned about the activities that the US is conductingin outer space, about their plans, including plans to deploy elementsof an anti-ballistic missile system in space.

Images & Illustrations of missile

Popularity rank by frequency of use