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

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:2.0 / 3 votes

1. missilenoun

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

2. projectile, missilenoun

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

GCIDERate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Missilenoun

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

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. missilenoun

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

2. missilenoun

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

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

Samuel Johnson's DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Missileadjective

   Thrown by the hand; striking at distance.

   Etymology: missilis, Lat..

   We bend the bow, or wing the missile dart. Alexander Pope.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Missile

   In military terminology, a missile is a guided airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight usually by a jet engine or rocket motor. Missiles are thus also called guided missiles or guided rockets (when a previously unguided rocket is made guided). Missiles have five system components: targeting, guidance system, flight system, engine and warhead. Missiles come in types adapted for different purposes: surface-to-surface and air-to-surface missiles (ballistic, cruise, anti-ship, anti-submarine, anti-tank, etc.), surface-to-air missiles (and anti-ballistic), air-to-air missiles, and anti-satellite weapons. Airborne explosive devices without propulsion are referred to as shells if fired by an artillery piece and bombs if dropped by an aircraft. Unguided jet- or rocket-propelled weapons are usually described as rocket artillery. Historically, the word missile referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this usage is still recognized today.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:3.0 / 2 votes

1. Missileadjective

   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

2. Missilenoun

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

3. 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.]

FreebaseRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

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 DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

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 GazetteerRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

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.

Matched Categories

1. • Rocket
   • Weapon

British National Corpus

1. Nouns Frequency

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

Anagrams for missile »

1. similes

2. smilies

How to pronounce missile?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

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. Mark Dubowitz:

   Swift is no different than any other entity. the removal of Iran's central bank from Swift along with other Iranian banks implicated in terrorism, nuclear and missile proliferation, as well human rights abuses will cut the regime's access to the global financial system.

2. Vladimir Putin:

   In the next few months, we will transfer to Belarus the Iskander-M tactical missile systems, which, as you know, can use both ballistic and cruise missiles, both in conventional and nuclear versions.

3. Cedric Leighton:

   For them, accuracy is something that they have had difficulties with in the past, but they are getting more and more accurate with each of the missile tests that we have seen.

4. Philip Yun:

   There's a political need to raise the stakes, there's probably a technical need to test a long-range missile or a nuclear test -- it's been a couple of years. there are a lot of things that can happen with a significant number of military assets around and on the peninsula.

5. Melissa Hanham:

   They both probably design concepts. We've never seen them in the wild, we don't know what — if anything — was inside the canisters since North Korea hasn't publicly shown off or tested any missile of that size before.

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