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ballistic missile
noun
plural ballistic missiles
: a usually rocket-powered missile that is launched in a high arc under guidance for its ascent but that is unpowered and unguided once it begins its descent compare cruise missile, guided missile
Examples of ballistic missile in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
North Korea tests ballistic missile as Blinken visits South Korea
North Korea has embarked on an intense program of weapons tests in recent years, including intercontinental ballistic missiles, medium-range rockets and hypersonic weapons.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 7 Jan. 2025
Ukraine’s air force reported a ballistic missile threat at 3:00 a.m., with at least two explosions heard in Kyiv minutes later.
—Illia Novikov, Los Angeles Times, 31 Dec. 2024
As far as the report discloses, the DoD says China has added 300 medium-range ballistic missiles and 100 long-range cruise missiles.
—Danielle Wallace, Fox News, 29 Dec. 2024
In doing this, the exhibition aligns its artists with women working for the military-industrial complex: ENIAC, the world’s first modern computer, was invented to compute ballistic missile trajectories (six young women programmed it), and Grace Hopper was a Navy officer.
—Lua Vollaard, ARTnews.com, 27 Dec. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1950, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of ballistic missile was
in 1950
Dictionary Entries Near ballistic missile
Cite this Entry
“Ballistic missile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballistic%20missile. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
Kids Definition
ballistic missile
noun
: a missile that moves under its own power, is guided as it rises in a steeply curving path, and falls freely on the way back to earth
More from Merriam-Webster on ballistic missile
Britannica English: Translation of ballistic missile for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ballistic missile
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