Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Missile \Mis"sile\, n. [L. missile.]
A weapon thrown or projected or intended to be projected, as a lance, an arrow, or a bullet.
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A rocket-propelled device designed to fly through the air and deliver a warhead of explosive materials to a target.
Note: Numerous types of rocket-propelled missile[2] are now used in modern warfare. Some types with names indicating their range or function are: antiaircraft missile; ballistic missile; cruise missile; antiballistic missile missile; air-to-air missile; air-to-ground missile; guided missile; intercontinental ballistic missile (IBM); intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM); surface-to-air missile.
ballistic missile \bal*lis"tic mis`sile\, n. A rocket-propelled missile of long range which is guided only during the powered portion of its flight, which usually takes only a small part of the total flight time; -- contrasted with guided missile.
Note: Ballistic missiles are sometimes referred to by their range, such as an
intercontinental ballistic missile ( ICBM) or an
intermediate range ballistic missile ( IRBM).
Wiktionary
n. (context weapons English) A missile that is initially guided, but then follows a ballistic (freely falling) trajectory.
WordNet
n. a missile that is guided in the first part of its flight but falls freely as it approaches target
Wikipedia
A ballistic missile is a missile that follows a ballistic trajectory with the objective of delivering one or more warheads to a predetermined target. A ballistic missile is only guided during relatively brief periods of flight (there are unguided ballistic missiles as well, such as 9K52 Luna-M, although these may well be considered rockets), and most of its trajectory is unpowered and governed by gravity and air resistance if in the atmosphere. This contrasts to a cruise missile, which is aerodynamically guided in powered flight. Long range intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) are launched at a steep, sub-orbital flight trajectory and spend most of their flight out of the atmosphere. Shorter range ballistic missiles stay within the Earth's atmosphere.
Usage examples of "ballistic missile".
In the mid-1990s, the Iraqis were continuing to work on new biological and chemical agents and to refine their ballistic missile programs.
They'll have to hang around the forward edge of the battle area, expose themselves when a ballistic missile lifts off, then drive right down the enemy's crotch to cut off his balls before his erection goes away.
After bringing one of them topside, there had been first one, and then another, tremendous explosion behind them, in the vicinity of one of the large tactical ballistic missile tubes right in front of the bridge and the after deck.
We have several options in this regard, ranging from ballistic missile attacks, to cruise missile attacks, to stealth bomber attacks, to conventional attacks with B1-B bombers.
We are experiencing heavy ballistic missile attack throughout the region as we speak and expect heavy air attacks to follow.
Atta quickly reprioritized them and took his shot at another ballistic missile.
The Soviets had taken an entire class of fleet ballistic missile submarines out of service.
At the time, the White House was very concerned about advances in Soviet ballistic missile capabilities.
The small press group that had been allowed to stand on a pier and watch the neutralization of the first two Yankee-class fleet ballistic missile submarines was being carefully managed, Flynn and Calloway noted.