projectile
noun
pro·jec·tile
| \ prə-ˈjek-tᵊl
, -ˌtī(-ə)l, chiefly British ˈprä-jik-ˌtī(-ə)l
\
, -ˌtī(-ə)l, chiefly British ˈprä-jik-ˌtī(-ə)l
\
Definition of projectile
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a body projected by external force and continuing in motion by its own inertia
especially
: a missile for a weapon (such as a firearm)
2
: a self-propelling weapon (such as a rocket)
projectile
adjectiveDefinition of projectile (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: projecting or impelling forward
a projectile force
2
: capable of being thrust forward
Examples of projectile in a Sentence
Noun
The cannon fires a ten-pound projectile. Someone threw a projectile at her car.Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
The launching on Friday was the sixth time North Korea has tested short-range ballistic missiles or other projectiles since late last month. — Choe Sang-hun, New York Times, "North Korea Launches 2 Projectiles; South Korean Experts Blame Trump," 15 Aug. 2019 In recent weeks, violence has escalated by both authorities and a small core of radical protesters launching bricks, Molotov cocktails and other projectiles toward police lines. — Time Staff, Time, "Hong Kong Protesters Bring Airport to Standstill as Anger Grows Over Police Violence," 12 Aug. 2019 Other net projectiles range from Skynet 12-gauge shotgun cartridges to 40mm cannon rounds. — David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, "What Are Airports Going to Do About Drones?," 9 Jan. 2019 Hundreds of men huddled behind a sand berm before pushing into an open field to fling rocks and other projectiles toward Israeli forces, some using a door-less refrigerator as a shield. — Laura King, latimes.com, "Two new deaths in Gaza clashes as Israel on defensive over dozens of earlier fatalities," 15 May 2018 AirSoft guns use gas to fire round plastic projectiles. — Lee Roop | Lroop@al.com, al, "Parent escorted from Alabama high school for wearing AirSoft pistol," 22 Aug. 2019 In one exercise, two groups marched in formation with those in front raising shields as if to protect themselves from projectiles. — Washington Post, "China police exercises across from Hong Kong seen as threat," 16 Aug. 2019 In one exercise, two groups marched in formation with those in front raising shields as if to protect themselves from projectiles. — Dake Kang, BostonGlobe.com, "China police exercises across from Hong Kong seen as threat," 16 Aug. 2019 Football players press their chests against one another after a big hit, and coaches fling expletives (and sometimes projectiles). — Steven T. Wright, The Verge, "How fighting game tournaments are dealing with toxic and unruly players," 16 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'projectile.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for projectile
projectile
noun
English Language Learners Definition of projectile
formal
: something (such as a bullet or rocket) that is shot from a weapon
: something (such as a rock) that is thrown as a weapon
See the full definition for projectile in the English Language Learners Dictionary
projectile
noun
pro·jec·tile
| \ prə-ˈjek-təl
\
\
Kids Definition of projectile
: something (as a bullet or rocket) thrown or shot especially from a weapon
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