brilliant pebble
- noun
- Specialized
:
piedra brillante
- The defense department invested millions in the brilliant pebble project during the late 20th century.
- brilliant pebble system
Examples
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Research into the brilliant pebble system influenced modern missile defense strategies.
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Critics doubted the effectiveness of brilliant pebble technology in countering advanced enemy missiles.
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The military successfully tested the brilliant pebble last week.
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Did you hear about the new brilliant pebbles being developed?
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The military tested the new brilliant pebble technology to enhance missile defense capabilities.
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During the demonstration, the brilliant pebble successfully intercepted an incoming missile.
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The engineers developed the brilliant pebble as part of a larger strategy to protect against aerial threats.
Surface Forms
Morphology
Although 'brilliant' and 'pebble' individually suggest 'bright' and 'small stone', the phrase is a military codename for a specific interceptor weapon; its technical meaning (a small computerized missile/satellite system) cannot be derived from the literal constituents. A B1 learner who knows the words would at best guess a small bright object, not the specialized weapons-system sense, so the expression is unpredictable from its parts.
Etymology
Brilliant pebble was a code name that compares a tiny, clever weapon to a small shiny stone: brilliant suggests 'bright' or clever and pebble suggests a little stone. The picture of many small, smart missiles like shining pebbles flying out to 'find and destroy' enemy missiles helps you remember it means a small computer-guided missile that 'intercepts' and destroys other missiles.
