throw-weight

9.9

The weight of warheads or other cargo a missile can carry, not counting the rocket

noun
/θroʊˈweɪt/

Specialized

: peso de carga

The missile's throw-weight determines how much payload it can carry.

Examples

The new missile has a greater throw-weight than its predecessor, allowing it to carry more warheads.
Most modern missiles have a high throw-weight capacity.
Improvements in propulsion did not significantly increase the throw-weight of the missile.
Nuclear arms negotiations often focus on the throw-weight limitations of each country's missile systems.
The missile's throw-weight allows it to carry a heavy payload over long distances.
Experts are analyzing the throw-weight of different missile systems to compare their capabilities.
The military emphasized that increasing the throw-weight of their missiles would enhance national defense.

Surface Forms

throw-weight singular

throw-weights plural

Morphology

throw-weight = throw + weight (transparent) = throw + weight

The term is a direct compound of 'throw' + 'weight' meaning the weight that can be thrown/delivered; the meaning is compositional though technical.

Etymology

Throw-weight comes from the everyday words throw, like 'to send' or 'to throw a ball', and weight, meaning 'how heavy' something is, so it helps to picture how heavy a thing you can throw. That is why throw-weight means the 'weight' a missile can 'throw' or deliver, not the weight of the rocket itself.