ballistic missile
45
5.1
- noun
- /bəˈlɪstɪk ˈmɪsəl/
- Specialized
:
misil balístico
- The same is true for the sophisticated systems used to defend against the threat of ballistic missiles.
- ballistic missile defense
- intercontinental ballistic missiles
- nuclear ballistic missiles
They are working on ballistic missiles that will be intercontinental.
- They are working on ballistic missiles that will be intercontinental.
- That same month, the US starts deploying mid range ballistic missiles in Italy.
- He can send medium range ballistic missiles to Cuba and change the equation.
- I woke up to an Amber Alert saying there was a inbound ballistic missile headed to the island of Hawaii.
- This is to protect, you know, relatively broad areas against sophisticated ballistic missile threats.
- We have nuclear armed, nuclear powered submarines outfitted with submarine launched ballistic missiles.
- In other words, the Icbms, the ballistic missiles that launch out of the silos, and the sub launched ballistic missiles in the submarines.
- And they're supposed to advise the US president about any ballistic missiles launched from North Korea or Russia or Iran.
- The path of normal ballistic missiles is easy to predict, so anti missile systems can target and destroy them.
- If we need an intermediate range of ballistic ballistic missiles, we should develop deploy them.
- So the president orders the launch of the ICBMSICBM stands for intercontinental ballistic missile.
Examples
-
Iran's potential nuclear capability lies somewhere in the future; its ballistic missile capabilities are here and now.
Academic text (2015) -
During the conflict, several ballistic missiles were launched, causing widespread concern among neighboring countries.
-
During the late 1950s, the U.S. was focused on the development of ballistic missiles for its Cold War arsenal.
Academic text (2011) -
In the absence of a realistic active defense option against ballistic missiles, other strategies will be sought.
Academic text (1993) -
The regime has an impressive ballistic missile program for delivering weapons of mass destruction.
Academic text (2012) -
This morning, the first full-range firing of an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, was conducted by the United States.
-
The Dong Feng 21 (DF-21) is a two-stage ballistic missile that uses solid fuel.
Academic text (2015) -
The military successfully intercepted and destroyed a ballistic missile with their defense system.
-
The government is investing heavily in technologies to detect incoming ballistic missiles that may threaten national security.
How Far
- Specialized
7
7.4
- Specialized
45
5.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a missile that follows a ballistic trajectory' is directly and compositionally derived from the adjective 'ballistic' (moving under momentum and gravity) modifying 'missile' (a propelled weapon). Although 'ballistic' is somewhat technical, the adjective+noun pattern is regular and cross-linguistically transparent, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents would be able to infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Ballistic missile comes from ballistic, a word about the path of a thrown ball, and missile, a flying weapon. After its engine pushes it up, the missile then follows a curved, falling path 'like a thrown ball', so the name shows it is powered at first and then 'free-falls' to the target.