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missile defense system

missile defense system

15 4.6
A set of weapons and radar that find and stop enemy missiles before they hit
  • noun
  • /ˈmɪsəl dɪˈfɛns ˈsɪstəm/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sistema de defensa antimisiles
  • The David's Sling missile defense system for meeting threats of up to 300 kilometers will soon become operational as well.
  • ballistic missile defense system
  • nonstrategic missile defense systems
  • theater missile defense systems

Tanks, planes, bombs, Patriot missile defense systems, the latest and greatest stuff.

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Examples

  • Finally, the United States should not be deterred by Russian objections to placing missile defense systems in the Czech Republic and Poland.

    Academic text (2007)
  • The Iron Dome missile defense system successfully intercepted multiple rockets heading toward the city.

  • The next U.S. president must also press ahead with building a national missile defense system.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Meanwhile, the delivery of the UAE's missile defense system may not be complete until 2015.

    Academic text (2010)
  • In 2008, the United Arab Emirates ordered a $7 billion missile defense system never before sold to another country.

    Academic text (2010)
  • Warsaw has expressed interest in the possible deployment of a missile defense system on its soil.

    Academic text (2006)
  • But the new U.S. posture keeps open the question of the U.S. missile defense system's capability against Russian strategic nuclear forces.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The maneuver is part of Putin's attempt to forestall the deployment of a NATO missile defense system in Eastern Europe.

    Academic text (2008)
  • The government announced plans to upgrade the national missile defense system to enhance security against potential threats.

  • During the military exercise, soldiers tested the new missile defense system to demonstrate its capabilities against incoming projectiles.

Synonyms

defense system
vsmissile defense system
  • Specialized
44 3.9

Weapons and other equipment used to protect a country or area from attack

is specialized in detecting and destroying aerial attack threats rather than general protection
air defense
vsmissile defense system
  • Specialized
30 4.2

Systems and weapons that protect a place from enemy aircraft or missiles

is focused on intercepting airborne projectiles rather than also handling aircraft
antimissile
vsmissile defense system
  • Specialized
1 6.0

A system that detects and destroys incoming missiles before they reach a target

is the broader military arrangement that tracks and neutralizes such threats
antiballistic
vsmissile defense system
  • Specialized
7.5

A weapon or system made to stop incoming missiles before they reach their target

is for general interception across different trajectories not only ballistic ones
basic point defense missile system
vsmissile defense system
  • Specialized
6.2

A missile system on a ship that defends it from close incoming missiles or planes

is for wider area and longer range protection rather than only short range

How Effective

air defense
  • Specialized
30 4.2
missile defense system
  • Specialized
15 4.6

Surface Forms

Morphology

missile + defense + system

The phrase is a straightforward compound where 'missile' specifies the threat, 'defense' indicates protection, and 'system' denotes an organized set of components; together they plainly mean a system for defending against missiles. This compositional logic is common across languages and follows standard English noun-noun modification, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Missile defense system comes from its parts: missile meaning 'a flying weapon', defense meaning 'protecting', and system meaning 'a group of parts'. Picture radars and small rockets working like a shield that find and stop incoming missiles, so the phrase means 'a set of tools to protect against missile attacks'.