missile defense system
17
4.6
- noun
- /ˈmɪsəl dɪˈfɛns ˈsɪstəm/
- Specialized
- 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
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- Tanks, planes, bombs, Patriot missile defense systems, the latest and greatest stuff.
- So the that's the resource, that's the the clock that Szalinski knows he's fighting against, that he's racing against, is not a clock of fighter jets or or missile defense systems.
- And then it has to have like, I think Air Force One has like missiles on it and like missile defense systems and, you know, all sorts of spy shit, right?
Examples
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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.
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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.
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During the military exercise, soldiers tested the new missile defense system to demonstrate its capabilities against incoming projectiles.
Synonyms
53
3.9
Weapons and other equipment used to protect a country or area from attack
27
4.2
Systems and weapons that protect a place from enemy aircraft or missiles
1
7.5
A weapon or system made to stop incoming missiles before they reach their target
1
6.0
A system that detects and destroys incoming missiles before they reach a target
A missile system on a ship that defends it from close incoming missiles or planes
How Effective
- Specialized
27
4.2
- Specialized
17
4.6
- Specialized
Surface Forms
Morphology
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'.