rocket

1 of 3

noun (1)

rock·​et ˈrä-kət How to pronounce rocket (audio)
rä-ˈket
: any of several plants of the mustard family: such as
a

rocket

2 of 3

noun (2)

rock·​et ˈrä-kət How to pronounce rocket (audio)
often attributive
1
a
: a firework consisting of a case partly filled with a combustible composition fastened to a guiding stick and propelled through the air by the rearward discharge of the gases liberated by combustion
b
: a similar device used as an incendiary weapon or as a propelling unit (as for a lifesaving line)
2
: a jet engine that operates on the same principle as the firework rocket, consists essentially of a combustion chamber and an exhaust nozzle, carries either liquid or solid propellants which provide the fuel and oxygen needed for combustion and thus make the engine independent of the oxygen of the air, and is used especially for the propulsion of a missile (such as a bomb or shell) or a vehicle (such as an airplane)
3
: a rocket-propelled bomb, missile, projectile, or vehicle

rocket

3 of 3

verb

rocketed; rocketing; rockets

transitive verb

: to convey or propel by means of or as if by a rocket

intransitive verb

1
: to rise up swiftly, spectacularly, and with force
rocketed to the top of the list
2
: to travel rapidly in or as if in a rocket

Examples of rocket in a Sentence

Verb Sales rocketed from 1,000 units last week to 5,000 units this week. The train rocketed through the tunnel. The spacecraft rocketed into outer space. Her novel rocketed to the top of the best-seller list. Their album rocketed up the charts. His role in the movie rocketed him to fame.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
In one case from 2022, a trio of magnet fishermen entered a Georgia military base and pulled dozens of rockets, large-caliber ammunition, and other explosives out of a river. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 24 Apr. 2024 Citing data the rocket company reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), Reuters found that injury rates at SpaceX last year were higher than the year prior at some of the company’s facilities, including its Texas and Florida locations. Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024 While the Pentagon has not released details of what will be included in the first assistance package, the United States has provided the bulk of the ammunition most desperately needed by Ukrainian forces, including shells for artillery and precision rockets for longer-distance strikes. Marc Santora, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024 The rocket would touch down on Earth roughly five years after the orbiter’s launch. Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024 Iron Dome is designed as protection against rockets at low altitudes. George Petras, USA TODAY, 15 Apr. 2024 The Lebanese militia Hezbollah, which launched rockets on Israeli targets during Iran’s April 13 assault on Israel, would be positioned to play the most significant role in an all-out war. Tony Capaccio, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2024 If the rocket does pose a threat, the Iron Dome fires missiles from the ground to destroy it in the air. Brad Lendon, CNN, 14 Apr. 2024 Hezbollah, the powerful Lebanese militia that sits on Israel’s northern border, also fired several volleys of Katyusha rockets into the Golan Heights, but this was effectively a continuation of other recent attacks. Dexter Filkins, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024
Verb
The triumph also rocketed him 53 places to a career-best world No. 34 ranking, but the sweetest winning perk of all was the last-minute ticket stamped to The Masters on Thursday. Jack Bantock, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024 The band began playing around New York City to rather small audiences, before quickly rocketing to fame with thrilling live performances and hit after hit. Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 4 Apr. 2024 All three times, Betts converted the play with ease: Backhanding a firm bouncer from Brandon Crawford in the third, rocketing a long throw to retire Nolan Arenado in the fourth, then limiting damage in the 10th by getting at least one out at first base on a slow roller with the infield in. Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2024 Almost a year ago at CinemaCon — months before Barbie would rocket to become the highest-grossing movie of 2023 — Gosling talked about taking on the role of Ken. Degen Pener, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Mar. 2024 At the time, both artists had rocketed to stardom with their debut albums, Furtado with Whoa Nelly! Julyssa Lopez, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2024 Insurance costs sky rocketed, many small aircraft manufacturers went out of business and larger firms stopped making smaller aircraft. Michael Barnard, Forbes, 2 Mar. 2024 In July 2022, the microbe was rocketed to the International Space Station to see if astronauts could grow the protein in microgravity. Claire Turrell, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2024 Baker and Stewart are former Los Angeles Dodgers teammates of Steve Garvey, one of Lee’s rivals in the Senate race who has rocketed past her in the polls since joining the contest in October. John Woolfolk, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rocket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from Middle French roquete, borrowed from Italian (15th-century) ruchetta, rochetta, from ruca "arugula" (going back to Latin ērūca "arugula, caterpillar," of uncertain origin) + -etta, diminutive suffix, going back to Latin -itta

Note: The sense "caterpillar" of Latin ērūca has been taken as the original one, with the plant so called from the resemblance of its hairy stems to a caterpillar. If this is the case, ērūca could be a derivative of *ēr "hedgehog" (see urchin); the suffix may be the same as in festūca "stalk, straw," lactūca "lettuce," and verrūca "wart."

Noun (2)

Italian rocchetta, literally, small distaff, from diminutive of rocca distaff, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German rocko distaff

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1530, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1837, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of rocket was in 1530

Dictionary Entries Near rocket

Cite this Entry

“Rocket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rocket. Accessed 29 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

rocket

1 of 2 noun
rock·​et ˈräk-ət How to pronounce rocket (audio)
1
: a firework that is driven through the air by the gases produced by a burning substance
2
: a jet engine that operates like a firework rocket but carries its own oxygen for burning the fuel and is therefore able to run without the oxygen of the air
3
: an object (as a missile) that is driven by a rocket

rocket

2 of 2 verb
1
: to transport by a rocket
rocket a satellite into orbit
2
: to rise swiftly
a singer who rocketed to stardom
3
: to travel rapidly in or as if in a rocket
Etymology

Noun

from Italian rocchetta, literally "a small stick or rod on which wool is held for spinning," from rocca "distaff"; probably so called because of its shape

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