chemical laser
noun
: a laser that uses a chemical reaction (such as combustion) as an energy source
The weapon is the chemical laser, which gets its energy from the combustion of fuels similar to those in rocket engines. Though much of its energy is lost as heat, significant amounts can be extracted by mirrors and resonant chambers, emerging as a concentrated beam of light that in theory can flash across space to zap speeding missiles thousands of miles away.—
William J. Broad
William J. BroadExamples of chemical laser in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One year after his debut in Top Secret! and one year before stepping up as Top Gun's Iceman, Kilmer led Martha Coolidge's comedy Real Genius, playing a Caltech wiz-kid (and hard-partying wiseass) tasked with designing a chemical laser.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2025
The plane locked in its tracking lasers, and then unleashed a chemical laser that burned a hole in the side of the missile to blow it up.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2010
Rather than a chemical laser, PASS used a solid-state, electrically powered laser.
—David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 23 May 2022
The technology has now shifted from the chemical laser, which required corrosive and toxic chemicals to induce a beam and machinery almost the size of an on-site laboratory, to the solid-state laser, which needs only copious amounts of electricity.
—New York Times, 3 June 2022
This was previously explored in the Pulsed Energy Projectile, a US Army project involving a chemical laser in the early 2000s which vaporised outer clothing to produce a stunning but non-harmful flash-bang effect.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2021
Jack's area of expertise was inventing and developing chemical lasers.
—courant.com, 8 Sep. 2019
In the 2000s, the Pentagon dumped billions into a 747 modified to fire a chemical laser.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 17 Jan. 2019
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Randall Colburn, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2025
The plane locked in its tracking lasers, and then unleashed a chemical laser that burned a hole in the side of the missile to blow it up.
—Andrew Moseman, Discover Magazine, 16 Feb. 2010
Rather than a chemical laser, PASS used a solid-state, electrically powered laser.
—David Hambling, Popular Mechanics, 23 May 2022
The technology has now shifted from the chemical laser, which required corrosive and toxic chemicals to induce a beam and machinery almost the size of an on-site laboratory, to the solid-state laser, which needs only copious amounts of electricity.
—New York Times, 3 June 2022
This was previously explored in the Pulsed Energy Projectile, a US Army project involving a chemical laser in the early 2000s which vaporised outer clothing to produce a stunning but non-harmful flash-bang effect.
—David Hambling, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2021
Jack's area of expertise was inventing and developing chemical lasers.
—courant.com, 8 Sep. 2019
In the 2000s, the Pentagon dumped billions into a 747 modified to fire a chemical laser.
—Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 17 Jan. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Chemical laser.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chemical%20laser. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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