death ray
noun
: a weapon that generates an intense beam of particles or radiation by which it destroys its target
Examples of death ray in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Archimedes’ death ray is more commonly speculated to have been an array of several mirrors or polished shields.
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Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
Sener found the death ray to be one of the more intriguing devices — sometimes referred to as the heat ray.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
So otherworldly were the fire conditions on Black Saturday that animals and people were killed by radiant heat alone, from hundreds of yards away, as if they had been felled by a death ray.
—John Vaillant, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2023
Oh, and also radio, X-ray imaging, radar, remote control, death rays and wireless communications with other worlds.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 14 Mar. 2023
To turn the water content of an average person into gas—leaving the bones behind for allies to find of course—the successful mad scientist’s death ray would have to output enough energy to first boil the person’s water and then turn it into steam.
—Kyle Hill, Discover Magazine, 12 Sep. 2013
As Britain grew increasingly concerned about German air raids, the country’s defense department asked radio physicist Robert Watson-Watt about employing the technology as a kind of death ray to down enemy planes.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2020
The Senate also packs a parliamentary death ray, the filibuster, which would allow forty-one senators representing ten per cent of the public to block legislation supported by senators representing the other ninety per cent.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022
Played by George Barrows, the alien robot Ro-Man comes to Earth and kills most of humanity with his death ray, but spares Alice (Barrett),a scientist's daughter, after he becomes attracted to her.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 10 June 2021
Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
Sener found the death ray to be one of the more intriguing devices — sometimes referred to as the heat ray.
—Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
So otherworldly were the fire conditions on Black Saturday that animals and people were killed by radiant heat alone, from hundreds of yards away, as if they had been felled by a death ray.
—John Vaillant, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 June 2023
Oh, and also radio, X-ray imaging, radar, remote control, death rays and wireless communications with other worlds.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 14 Mar. 2023
To turn the water content of an average person into gas—leaving the bones behind for allies to find of course—the successful mad scientist’s death ray would have to output enough energy to first boil the person’s water and then turn it into steam.
—Kyle Hill, Discover Magazine, 12 Sep. 2013
As Britain grew increasingly concerned about German air raids, the country’s defense department asked radio physicist Robert Watson-Watt about employing the technology as a kind of death ray to down enemy planes.
—Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2020
The Senate also packs a parliamentary death ray, the filibuster, which would allow forty-one senators representing ten per cent of the public to block legislation supported by senators representing the other ninety per cent.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2022
Played by George Barrows, the alien robot Ro-Man comes to Earth and kills most of humanity with his death ray, but spares Alice (Barrett),a scientist's daughter, after he becomes attracted to her.
—Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 10 June 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'death ray.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Death ray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20ray. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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