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 Each match culminates in an all-hands-on-deck fight against the enemy’s Patron, a gigantic floating orb with arms and death rays. Sean Hollister, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2024 Recently, the garrulous Leon Trotsky has told the world to beware of a new Russian death ray. Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 25 June 2024 Nikola Tesla and the Death Ray Craze Nikola Tesla, the audacious futurist and groundbreaking inventor, once claimed to have invented a death ray that would end all war. JSTOR Daily, 24 June 2024 The Capitol Building Methods used: Alien death ray, regular bombs The centerpiece of the U.S. Capitol is its 287-foot cast-iron dome, designed by architect Thomas U. Walter in 1854 to replace the much shorter copper original, which, to be honest, looked kind of stupid. Elle Carroll, Vulture, 12 Apr. 2024 The military resists, but human technology is no match for Martian tripods and death rays. Kermit Roosevelt Iii, TIME, 31 May 2024 Lee adds a touch of class (and a superfluous third nipple) to the colorful menagerie of big-screen Bond villains with his solar death ray. Chris Nashawaty, EW.com, 29 May 2024 Archimedes’ death ray is more commonly speculated to have been an array of several mirrors or polished shields. 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

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.

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of death ray was in 1896

Dictionary Entries Near death ray

Cite this Entry

“Death ray.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/death%20ray. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

death ray

noun
: a weapon that generates an intense beam of particles or radiation by which it destroys its target
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