interceptor

noun

in·​ter·​cep·​tor ˌin-tər-ˈsep-tər 

variants or less commonly intercepter

: one that intercepts

specifically : a light high-speed fast-climbing fighter plane or missile designed for defense against raiding bombers or missiles

Examples of interceptor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The mismatch between the cheap drones Iran is launching and the expensive interceptors used to shoot them down has alarmed some in the defense sector. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 10 Apr. 2026

Ukraine has developed expertise to destroy them through electronic jamming as well as using small, cheap interceptor drones to blow up the Shahed drones. —Npr Staff, NPR, 10 Apr. 2026

Weapon stockpiles across the region are reportedly under strain as some Gulf states have used a significant portion of their interceptor inventories. —Anniek Bao, CNBC, 8 Apr. 2026

The DragonFire system can target 400 mph drones and, while the weapon itself costs around $200 million, each shot is only $13, compared to hundreds of thousands of dollars for a high-tech interceptor missile. —Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for interceptor

• baroreceptor
• chemoreceptor
• acceptor
• preceptor
• receptor
• adrenoceptor
• photoreceptor
• scepter
• sceptre

Kids Definition

interceptor

noun

in·​ter·​cep·​tor ˌint-ər-ˈsep-tər 

: one that intercepts

especially : a fast fighter plane designed for defense against bombers