launch vehicle

noun

: a rocket used to launch a satellite or spacecraft

Examples of launch vehicle in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The company's New Shepard suborbital launch vehicle lifted off Saturday at 9:39 a.m. CDT (10:39 a.m. EDT or 1439 GMT) from its Launch Site One in West Texas. Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 29 June 2025 Starship is regarded as the world’s largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever developed. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 21 June 2025 The launch vehicle included five solid rocket boosters alongside its main booster and a massive payload fairing measuring 77 feet in height and 16.4 feet in width. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 30 Apr. 2025 The launch vehicle is composed of both a 232-foot Super Heavy rocket and the 171-foot upper stage spacecraft, or capsule where crew and cargo would ride. Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 21 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for launch vehicle

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1960, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of launch vehicle was circa 1960

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Cite this Entry

“Launch vehicle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/launch%20vehicle. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.

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