projectile

1 of 2

noun

pro·​jec·​tile prə-ˈjek-tᵊl How to pronounce projectile (audio) -ˌtī(-ə)l How to pronounce projectile (audio)
 chiefly British  ˈprä-jik-ˌtī(-ə)l
1
: a body projected by external force and continuing in motion by its own inertia
especially : a missile for a weapon (such as a firearm)
2
: a self-propelling weapon (such as a rocket)

projectile

2 of 2

adjective

1
: projecting or impelling forward
a projectile force
2
: capable of being thrust forward

Examples of projectile in a Sentence

Noun The cannon fires a ten-pound projectile. Someone threw a projectile at her car.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Over the last year, Israeli officials have said Hezbollah has launched about 8,000 projectiles mainly into northern Israel. Mike Brest, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 28 Sep. 2024 When the last credit appears, a Minion who has a gadget that fires Lite Brite-like pegs shoots the plastic projectiles at the flying Mega Minion. Tim Lammers, Forbes, 27 Sep. 2024
Adjective
Police badly wounded people with projectile weapons at the George Floyd protests and the Lakers’ NBA title celebration in L.A., spurring a mountain of lawsuits — which have cost taxpayers millions and still aren’t fully resolved. Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2024 This, together with competition from H. sapiens, who likely possessed technologies like projectile weapons, likely contributed to these other human species going extinct. Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 11 Oct. 2023 See all Example Sentences for projectile 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'projectile.' 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

Noun

1564, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1715, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of projectile was in 1564

Dictionary Entries Near projectile

Cite this Entry

“Projectile.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/projectile. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

projectile

noun
pro·​jec·​tile
prə-ˈjek-tᵊl
: something (as a bullet or rocket) thrown or driven forward especially from or for use as a weapon
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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