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
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.
Noun
When shooting a single lead projectile, gun powder would have been poured into muzzle followed by the round ball and a wad of paper or grass to keep the ball from rolling out when the muzzle was lowered, researchers said. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 26 Nov. 2024 Image Hezbollah fired about 250 projectiles into Israel Waves of air-raid sirens blared throughout much of Israel yesterday, including neighborhoods in the Tel Aviv area, after the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah fired about 250 projectiles into the country, the Israeli military said. Natasha Frost, New York Times, 25 Nov. 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 

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 3 Dec. 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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