rocketeer

noun

rock·​e·​teer ˌrä-kə-ˈtir How to pronounce rocketeer (audio)
1
: one who fires, pilots, or rides in a rocket
2
: a scientist who specializes in rocketry

Examples of rocketeer in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the December 1929 issue, Popular Mechanics covered the pioneering work of the rocketeer Robert H. Goddard. John Brady, Popular Mechanics, 16 Mar. 2021 Despite the help of Nazi rocketeer Wernher Von Braun (played by Sacha Seberg), there are plenty of problems with the Atlas rocket. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 7 Oct. 2020 In 1923, German rocketeer Hermann Oberth first proposed sending telescopes into space to surpass the blur. Popular Mechanics, 30 July 2020 The rocketeer hoped to reach the Kármán line, the point at which Earth's atmosphere and outer space meet, about 62,000 feet above the surface of the globe. Jennifer Leman, Popular Mechanics, 24 Feb. 2020 Among his subjects are people participating in Mars simulations, those who are enthralled with the search for intelligent alien civilizations, and amateur rocketeers. Robert Ormerod, National Geographic, 9 Apr. 2018 These days any rocketeer wishing to get staggeringly pie-eyed and maybe moon the Moon will have to hitch a ride with another space agency altogether. David Arky, Smithsonian, 20 Mar. 2018 Cocoa Beach Mayor Ben Malik, a banker by day, noted that jobs are making a big comeback, with so many private rocketeers and other aerospace businesses hitting town. Marcia Dunn, The Seattle Times, 4 Feb. 2018 But in the minds of a few rocketeers on both sides of the Iron Curtain, the old idea of the Earth's artificial moon suddenly transformed from an abstract theoretical concept into a potentially practical task. Anatoly Zak, Popular Mechanics, 4 Oct. 2017

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

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rocketeer was in 1832

Dictionary Entries Near rocketeer

Cite this Entry

“Rocketeer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rocketeer. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.

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