torpedo

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noun tor·pe·do \ tȯr-ˈpē-(ˌ)dō \

Definition of torpedo

plural torpedoes

1 :a weapon for destroying ships by rupturing their hulls below the waterline: such as

a :a submarine mine

b :a thin cylindrical self-propelled underwater projectile

2 :a small firework that explodes when thrown against a hard object

3 :electric ray

4 :a professional gunman or assassin

5 :submarine 2

See torpedo defined for English-language learners

See torpedo defined for kids

torpedo was our Word of the Day on 05/26/2017. Hear the podcast!

Examples of torpedo in a Sentence

The battleship was sunk by a torpedo fired by a submarine.
that deli's torpedoes are big enough to serve two people

Recent Examples of torpedo from the Web

Texas Torpedoes: creamy cheddar, smoked pork and jalapeño fried nuggets with house ranch dressing.

— jill wendholt silva, kansascity, "Z-Man Burger, BBQ tacos & rib basket: A look at five County Line Ice House menu items," 30 Aug. 2017
What horrendous public-sector policies or congressional initiatives would impeaching Trump torpedo?

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "No, Impeaching Trump Would Not Reverse the 2016 Elections," 24 Aug. 2017
Three torpedoes from a German submarine, the U-507, caused the ship to become engulfed in flames, sinking it and killing 27 of her crew.

— zahra ahmad, Science | AAAS, "The Germans torpedoed a ship during World War II. The wreck is now revealing secrets about submarine mudslides," 21 Aug. 2017
The device was shaped like a torpedo and prompted an evacuation of the island, which is popular with tourists.

— mark price, charlotteobserver, "NASA satellite images show how NC’s new island was born," 20 July 2017
The arms approved by the US government for sale to Taiwan include torpedoes, technical support for early warning radar, anti-radiation missiles and missile components, officials from the two governments said.

— ralph jennings, The Christian Science Monitor, "US announces arms sales to Taiwan, China cries foul," 1 July 2017
He and actress Hedy Lamarr invented a very effective radio guidance system for Allied torpedoes in 1941, using a technique called frequency hopping.

— patrick neas, kansascity.com, "Four new classical CDs, including one by KC Symphony, worth a listen," 1 July 2017
The sales includes technical support for early warning radar, high speed anti-radiation missiles, torpedoes, and missile components.

— andrew nusca, Fortune, "China: We’re ‘Firmly Opposed’ to U.S. Weapons Sale to Taiwan," 30 June 2017
A US official familiar with the deal told CNN that the package would include advanced missiles and torpedoes including the AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapon and MK 48 6AT Heavy Weight Torpedoes.

— ryan browne, CNN, "US approves first arms sale to Taiwan under Trump," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'torpedo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

Like the adjective "torpid," "torpedo" can be traced back to the Latin verb torpēre, meaning "to be sluggish or numb." In Latin torpedo referred to stiffness or numbness, and also to the crampfish or electric ray. "Torpedo" first entered English as a name for the electric ray. During the Napoleonic Wars, the American inventor Robert Fulton experimented with an explosive charge for use against warships which he called a "torpedo" (and which we would now refer to as a mine), after the electric ray's ability to incapacitate creatures it comes in contact with. Fulton was also the inventor of the "Nautilus," an early hand-powered submarine which was one of the precursors of the vessels that would deliver the more familiar cigar-shaped torpedoes with such devastating effects during the 20th century's two World Wars.

Origin and Etymology of torpedo

Latin, literally, stiffness, numbness, from torpēre to be sluggish or numb — more at torpid

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1520

See Words from the same year

torpedo Synonyms

Synonyms

Cuban sandwich, grinder, hero, hoagie (also hoagy), Italian sandwich, po'boy (also poor boy), sub, submarine

torpedo

verb

Definition of torpedo

torpedoed; torpedoing \-ˈpē-də-wiŋ\

transitive verb

1 :to hit or sink (a ship) with a naval torpedo :strike or destroy by torpedo

2 :to destroy or nullify altogether :wreck

torpedo a plan

See torpedo defined for English-language learners

Examples of torpedo in a Sentence

The submarine torpedoed the battleship.
Her injury torpedoed her goal of competing in the Olympics.

Recent Examples of torpedo from the Web

Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowler in 2012, and then a combination of injuries and Washington’s incompetence torpedoed his career there.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Does drafting a quarterback with a top-10 pick mean NFL success? Flip a coin," 26 Aug. 2017
As Politico wrote in May: A news story tucked into Trump’s hands at the right moment can torpedo an appointment or redirect the president’s entire agenda.

— eric levitz, Daily Intelligencer, "The One Flaw in John Kelly’s Plan to Control the Info Trump Sees," 24 Aug. 2017
In an infamous 1988 case, a young teenager riding in the back seat of her family’s minivan on Interstate 95 in South Florida was impaled when a quarter-inch metal rod torpedoed through the window.

— samantha j. gross, miamiherald, "Is that a sex toy on the road? And a dishwasher, too? That could be deadly," 8 Aug. 2017
Like Oberon, Margo likely fears that the truth about her heritage will torpedo her career during a time when racial prejudice was rampant, and silver-screen faces were lily-white, save for a black servant or two.

— lisa liebman, vanityfair.com, "The Fascinating Old Hollywood Story That Inspired The Last Tycoon’s Best Plotline," 28 July 2017
Like Oberon, Margo likely fears that the truth about her heritage will torpedo her career during a time when racial prejudice was rampant, and silver-screen faces were lily-white, save for a black servant or two.

— lisa liebman, HWD, "The Fascinating Old Hollywood Story That Inspired The Last Tycoon’s Best Plotline," 28 July 2017
This is not the first time that the naysaying McConnell torpedoed the entire Right by waving his white flag during a winnable battle.

— deroy murdock, National Review, "Senate Majority Leader McConnell Should . . . Lead the Senate Majority," 10 July 2017
That’s more than enough to torpedo the measure developed in private by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and deliver a bitter defeat for the president.

— hope yen, The Seattle Times, "Trump scrambles for GOP health votes; budget score looms," 26 June 2017
Unless those holdouts can be swayed, their numbers are more than enough to torpedo the measure developed in private by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and deliver a bitter defeat for the president.

— Bloomberg.com, "Trump: Not 'That Far Off' From Passing Health Overhaul," 25 June 2017

First Known Use of torpedo

circa 1879

TORPEDO Defined for English Language Learners

torpedo

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noun

Definition of torpedo for English Language Learners

: a bomb that is shaped like a tube and that is fired underwater

torpedo

verb

Definition of torpedo for English Language Learners

: to hit or sink (a ship) with a torpedo
: to destroy or stop (something) completely

TORPEDO Defined for Kids

torpedo

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noun tor·pe·do \ tȯr-ˈpē-dō \

Definition of torpedo for Students

plural torpedoes

:a long narrow self-propelled underwater weapon used for blowing up ships

History for torpedo

In 1776, David Bushnell, a supporter of the American cause in the Revolutionary War, built a wooden submarine with a detachable container of gunpowder that could be hooked to an enemy ship and set to explode after the submarine steered clear. Bushnell is believed to have dubbed the container with the Latin word torpedo, “electric ray,” that is, a fish that delivers an electric shock. Though Bushnell's submarine and explosive device never damaged a British vessel, the name torpedo was later applied to modern weapons used to attack ships.