torpedo

noun tor·pe·do \ tȯr-ˈpē-(ˌ)dō \

|Updated on: 17 Jun 2018

Examples: torpedo in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

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

Osterholm, who runs UM’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), has a reputation for speaking bluntly—torpedoes, political correctness, friends, even funders be damned--and understands the power of a punchy metaphor.

— jon cohen, Science | AAAS, "An outspoken epidemiologist becomes U.S. science envoy," 12 June 2018
The light cruiser Atlanta was struck by torpedoes, then devastated by fire from the San Francisco, which in the chaos had mistaken the U.S. ship for a foe.

— gary kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, "How SF’s namesake ship survived a World War II ‘suicide’ mission," 9 June 2018
The Jeep, like a torpedo, flew past them westward on 23rd Street Friday afternoon west of Blue Ridge Boulevard toward Kansas City, with two Independence police cars following behind.

— joe robertson, katie bernard, glenn e. rice and ian cummings, kansascity, "'Somebody's going to die,' crash witness knew; Independence defends police chases," 4 June 2018
There were 1,196 men on the ship when torpedoes hit and tore it apart on July 30, 1945.

— bill leukhardt, Courant Community, "Waterbury Hero Priest Was Always Considered A Saint; Now Some Want To Make It Official," 28 May 2018
There are many competing devices that look like torpedoes, for example.

— allison barrie, Fox News, "SOFIC: Where Special Operations shop for cutting-edge weapons," 24 May 2018
The ship, the cruiser Juneau, was blasted apart by a Japanese torpedo on Nov. 13, 1942.

— jacey fortin, BostonGlobe.com, "Wreck of the Juneau Is Found, 76 Years After 5 Brothers Perished," 22 Mar. 2018
But when Wiseau made a move to grab the mic like a spotlight-stealing torpedo, Franco rebuffed him.

— ashley hoffman, Time, "The Internet Can't Get Over James Franco Blocking Tommy Wiseau," 8 Jan. 2018
He is believed to have been involved in a torpedo attack that sank the South Korean warship Cheonan in 2010, killing 46 South Korean sailors.

— nicole gaouette, CNN, "North Korean ex-spy chief arrives in US for Pompeo meeting," 30 May 2018

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

in the meaning defined at sense 3

See Words from the same year

torpedo

verb

Definition of torpedo

torpedoed; torpedoing play \tȯr-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

Hell, Nick is the one who was running around Canada, right under Fred’s nose, handing over secret packages to Luke, effectively torpedoing his boss’ international mission in a single swipe.

— refinery29.com, "The Handmaid's Tale," 14 June 2018
The worst loss was the cruiser Juneau, which sank after being torpedoed.

— gary kamiya, San Francisco Chronicle, "How SF’s namesake ship survived a World War II ‘suicide’ mission," 9 June 2018
But Pusha held no punches on his latest track: charging Drake with being an absentee father, using a photo of Drake in blackface as the cover art, and then confirming—and semi-torpedoing—the long-swirling rumors that Drizzy is signing with Adidas.

— cam wolf, GQ, "Pusha T Might’ve Just Confirmed Drake x Adidas," 30 May 2018
Just to show who now led the right, Mr Salvini refused to support him, instantly torpedoing his chances.

— The Economist, "Italy’s populists edge closer to forming a government," 27 Mar. 2018
The hope is that the inevitable missteps won't be disastrous enough to prompt Congress to step in and torpedo the movement altogether.

— jay willis, GQ, "The Brave New World of Legalized Sports Betting, Explained," 14 May 2018
His right-wing turnabout could torpedo a forthcoming album and affect future tour sales and fashion revenues, which depend on the goodwill of young, taste-making audiences.

— shelby grad, latimes.com, "Essential California: A political odd couple," 10 May 2018
Regardless of where they are headquartered, virtually all multinational corporations do business or banking in the US, meaning any return to pre-deal sanctions could torpedo deals made after the 2015 agreement came into force.

— jon gambrell, BostonGlobe.com, "Quashing Iran accord would put airplane, oil deals at risk," 7 May 2018
Regardless of where they are headquartered, virtually all multinational corporations do business or banking in the U.S., meaning any return to pre-deal sanctions could torpedo deals made after the 2015 agreement came into force.

— jon gambrell, chicagotribune.com, "Airplane and oil deals at risk in Trump pullout of Iran deal," 6 May 2018

First Known Use of torpedo

circa 1879

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

TORPEDO Defined for English Language Learners

torpedo

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

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.