warhead

noun

war·​head ˈwȯr-ˌhed How to pronounce warhead (audio)
: the section of a missile containing the explosive, chemical, or incendiary charge

Examples of warhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Normally these drones act as spotters for Lancet kamikaze drones, which are more resistant to jamming and which carry a heavier warhead than an FPV like the Ghoul. David Hambling, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Fortunately, there was no nuclear warhead attached nor was there any rocket fuel, so there wasn't any risk of an explosion, authorities said. Anna Lazarus Caplan, Peoplemag, 6 Feb. 2024 Violence is the biggest issue: Expect lots of fighting, shooting (with futuristic guns), battling with knives/blades, slicing and slashing (very little blood shown), a few bloody wounds, many explosions, atomic warheads, head-bashing, neck-snapping, and more. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 Its frontal armor can easily shrug off a hit from the type of RPG warhead carried by a Ghoul. David Hambling, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 The missile was not armed with a nuclear warhead during the test. Mark Landler, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2024 Moscow could also help North Korea develop the technology to launch missiles with multiple warheads to overwhelm U.S. and allied missile defenses. Jonathan Corrado, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2024 It was not equipped with a warhead and had no rocket fuel. Sonja Anderson, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Feb. 2024 The United States military said yesterday its Navy SEALs intercepted a ship carrying Iranian missile parts — including ballistic missile warheads — that were bound for the Houthis. NBC News, 18 Jan. 2024

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

1898, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of warhead was in 1898

Dictionary Entries Near warhead

Cite this Entry

“Warhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warhead. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

warhead

noun
war·​head ˈwȯ(ə)r-ˌhed How to pronounce warhead (audio)
: the section of a missile containing the charge

More from Merriam-Webster on warhead

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