projectile
projectile Lexical Profile
projectile Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An object propelled through the air or space by the application of an external force, continuing in motion by its own inertia.
"In the physics experiment, the students measured how far the small projectile traveled when launched at a forty-five-degree angle."
• adjective
Impelled, thrown, or driven forward with great force, or designed to hurl an object outward.
"The physics students used high-speed cameras to analyze the trajectory of projectile motion."
Capable of being thrust or extended rapidly outward (especially of an anatomical part such as a chameleon's tongue).
"The chameleon uses its long, projectile tongue to capture insects from a considerable distance."
• Rhymes for projectile
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-17th century from French projectile or Modern Latin projectilis, derived from Latin projectus, the past participle of projicere ('to throw forth'), combining pro- ('forward') and jacere ('to throw').
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.