mis ‧ sile /ˈmɪsaɪl $ ˈmɪs ə l/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1600-1700 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: missilis 'able to be thrown' , from mittere ; ⇨ ↑ mission ]
1 . a weapon that can fly over long distances and that explodes when it hits the thing it has been aimed at:
a nuclear missile
a missile attack
2 . an object that is thrown at someone in order to hurt them:
Demonstrators threw missiles at the police.
⇨ ↑ ballistic missile , ↑ cruise missile , ↑ guided missile