I. tor ‧ pe ‧ do 1 /tɔːˈpiːdəʊ $ tɔːrˈpiːdoʊ/ BrE AmE noun ( plural torpedoes ) [countable]
[ Date: 1700-1800 ; Origin: torpedo type of fish that can produce electricity to protect itself (16-21 centuries) , from Latin , 'stiffness, numbness, torpedo fish' , from torpere ; ⇨ ↑ torpid ]
a long narrow weapon that is fired under the surface of the sea and explodes when it hits something
II. torpedo 2 BrE AmE verb [transitive]
1 . to attack or destroy a ship with a torpedo
2 . to stop something such as a plan from succeeding SYN destroy :
New threats of violence have effectively torpedoed the peace talks.