Ballistic missile
any missile that, after being launched and possibly guided during takeoff, travels unpowered in a ballistic trajectory.
Contemporary Examples
Russia is also working on new a fleet of ballistic missile submarines, attack submarines to operate under the ice caps.
Russia Preps Its North Pole Invasion Dave Majumdar November 7, 2014
noun
a missile that has no wings or fins and that follows a ballistic trajectory when its propulsive power is discontinued
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- Ballistic pendulum
a device consisting of a large mass hung from a horizontal bar by two rods, used to measure the velocity of an object, as a bullet, by retaining the object upon impact, its velocity being a function of the displacement of the mass. Historical Examples This cannon is a duplicate of the one used for […]
- Ballistic trajectory
the path of an unpowered object, as a missile, moving only under the influence of gravity and possibly atmospheric friction and with its surface providing no significant lift to alter the course of flight.
- Ballistic wind
a single wind vector that would have the same net effect on the trajectory of a projectile as the varying winds encountered in flight.
- Ballistically
of or relating to ballistics. having its motion determined or describable by the laws of exterior ballistics. go ballistic, Informal. to become overwrought or irrational: went ballistic over the idea of a tax hike. Historical Examples Rearmament of our Cavalry with a 6-millimetre carbine, ballistically equal in all respects to the rifle of the Infantry. […]
- Ballistics
the science or study of the motion of projectiles, as bullets, shells, or bombs. the art or science of designing projectiles for maximum flight performance. Contemporary Examples He admitted in court that he was not a pathologist, and that he did not have any formal training in ballistics or sound. Disastrous Turn By Star Witness […]