Torpedo meaning

tôr-pē'dō
A cigar-shaped, self-propelled underwater projectile launched from a submarine, aircraft, or ship and designed to detonate on contact with or in the vicinity of a target.
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Any of various submarine explosive devices, especially a submarine mine.
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A small explosive placed on a railroad track that is fired by the weight of the train to sound a warning of an approaching hazard.
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An explosive fired in an oil or gas well to begin or increase the flow.
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A small firework consisting of gravel wrapped in tissue paper with a percussion cap that explodes when thrown against a hard surface.
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A professional assassin or thug.
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To attack, strike, or sink with a torpedo.
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To destroy decisively; wreck.

Torpedo efforts at reform.

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A large, cigar-shaped, self-propelled underwater projectile for launching against enemy ships from a submarine, airplane, etc.: it is detonated by contact, sound, etc.
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A metal case containing explosives, esp. one used as an underwater mine.
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A small fireworks device consisting of a percussion cap and gravel wrapped in tissue paper, which explodes with a loud noise when thrown against a hard surface.
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An explosive cartridge or a flare, placed on a railroad track and detonated by a train wheel as a signal to the crew.
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An explosive cartridge lowered into oil wells, where it is detonated to clear the bore or to break through to the oil pocket.
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A gangster or gunman hired as a bodyguard, assassin, etc.
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To attack, damage, or destroy with or as with a torpedo.
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(military) A cylindrical explosive projectile that can travel underwater and is used as a weapon.
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A fish having wings that generate electric current, a kind of electric ray.
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(regional) A submarine sandwich.
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(archaic, military) A naval mine.
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(slang) A professional gunman or assassin.
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(rail transport, US) A small explosive device attached to the top of the rail to provide an audible warning when a train passes over it.
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A kind of firework in the form of a small ball, or pellet, which explodes when thrown upon a hard object.
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To send a torpedo, usually from a submarine, that explodes below the waterline of the target ship.
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To sink a ship with one of more torpedoes.
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To undermine or destroy any endeavor with a stealthy, powerful attack.
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Origin of torpedo

  • Latin torpēdō numbness, electric ray from torpēre to be stiff ster-1 in Indo-European roots
    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
  • From Latin torpÄ“dō (“a torpedo fish"), from torpÄ“dō (“numbness, torpidity, electric ray"), from torpeō (“I am stiff, numb, torpid; I am astounded; I am inactive") and -dō (“noun suffix"), from Proto-Indo-European *ster (“stiff"), see also Old English steorfan (“to die"), Ancient Greek στερεός (stereos, “solid"), Lithuanian tirpstu (“to become rigid"), Old Church Slavonic трупети (trupeti)
    From Wiktionary

Torpedo Sentence Examples

  • She missed her with a torpedo and opened fire at Boo yards.

  • There the German torpedo craft and German submarines lay in a safe base only some 60 m.

  • The squib is lowered after the torpedo, and, when exploded by the descent of the weight, fires the charge.

  • They were to be supported by five bombarding monitors ("Marshal Soult," "Lord Clive," "Prince Eugene," "General Crawford," M24 and M26) and covered by five British destroyers ("Swift," "Faulknor," "Matchless," "Mastiff" and "Afridi"), with three British destroyers and six French torpedo boats attending on the monitors ("Mentor," "Lightfoot," "Zubian," "Lestin," "Capitaine Mehl," "Francis Gamier," "Roux," "Bouclier").

  • On the completion of drilling, or when the production is found to decrease, it is usual to torpedo the well to increase the flow.

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Words near torpedo in the Dictionary