Meaning & use

torpedo

noun·Everyday

A self-propelled underwater weapon designed to explode on contact with or near a target.

See it in a sentence

The submarine fired a torpedo that struck the enemy vessel below the waterline.

Modern torpedoes use sophisticated guidance systems to track moving targets underwater.

A note on using this word

Torpedo is also used figuratively as a verb meaning to deliberately ruin or destroy a plan, as in 'he torpedoed the deal.'

Words with a similar meaning

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