Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A French antiship missile

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a guided missile developed by the French government for use against ships

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From exocet ("flying fish")

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Examples

  • Mr Barnbrook is best known for producing provocatively named, subversive fonts such as Exocet, Bastard, Prozac and Nixon.

    Do Typefaces Really Matter? 2010

  • Thinking to sink HMS Telegraph, the House of Commons this morning fired off an Exocet missile in the form of publishing its own thoroughly bowdlerized version of their expenses.

    Archive 2009-06-14 2009

  • "Umbridge looks as if she should be quite soft, but underneath she's like an Exocet missile!" she laughs.

    Oscars 2011: Will the Brits win big in the technical categories? 2011

  • The greatest loss suffered by U.S. forces during this whole conflict occurred in 1987 when an Iraqi aircraft fired an Exocet missile that hit the frigate USS Stark, killing 37 sailors and injuring 21.

    Iran Won't Close the Strait of Hormuz Bradley S. Russell 2012

  • Falklands war casualty: HMS Sheffield was hit by an Argentinian Exocet missile in 1982 and sank while being towed to safe water.

    Thatcher warned of defence cuts dangers before Falklands war 2011

  • By publishing their expenses in this format MPs have thus caused their Exocet to do a rapid U-turn, whereupon it has buried itself in the vitals of Parliament and exploded.

    Expenses: The Commons Exocets Itself 2009

  • We were following Exocet, the first ascent route of the peak, put up in 1988.

    Amid the Perils of Patagonia Michael J. Ybarra 2011

  • By publishing their expenses in this format MPs have thus caused their Exocet to do a rapid U-turn, whereupon it has buried itself in the vitals of Parliament and exploded.

    Archive 2009-06-14 2009

  • • Strange goings-on, meanwhile at the Telegraph, where scribes at the Sunday paper launch an Exocet at Match of the Day presenter Alan Hansen, claiming that his taciturn performances on a Saturday night earn him £40,000 a programme.

    Hugh Muir's diary 2011

  • Thinking to sink HMS Telegraph, the House of Commons this morning fired off an Exocet missile in the form of publishing its own thoroughly bowdlerized version of their expenses.

    Expenses: The Commons Exocets Itself 2009

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