Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun An obsolete or dialectal form of rochet.
  • noun Same as water-rocket, 3.
  • noun A portion.
  • To fly straight up rapidly when flushed, as a pheasant.
  • noun A cylindrical tube of pasteboard or metal filled with a mixture of niter, sulphur, charcoal, etc., which, on being ignited at the base, propels the tube forward by the impact of the liberated gases against the atmosphere.
  • noun The lever by which a forge-bellows is inflated.
  • noun In old usage, the salad-plant Eruca sativa. See Eruca.
  • noun In modern usage, a plant of the genus Hesperis, chiefly H. matronalis, also called dame's-violet or -rocket, garden-rocket, or white rocket.
  • noun One of various other plants, chiefly Cruciferæ. See phrases.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun An artificial firework consisting of a cylindrical case of paper or metal filled with a composition of combustible ingredients, as niter, charcoal, and sulphur, and fastened to a guiding stick. The rocket is projected through the air by the force arising from the expansion of the gases liberated by combustion of the composition. Rockets are used as projectiles for various purposes, for signals, and also for pyrotechnic display.
  • noun A blunt lance head used in the joust.
  • noun any flying device propelled by the reactive force of hot gases expelled in the direction opposite its motion. The fuel used to generate the expelled gases in rockets may be solid or liquid; rockets propelled by liquid fuels typically have a combustible fuel (such as hydrogen or kerosene) which is combined inside the rocket engine with an oxidizer, such as liquid oxygen. Single liquid fuels (called monopropellants) are also known. Since rocket engines do not depend on a surrounding fluid medium to generate their thrust, as do airplanes with propellers or jet engines, they may be used for propulsion in the vacuum of space.
  • noun a powerful form of rocket for use in war, invented by Sir William Congreve. It may be used either in the field or for bombardment; in the former case, it is armed with shells or case shot; in the latter, with a combustible material inclosed in a metallic case, which is inextinguishable when kindled, and scatters its fire on every side.
  • intransitive verb (Sporting), engraving To rise straight up; said of birds; usually in the present participle or as an adjective.
  • noun A cruciferous plant (Eruca sativa) sometimes eaten in Europe as a salad.
  • noun Damewort.
  • noun Rocket larkspur. See below.
  • noun (Bot.) See Dyer's broom, under Broom.
  • noun (Bot.) an annual plant with showy flowers in long racemes (Delphinium Ajacis).
  • noun (Bot.) either of two fleshy cruciferous plants (Cakile maritima and Cakile Americana) found on the seashore of Europe and America.
  • noun (Bot.) a common cruciferous weed with yellow flowers (Barbarea vulgaris).

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

  • noun The leaf vegetable Eruca sativa.
  • noun A rocket engine.
  • noun military A non-guided missile propelled by a rocket engine.
  • noun A vehicle propelled by a rocket engine.
  • noun A rocket propelled firework, a skyrocket
  • noun slang An ace (the playing card).
  • noun military slang An angry communication (such as a letter or telegram) to a subordinate.
  • verb To accelerate swiftly and powerfully
  • verb To fly vertically
  • verb To rise or soar rapidly
  • verb To carry something in a rocket
  • verb To attack something with rockets

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

  • verb shoot up abruptly, like a rocket
  • verb propel with a rocket
  • noun erect European annual often grown as a salad crop to be harvested when young and tender
  • noun sends a firework display high into the sky
  • noun a jet engine containing its own propellant and driven by reaction propulsion
  • noun any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine
  • noun propels bright light high in the sky, or used to propel a lifesaving line or harpoon

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French roquette, Italian ruchetta, diminutive of ruca, Latin eruca. Cognate to arugula.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Italian rocchetta, from Old Italian rochetto ("rocket", literally "a bobbin"), diminutive of rocca ("a distaff"), from Lombardic *rocco, *rocko (“a distaff”), from Proto-Germanic *rukkô (“a distaff”), from Proto-Indo-European *rukn-, *rÁkn-, *rÁnk- (“web; weaving”); related to Proto-Indo-European *araKsn- (“spider”). Cognate with Old High German rocco, rocko, roccho, rocho ("a distaff"; > German Rocken ("a distaff")), Swedish rock ("a distaff"), Icelandic rokkur ("a distaff"), Middle English rocke ("a distaff"). More at rock.

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Examples

  • The TAURUS rocket is scrap -- in rocket science, a 66% success rate sucks by any performance measure.

    Orbiting Carbon Observatory Launch Fails - NASA Watch 2009

  • A rocket propelled grenade launcher can use the term rocket, because it has a conventional rocket propellant system behind the charge.

    unknown title 2009

  • After all, a rocket is a rocket, no matter how small.

    Konrad Dannenberg - NASA Watch 2009

  • This rocket is already extant and has a flight history.

    Ares Troubles Mount - NASA Watch 2009

  • ROBERTS: Breaking right now, a senior military official telling CNN that North Korea is fueling what it calls a rocket, and could launch it by Saturday.

    CNN Transcript Apr 2, 2009 2009

  • In an announcement carried by state-run media on Tuesday, North Korea said it is "making brisk headway" for the launch of what it called a rocket carrying the nation's second experimental communications satellite.

    North Korea Resumes Role of Provocateur 2009

  • "A Continental Airlines pilot reported being startled by what he described as a rocket that shot past his cockpit window Monday when the plane was about eight miles north of George Bush Intercontinental Airport."

    NASA Watch: Keith Cowing: May 2008 Archives 2008

  • "A Continental Airlines pilot reported being startled by what he described as a rocket that shot past his cockpit window Monday when the plane was about eight miles north of George Bush Intercontinental Airport."

    NASA Watch: News: May 2008 Archives 2008

  • They are using what they called rocket-assisted projectiles.

    CNN Transcript Apr 3, 2003 2003

  • This was a heavy barrage of what they call rocket-assisted projectiles, coming from 155 millimeter Howitzers, that's a very big gun, firing directly over our heads, as you can hear the rounds passing over us and then several seconds later hear the loud clap as they impact on what was believed to be Republican Guard -- a Republican Guard division that may be dug in or in place out there.

    CNN Transcript Apr 3, 2003 2003

  • Rocket, roquette, or rucola, as arugula is more commonly known outside the United States, is widely eaten in Europe, and especially in Italy.

    America Blew It on Arugula Amanda Mull 2019

Comments

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  • Robert Rodriguez is father to Rocket, Racer, Rebel, and Rogue.

    March 8, 2008

  • "Rocket explodes with blazing speed every time he’s launched into the Gladiator Arena. This is one ruthless competitor who will charm you with a blinding smile right until the moment he roars up beside you like lightning, to toss you to your doom."

    (Official biography on the NBC American Gladiators website)

    September 6, 2008

  • The Republic P-44. More on Wikipedia.

    December 30, 2008

  • Song quotation on copper.

    April 27, 2009