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Ballistic

[buh-lis-tik]

Example Sentences Origin

adjective

of or pertaining to ballistics.

having its motion determined or describable by the laws of exterior ballistics.

Idiom

go ballistic, Informal. to become overwrought or irrational: went ballistic over the idea of a tax hike.

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Ballistic is always a great word to know.

So is bezoar. Does it mean:

the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

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Origin:
1765–75; ballist(a) + -ic

Related forms

bal·lis·ti·cal·ly, adverb

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To Ballistic

Example Sentences

Iran has an active interest in developing, acquiring, and deploying a broad range of ballistic missiles.

First it appears that you are going ballistic over a mere typo.

Intercontinental ballistic missiles depend on rocketry.

EXPAND

Iran has an active interest in developing, acquiring, and deploying a broad range of ballistic missiles.

First it appears that you are going ballistic over a mere typo.

Intercontinental ballistic missiles depend on rocketry.

Ballistic mesh between the outsole and upper prevent small stones and debris from entering the boot.

But the ballistic roll is a bit uncontrolled, so it is not useful for everyday locomotion.

The crew capsule will continue into space on a ballistic suborbital path before parachuting back to earth.

But by the mid-1970's, ballistic missiles could also hit other missiles.

The tough ballistic bottom helps protect it when something rubs it the wrong way.

If testing a nuke doesn't get their attention, try firing an intercontinental ballistic missile.

It has ballistic missiles, may have chemical and biological weapons, and has the world's fourth-largest army.

It's engineered for comfort, convenience and efficiency, and the military-grade ballistic nylon will probably outlast your laptop.

In the last few weeks the stock market has gone ballistic.

Another might be improvements in body armor, which have helped distribute ballistic injuries away from vital areas.

We cannot walk by a dog without him going ballistic.

The notion behind ballistic identification is simple.

Obviously, neither polycarb nor ballistic nylon is the solution.

The alliance will want to show its determination to press ahead with a territorial shield against ballistic missiles.

Saturday's bone-jarring landing happened after the capsule went into an unplanned ballistic reentry.

Gun-control groups favor ballistic fingerprinting systems.

The secretary went ballistic about how an office storage area was invaded, screaming at the faculty member.

America must also be willing to make available to its allies advanced ballistic missile defences.

Ballistic comparisons and fingerprints play a role in tracking outlaws.

The construction is equally solid, made of ballistic nylon and heavy chrome accents and zippers.

The silos themselves are not visible: the three-stage intercontinental ballistic missiles are.

Using a long-range ballistic missile to do the job would.

If my husband comes near me he goes ballistic and even sits in a protective position to try to keep him away.

Much of the gear and the know-how behind a space launch can also be used for ballistic missiles.

Solid international norms are needed to cover the production, stockpiling, acquisition and trade in ballistic missiles.

Iran has been working on a range of ballistic missiles.

With wedding season in full swing, you're probably dreading yet another vicious scrum under a ballistic bridal bouquet.

In missile defense, an interceptor must find a red-hot enemy warhead as it arcs on a relatively short ballistic path.

It has been proved by the ballistic experts etc that it was an accident.

One is to re-arm nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles with conventional warheads.

Wooldridge was a leading systems engineer in the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Does that make it some green light for a person to let loose and take all the words to heart and go ballistic.

It has a sizable arsenal of nuclear weapons and a demonstrated ballistic missile capability.

His life rapidly unravels once he goes ballistic and insults a telephone operator who gives him the wrong number.

COLLAPSE

Collins

World English Dictionary

ballistic (bəˈlɪstɪk)

—*adj*
1.	of or relating to ballistics
2.	denoting or relating to the flight of projectiles after power has been cut off, moving under their own momentum and the external forces of gravity and air resistance
3.	(of a measurement or measuring instrument) depending on a brief impulse or current that causes a movement related to the quantity to be measured: a ballistic pendulum
4.	informal go ballistic to become enraged or frenziedly violent
5.	(of materials) strong enough to resist damage by projectile weapons: ballistic nylon

bal'listically

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

ballistic

1775, ult. from Gk. ballein "to throw" (see ballistics). Of rockets or missiles, from 1949. Ballistic missile first attested 1954, attained extreme heights, hence figurative expression go ballistic (1981) "become irrationally angry."

American Heritage

Idioms & Phrases

ballistic

see go ballistic.

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Ballistic

bal·lis·tic