Synonyms

warhead

American

[wawr-hed] / ˈwɔrˌhɛd /

noun

the forward section of a self-propelled missile, bomb, torpedo, or the like, containing the explosive, chemical, or atomic charge.

warhead British

/ ˈwɔːˌhɛd /

noun

the part of the fore end of a missile or projectile that contains explosives

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of warhead

First recorded in 1895–1900; war ¹ + head

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

By contrast, the United States and Russia, the world's two main atomic powers, have thousands of nuclear warheads each.

From Barron's

To make missiles nuclear-capable, Iran would also need to develop an atomic warhead small enough to fit in such a re-entry vehicle.

From The Wall Street Journal

But New START, which expired on February 5, restricted the United States and Russia to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads each -- a number Washington says China is fast approaching.

From Barron's

In 2021, Kim had presented weapons modernization goals including developing tactical nuclear warheads and intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

From The Wall Street Journal

While the United States and Russia have thousands of nuclear warheads each, in Europe only France and Britain have atomic weapons, with the combined total in the hundreds.

From Barron's

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023