noun

torpedo

taw-PEE-doh

noun

A self-propelled underwater explosive weapon fired from a ship, submarine, or aircraft to strike another vessel.

"The submarine fired a torpedo at the enemy destroyer."

"Two torpedoes struck the hull below the waterline."

Informal: a long sandwich made on a roll, also called a submarine or hoagie.

"He ordered a meatball torpedo for lunch."

verb

To deliberately ruin or destroy a plan, deal, or effort.

"A single leaked email torpedoed the merger talks."

"She accused him of trying to torpedo her promotion."

How to Use Torpedo

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishAn underwater missile fired at ships; figuratively, to torpedo something is to sabotage it completely.

Common pairings

fire a torpedo torpedo the deal hit by a torpedo

Word Forms

torpedoed past tense, torpedoes plural, torpedos plural, torpedoes singular, torpedos singular

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The submarine fired a _____ at the enemy destroyer.

Etymology

From Latin torpedo, originally the name of the electric ray (a fish that delivers a stunning shock) and related to torpere, "to be numb or sluggish." The military sense — a self-propelled underwater weapon — was coined by the inventor Robert Fulton in 1805.

Rhymes for torpedo

Edo redo credo Fredo toledo speedo Laredo Olmedo Tuxedo Alfredo

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