torpedo

noun

/tɔːˈpiːdəʊ/

/tɔːrˈpiːdəʊ/

(plural torpedoes)

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a long, narrow bomb that is fired under the water from a ship or submarine and that explodes when it hits a ship, etc.
Wordfinder
- admiral
- aircraft carrier
- base
- captain
- command
- fleet
- navy
- submarine
- torpedo
- warship
Topics War and conflictc2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
verb + torpedo
- carry
- fire
- launch
- …
torpedo + verb
- hit something
- strike something
torpedo + noun
- tube
- boat
- bomber
- …
See full entry
Word Originearly 16th cent. (originally referring to an electric ray): from Latin, literally ‘stiffness, numbness’, by extension ‘electric ray’ (which gives a shock causing numbness), from torpere ‘be numb or sluggish’. The noun sense dates from the late 18th cent. and first described a timed explosive device for detonation under water.

torpedo

verb

/tɔːˈpiːdəʊ/

/tɔːrˈpiːdəʊ/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they torpedo	/tɔːˈpiːdəʊ/ /tɔːrˈpiːdəʊ/
he / she / it torpedoes	/tɔːˈpiːdəʊz/ /tɔːrˈpiːdəʊz/
past simple torpedoed	/tɔːˈpiːdəʊd/ /tɔːrˈpiːdəʊd/
past participle torpedoed	/tɔːˈpiːdəʊd/ /tɔːrˈpiːdəʊd/
-ing form torpedoing	/tɔːˈpiːdəʊɪŋ/ /tɔːrˈpiːdəʊɪŋ/

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torpedo something to attack a ship or make it sink using a torpedo
- The destroyer was torpedoed off the coast of Africa.
Topics War and conflictc2
torpedo something (informal) to completely destroy the possibility that something could succeed
- Her comments had torpedoed the deal.
Topics Difficulty and failurec2

Word Originearly 16th cent. (originally referring to an electric ray): from Latin, literally ‘stiffness, numbness’, by extension ‘electric ray’ (which gives a shock causing numbness), from torpere ‘be numb or sluggish’. The noun sense dates from the late 18th cent. and first described a timed explosive device for detonation under water.