warhead

noun

war·​head ˈwȯr-ˌhed How to pronounce warhead (audio)
: the section of a missile containing the explosive, chemical, or incendiary charge

Examples of warhead in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
It was employed against an armoured personnel carrier using a proximity sensor and fragmentation warhead. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026 The program was the outcome of a years-long bureaucratic battle in the late 1960s over how to respond to Washington’s development of the multiple-warhead Minuteman III missile. — Jeffrey Lewis, Foreign Affairs, 1 Sep. 2026 Arizona was once home to 18 nuclear missiles Nuclear warheads once surrounded Tucson to protect the United States during the Cold War. — Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 27 Aug. 2026 It is typically armed with a 110-pound high explosive/fragmentation/incendiary warhead and guided by jam-resistant satellite navigation. — David Hambling, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for warhead

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of warhead was in 1890

Rhymes for warhead

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Browse Nearby Words

war hawk
warhead
Warhol
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Cite this Entry

“Warhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/warhead. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

warhead

noun
war·​head ˈwȯ(ə)r-ˌhed How to pronounce warhead (audio)
: the section of a missile containing the charge

More from Merriam-Webster on warhead

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about warhead

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