hypersonic

adjective

hy·​per·​son·​ic ˌhī-pər-ˈsä-nik How to pronounce hypersonic (audio)
1
: of or relating to speed five or more times that of sound in air compare sonic
2
: moving, capable of moving, or utilizing air currents that move at hypersonic speed
hypersonic wind tunnel
hypersonically adverb

Examples of hypersonic in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Moscow immediately responded to the U.S. and British greenlights with another round of threats to start World War III, and hit the Ukrainian city of Dnipro with a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile. Ian Bremmer, TIME, 16 Jan. 2025 Payloads included two satellites for the Missile Defense Agency to track hypersonic missiles and four more satellites for the Tranche 0 constellation for the Space Development Agency. Richard Tribou, Orlando Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2025 The United States and its Northeast Asian allies on Wednesday conducted an aerial drill involving two American bombers after North Korea fired a hypersonic missile last week. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025 The Pentagon is interested in developing hypersonic weapons that can evade conventional air and missile defenses. Ars Technica, 10 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for hypersonic 

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1946, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hypersonic was in 1946

Dictionary Entries Near hypersonic

Cite this Entry

“Hypersonic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypersonic. Accessed 21 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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