retro-rocket

noun

ret·​ro-rock·​et ˈre-trō-ˌrä-kət How to pronounce retro-rocket (audio)
: an auxiliary rocket engine (as on a spacecraft) used in decelerating

Word History

First Known Use

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of retro-rocket was in 1951

Dictionary Entries Near retro-rocket

retroreflector

retro-rocket

retrorse

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Retro-rocket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/retro-rocket. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

retro-rocket

noun
ret·​ro-rock·​et
ˈre-trō-ˌräk-ət
: a rocket (as on a space vehicle) used to slow forward motion
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

What does 'at large' mean?

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
dog-hard-hat-hammer
Odd Jobs Quiz Work smarter, not harder, to figure out these occ...