rocket sled

noun

: a rocket-propelled vehicle that runs usually on a single rail and that is used especially in aeronautical experimentation

Examples of rocket sled 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.
Everything about this stereotypical 1980s-era rocket sled stirs emotions, from its basket-handle rear spoiler to Pininfarina’s liberal sprinkling of NACA ducts. Robert Ross, Robb Report, 10 July 2023 Stapp and his crew, in the deserts of California and later New Mexico, built themselves a rocket sled—literally a sled with a single seat that could be configured to try out any design inspiration for straps, that was propelled down a track by rockets. Rachel Lance, Wired, 6 Dec. 2020 Using the rocket sled track takes months of planning, Sandia says in a statement, while the test itself lasts just seconds. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 19 Nov. 2020 Battista is not just a straight-line rocket sled as is the case in many electric cars. Mark Ewing, Forbes, 14 Aug. 2022 Engineers could use test platforms like the Sandia Labs rocket sled to test how these burrowing weapons performed after being dropped from a bomber. Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, 6 Apr. 2021 His skepticism vanished following tests with scale models fired down a rocket sled track belonging to the UK Defense establishment (located at Pendine Sands, the site of many 1920s land speed records). Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2018

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of rocket sled was in 1954

Dictionary Entries Near rocket sled

Cite this Entry

“Rocket sled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rocket%20sled. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

rocket sled

noun
: a rocket-propelled vehicle that runs usually on a single rail and is used mainly in aviation research
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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