Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
Definition: Torpedo |
TorpedoNoun1. A professional killer who uses a gun. 2. A large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States. 3. Armament consisting of a long cylindrical self-propelled underwater projectile that detonates on contact with a target. 4. Any sluggish bottom-dwelling ray of the order Torpediniformes having a rounded body and electric organs on each side of the head capable of emitting strong electric discharges. Verb1. Attack or hit with torpedoes. Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
Date "torpedo" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1791. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Health | A genus of the Torpedinidae family consisting of several species. This genus as well as all the other genera of this family have powerful electric organs and are commonly called electric rays. (references) |
Mining | An encased explosive charge that is slid, lowered, or dropped into a borehole and exploded to clear the hole of obstructions or to open connections with passage ways to an oil or water supply. Also called abullet. (references) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
A modern torpedo is a self-propelled guided projectile that operates underwater and is designed to detonate on contact or in proximity to a target.
In naval usage, the term "torpedo" was first used in the American Civil War to refer to tethered naval mines. Around 1897, Nikola Tesla patented a remote controlled boat and later demonstrate the feasibility of radio-guided torpedoes to the United States military. Radio remote controlled torpedoes remained uninvestigated until the Space Age. During the World War I, torpedoes came to mean self propelled projectiles fired from a ship or submarine. Later, torpedoes were given (homing) guidance systems.
Torpedoes are weapons that may be launched from submarines, surface ships, helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, and from unmanned naval mines. They are also used as parts of other weapons; the Mark 46 torpedo used by the United States becomes the warhead section of the ASROC (Anti-Submarine ROCket) and the Captor mine uses a submerged sensor platform that releases a torpedo when a hostile contact is detected. The three major torpedoes in the US Navy inventory are the Mark 48 heavyweight torpedo, the Mark 46 lightweight and the Mark 50 advanced lightweight.
The Mk-48 is designed to combat fast, deep-diving nuclear submarines and high performance surface ships. It is carried by all U.S. Navy submarines. The improved version, Mk-48 ADCAP, is carried by attack submarines, the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines and the Seawolf-class attack submarines. The Mk-48 replaced both the Mk-37 and Mk-14 torpedoes. The Mk-48 has been operational since 1972. Mk-48 ADCAP became operational in 1988 and was approved for full production in 1989.
Mk-48 and Mk-48 ADCAP torpedoes can operate with or without wire guidance and use active or passive homing.
When launched they execute programmed target search, acquisition and attack procedures. Both can conduct multiple reattacks if they miss the target. The MK-46 torpedo is designed to be launched from surface combatant torpedo tubes, ASROC missiles and fixed and rotary wing aircraft. In 1989, a major upgrade program began to enhance the performance of the Mk-46 Mod 5 in shallow water. Weapons incorporating these improvements are identified as Mod 5A and Mod 5A(S).
The Mk-46 torpedo is designed to attack high performance submarines, and is the current NATO standard. The Mk-46 Mod 5 torpedo is the backbone of the U.S. Navy's lightweight ASW torpedo inventory and is expected to remain in service until the year 2015.
The Mk-50 is an advanced lightweight torpedo for use against the faster, deeper-diving and more sophisticated submarines. The Mk-50 can be launched from all ASW aircraft, and from torpedo tubes aboard surface combatant ships. The Mk-50 will eventually replace the Mk-46 as the fleet's lightweight torpedo.
After the electric ray, one of the fishes of the family Torpedinidae, having a rounded body and a pair of organs capable of producing an electric discharge, which is used to stun or kill prey.
Also called crampfish and numbfish.
cut'n'pasted from http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/factfile/weapons/wep-torp.htmlTorpedoes used by the U.S. Navy
Mark 48 Torpedo
General Characteristics, Mk-48, Mk-48 (ADCAP)
Mark 46 Torpedo
General Characteristics, Mk-46 MOD 5
Mark 50 Torpedo
General Characteristics, Mk-50
Etymology (needs moving)
External Links
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Torpedo."
Synonyms: TorpedoSynonyms: bomber (n), crampfish (n), electric ray (n), grinder (n), gun (n), gunman (n), gunslinger (n), hero (n), hero sandwich (n), hired gun (n), hit man (n), hoagie (n), hoagy (n), numbfish (n), poor boy (n), shooter (n), sub (n), submarine (n), submarine sandwich (n), triggerman (n), wedge (n), zep (n). (additional references) |
| Context | Synonyms within Context (source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus). |
Arms | Gun, piece; firearms; artillery, ordnance; siege train, battering train; park, battery; cannon, gun of position, heavy gun, field piece, mortar, howitzer, carronade, culverin, basilisk; falconet, jingal, swivel, pederero, bouche a feu; petard, torpedo; mitrailleur, mitrailleuse; infernal machine; smooth bore, rifled cannon, Armstrong gun, Lancaster gun, Paixhan gun, Whitworth gun, Parrott gun, Krupp gun, Gatling gun, Maxim gun, machine gun; pompom; ten pounder. |
Bane | Rust, worm, helminth, moth, moth and rust, fungus, mildew; dry rot; canker, cankerworm; cancer; torpedo; viper; (evil doer); demon. |
Combatant | Hit man, torpedo, soldier. |
Man-of-war; destroyer; submarine; minesweeper; torpedo-boat, torpedo-destroyer; patrol torpedo boat, PT boat; torpedo-catcher, war castle, H.M.S.; battleship, battle wagon, dreadnought, line of battle ship, ship of the line; aircraft carrier, carrier. flattop; helicopter carrier; missile platform, missile boat; ironclad, turret ship, ram, monitor, floating battery; first-rate, frigate, sloop of war, corvette, gunboat, bomb vessel; flagship, guard ship, cruiser; armored cruiser, protected cruiser; privateer. | |
Evil doer | Canker-worm, wire-worm; locust, Colorado beetle; alacran, alligator, caymon, crocodile, mosquito, mugger, octopus; torpedo; bane. |
Inactivity | Lullaby, sedative, tranquilizer, hypnotic, sleeping pill, relaxant, anaesthetic, general anaesthetic; torpedo. |
| Source: adapted from Roget's Thesaurus. | |
Crosswords: Torpedo |
| English words defined with "torpedo": aerial torpedo, Animal electricity ♦ Cramp ray ♦ Electric ray, Electrical fish ♦ Fish torpedo ♦ homing torpedo ♦ load ♦ mosquito boat, mosquito craft, motor torpedo boat ♦ payload, PT boat ♦ Submarine mine, submarine torpedo ♦ Torpedinous, torpedo boat, torpedo tube, torpedo-boat destroyer, Torpedoes ♦ warhead. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "torpedo": Annexin IV, ASSEMBLER, MECHANICAL ORDNANCE ♦ mobile mine ♦ oil-well shooter ♦ propelled mine ♦ torpedo shooter ♦ well shooter. (references) |
| Non-English Usage: "Torpedo" is also a word in the following languages with English translations in parentheses. Dutch (torpedo), Esperanto (torpedo), Finnish (torpedo), German (torpedo), Papiamen (torpedo), Portuguese (spreader, torpedo), Serbo-Croatian (torpedo), Spanish (torpedo). |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | Hey I think someone just shot a torpedo at us! (The Hunt for Red October; writing credit: Larry Ferguson) Torpedo impact (The Hunt for Red October; writing credit: Larry Ferguson) | |
Movie/TV Titles | La Peau de torpedo (1969) Torpedo of Doom (1966) British Torpedo Plane Tactics (1943) Torpedo Boat (1942) The Torpedo Pirates (1918) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
 | Francis X. Popper next to unexploded Japanese torpedo on Mindoro Regimental navigator for Army amphibious engineers. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |  | Plate 247. The Torpedo. Torpedo occidentalis, Storer. Credit: National Marine Fisheries Historical Image Collection. |
 | A Chief Torpedoman paints another "hashmark" on the Torpedo Shop scoreboard of Japanese ships claimed sunk by SubRon 5's "S-Boats", operating out of Brisbane, Australia, during April-November 1942. Photographed on board USS Griffin (AS-13), tender to the squadron. Submarines listed on the scoreboard include S-37 (SS-142), S-38 (SS-143), S-39 (SS-144), S-40 (SS-145), S-41 (SS-146), S-42 (SS-153), S-43 (SS-154), S-44 (SS-155), S-45 (SS-156), S-46 (SS-157), and S-47 (SS-158). The original caption dates the photo on 7 January 1943, but it may have been taken earlier, as Griffin left Australia in November 1942. Credit: NAVY. |  | Off the Mare Island Navy Yard, California, 15 April 1942, following modernization. Note her very heavy deck armament of two 6"/53 guns; also embrasure in her upper hull side, just in front of the forward gun, for newly-installed topside torpedo tubes. At least two torpedoes are on deck above this location, probably being prepared for stowage below. Credit: NAVY. |
 | Military railroad operations in northern Virginia(?): two men boring holes in bridge trestles and man with Haupt's Torpedo. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Crew members of a Marine torpedo bomber squadron lugging their own bags across the Okinawa airstrip as they arrive to start operations against the enemy] / Official U.S. Marine Corps p. Credit: Library of Congress; photo by Corporal William Beall.. |
 | A torpedo boat of the U.S. Navy. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Destroyer, torpedo tube. Credit: Library of Congress. |
 | Destruction of Housatonic by a rebel torpedo. Feb. of 17 1864. Charleston. Credit: Library of Congress. |  | Trailers occupied by torpedo plant workers and their families. Trailer camp Alexandria, Virginia. Credit: Library of Congress. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
| Play | Caption |
 | Bomb; explode; explosion; atom bomb; bombshell; charge; device; explosive; grenade; hydrogen bomb; mine; missile; nuclear bomb; projectile; rocket; shell; ticker; torpedo; submarine. |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| Author | Date | Quotation |
Treaty of Versailles | 1919 | After the expiration of a period of two months from the coming into force of the present Treaty the German naval forces in commission must not exceed: 6 battleships of the Deutschland or Lothringen type, 6 light cruisers, 12 destroyers, 12 torpedo boats, or an equal number of ships constructed to replace them as provided in Article l90. (reference) |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | ||
| "Torpedo" is generally used as a noun (singular) -- approximately 95.24% of the time. "Torpedo" is used about 126 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (singular) | 95.24% | 120 | 29,358 |
| Lexical Verb (infinitive) | 3.97% | 5 | 157,705 |
| Noun (proper) | 0.79% | 1 | 339,140 |
| Total | 100.00% | 126 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
Expressions using "torpedo": aerial torpedo ♦ air torpedo ♦ bangalore torpedo ♦ Fish torpedo ♦ homing torpedo ♦ motor torpedo boat ♦ spar torpedo ♦ submarine torpedo ♦ torpedo boat ♦ Torpedo body ♦ Torpedo boom ♦ Torpedo catcher ♦ torpedo defense net ♦ Torpedo nettings ♦ torpedo occidentalis ♦ torpedo plane ♦ Torpedo shell ♦ torpedo sinker ♦ Torpedo station ♦ Torpedo stern ♦ torpedo tube ♦ torpedo vulgaris ♦ toy torpedo ♦ Whitehead torpedo. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "torpedo": torpedo-boat, torpedo-boat destroyer, torpedo-boats, torpedo-bomber, torpedo-bombers, torpedo-handling, torpedo-like, torpedo-net, torpedo-nose, torpedo-shaped, torpedo-sized, torpedo-tubes. | |
Ending with "torpedo": anti-torpedo. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Language | Translations for "torpedo"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Albanian | torpilë, siluroj, silur, peshk elektrik. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Arabic | فرقع (crack, crackle, crepitate, explode, pop, pop up, snap, sputter, squib), فشل (balk, be failed, be unable to do, be unsuccessful, come to nothing, cower, defeat, dud, fail, failure, fiasco, fizzle out, flop, frustration, go awry, go wrong, lose courage, lose ground, lose heart, make a hash of it, miscarry, miss, miss fire, miss the mark, trip up, unsuccess, washout), مفرقعة (explosive, squib), نسف (blast, blasting, blow up, blowing up, blowup, sinking, torpedoing), قذيفة نسف السفن, القاتل المحترف, الرعاد الكهربائي سمك, أحبط (anticipate, balk, block, check, damp, defeat, disappoint, discomfit, disconcert, foil, forestall, frustrate, nullify, ruin, scotch, scuttle). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Bulgarian | унищожавам чрез ненадейна атака, торпедо, торпила (warhead), торпилирам, гангстер-телохранител, наемен убиец (bravo, goon, gorilla, hitman), експлозивен патрон, електрическо торпедо, професионален убиец (gun, hitman), петарда (detonator, petard), парализирам (cramp, cripple, palsy, paralyse, paralyze), детонатор (exploder, fulminator, fuse, fusee, fuze). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Chinese | 鱼雷 (Torpedoes). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Czech | torpédovat, torpédo. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Danish | trækkanal (torpedo flue former), torpedo (spreader, torpedo flue former), patron (cartridge). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Dutch | torpedo (spreader), torpederen. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Esperanto | torpedo, torpedi. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Farsi | ماهی برق , اژدر, بااژدرخراب کردن . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Finnish | torpedo (spreader). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French | torpille (torpedo flue former), torpiller. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
German | Torpedo (spreader). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Greek | τορπίλλη, τορπίλη. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hebrew | לטרפ", טורפ"ו. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Hungarian | torpedó (fish, minnow, spreader, tin can), tengeri akna. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Italian | siluro (Danubian wels, sheatfish, som catfish, spreader, wels, wels catfish). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Kanji | 魚雷 . (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Japanese Katakana | ぎょらい. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Korean | 어뢰 (Torpedoes). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Manx | torpaidaghey, torpaid, rock (croak), lhieggey torpaid er. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Papiamen | torpedo. (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pig Latin | orpedotay torpedo (spreader). (various references) torpilã, peşte-torpilã. (various references) электрический скат (cramp-fish, numb-fish), торпеда (tin fish), торпедировать, петарда (detonator, firecracker, petard, squib). (various references) torpedo, torpedirati. (various references) torpedo (spreader, torpedo flue former). (various references) torped (spreader), torpedera (scupper). (various references) torpillemek, torpilbalığı (crampfish, electric ray), torpil (backing, friend at court, influence, mine, oracle, pie, pull, push), torpido (egg, tin fish), patlayıcı kasası. (various references) руйнівник (attacker, depredator, destroyer, destructor), торпедувати, торпеда (moldy, mouldy), гангстер-охоронець, знищувати (abolish, annihilate, annul, blast, consume, crush, delete, demolish, efface, exterminate, extinguish, kill, kill off, neutralize, nullify, obliterate, outroot, overthrow, overturn, pull up, quell, root out, root up, rub out, scotch, sweep away, take off, wear off, wither). (various references) ngư lôi đây (ground torpedo), máy bay chở ngư lôi (torpedo-plane), máy bay bay phóng ngư lôi (torpedo-plane), lưới thép chống ngư lôi (torpedo-net, torpedo-netting), ống phóng ngư lôi (torpedo-tube). (various references) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Derivations | |
Words beginning with "torpedo": torpedoed, torpedoes, torpedoing, torpedos. (additional references) | |
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"Torpedo" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: norepro, toredo, tornedo, torped, torpedos, Volpedo. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
Direct Anagrams: trooped. | |
| Words within the letters "d-e-o-o-p-r-t" | |
-1 letter: deport, ported, redtop, rooted. | |
-2 letters: depot, doper, doter, droop, dropt, opted, pedro, pored, repot, rodeo, roped, toped, toper, trode, troop, trope. | |
-3 letters: doer, door, dope, dore, dorp, dote, drop, odor, oped, ordo, pert, poet, pood, poor, pore, port, prod, redo, repo, rode, rood, root, rope, rote, roto, toed, tope, tore, toro, trod, trop. | |
| Words containing the letters "d-e-o-o-p-r-t" | |
+1 letter: doorstep, promoted, pteropod, theropod, torpedos, uprooted. | |
+2 letters: comported, depositor, doorplate, doorsteps, droopiest, outpoured, portioned, potholder, proctored, protoderm, pteropods, theropods, topworked, torpedoed, torpedoes. | |
+3 letters: cooperated, depositors, depository, desorption, doorplates, homeported, orthopedic, outcropped, outdropped, outpowered, outproduce, overtopped, parenthood, postformed, postmodern, potholders, priesthood, proctodaea, prorogated, protocoled, protoderms, protonated, prototyped, pteranodon, torpedoing. | |
+4 letters: apportioned, computerdom, deportation, desorptions, endotrophic, heteroploid, mothproofed, orthopaedic, orthopedics, orthopedist, outproduced, outproduces, outpromised, overplotted, parenthoods, periodontal, petrodollar, photoperiod, photoreduce, postdivorce, predoctoral, priesthoods, proctodaeum, profoundest, prophethood, protocolled, pteranodons, pteridology, rustproofed. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
Hexadecimal (or equivalents, 770AD-1900s) (references)54 6F 72 70 65 64 6F |
| Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519; backwards) (references)
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| American Sign Language (origins from 1620-1817 in Italy and, especially, France) (references)
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| Semaphore (1791, in France) (references)
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| Braille (1829, in France) (references)
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Morse Code (1836) (references)- --- .-. .--. . -.. --- |
| Dancing Men (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, 1903) (references)
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Binary Code (1918-1938, probably earlier) (references)01010100 01101111 01110010 01110000 01100101 01100100 01101111 |
HTML Code (1990) (references)T o r p e d o |
ISO 10646 (1991-1993) (references)0054 006F 0072 0070 0065 0064 006F |
| British Sign Language (Fingerspelling, BSL; 1992, British Deaf Association Dictionary of British Sign Language) (references)
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Encryption (beginner's substitution cypher): (references)54818482717081 |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Sounds | 9. Quotations: Historic 10. Usage Frequency 11. Expressions 12. Expressions: Internet | 13. Translations: Modern 14. Derivations 15. Anagrams 16. Orthography | 17. Bibliography |
Copyright © Philip M. Parker, INSEAD. Terms of Use.
