rocket
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.a powerful vehicle used to travel into space or to carry satellites.
n.a vehicle or device propelled by the ejection of burning exhaust gases, used for space flight or as a weapon.
Simple“The rocket launched from the desert and reached orbit in just a few minutes.”
In context“Engineers spent years developing the heavy-lift rocket capable of transporting essential supplies to the lunar gateway station.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a type of firework that shoots high into the air and explodes.
n.a pyrotechnic device that ascends into the air before exploding for visual effect.
Simple“We stood in the garden and watched the rockets explode in bright colors.”
In context“The display concluded with a barrage of rockets that illuminated the entire harbour in shimmering gold and red.”
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a green leaf with a strong, peppery taste used in salads.
n.an edible Mediterranean plant of the mustard family, often used as a salad green.
Simple“I made a simple salad with fresh rocket, parmesan cheese, and olive oil.”
In context“The chef recommended a bed of peppery rocket to balance the richness of the grilled goat cheese.”
UsageCommonly called 'arugula' in American English.
Synonymsarugula - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a very strong or angry scolding.
n.a severe reprimand or scolding from a person in authority.
Simple“The manager gave him a real rocket for being late three days in a row.”
In context“After the disastrous quarterly results, the department head received a rocket from the board of directors during the morning briefing.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to rise or increase very fast, like prices or a person's success.
v.to increase, rise, or progress at an extremely rapid pace.
Simple“House prices in this neighborhood have rocketed over the last two years.”
In context“The young actor's career rocketed after her performance in the independent film won several international awards.”
Usage rocket fuel
“To get all of this mass into orbit, you need a super heavy lift rocket.”
“There are other super-heavy-lift rockets coming onto the market, too.”
From Italian rocchetta, from Old Italian rocchetto (“rocket”, literally “a bobbin”), diminutive of rocca (“a distaff”), from Lombardic rocko (“spinning wheel”), from Proto-West Germanic rokkō, from Proto-Germanic rukkô (“a distaff, a staff with flax fibres tied loosely to it, used in spinning thread”). Cognate with Old High German rocco, rocko, roccho, rocho ("a distaff"; > German Rocken (“a distaff”)), Swedish rock (“a distaff”), Icelandic rokkur (“a distaff”), Middle English rocke (“a distaff”). More at rock⁴. For the meaning development, compare fuselage, ultimately from Latin fūsus (“spindle, spinning wheel”).
Borrowed from French roquette, from Italian ruchetta, diminutive of ruca, from Latin eruca. Cognate to arugula, rucola, eruca, roquette.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.