Wordwyrt

torpedo

/tɔːˈpiˌdəʊ/tawr-PEE-doh
/tɔɹˈpiˌdoʊ/tawr-PEE-doh

Meaninga numbing (fish)

Common meaning: a self-propelled underwater missile (first: the numbing ray fish)

Journey through time

  1. Latintorpeō, torpēre‘to be numb, sluggish’
  2. Englishtorpedo‘a self-propelled underwater missile (first: the numbing ray fish)’ · today

torp also in: torpidtorpor

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Built on Latin torpeō ‘to be numb, sluggish’.

Did you know: our wording, based on Lewis & Short, Latin Dictionary (1879), entry torpeō, p. 1879 · dictionary scan; Skeat, Etymological Dictionary (1898), entry TORPEDO, p. 650 · dictionary scan

Roots

Related words

torpidtorpor

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