Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The intentional, usually remote-controlled destruction of a space vehicle, rocket, or missile after launching, as for defective performance or reasons of safety.
  • intransitive verb To destroy intentionally (a rocket or missile) after launch.
  • intransitive verb To self-destruct.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To destroy.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb obsolete To destroy.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive To intentionally cause the destruction of.
  • verb intransitive To self-destruct.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb destroy (one's own missile or rocket)
  • verb do away with, cause the destruction or undoing of

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Back-formation from destruction.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Back-formation from destruction.

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