Where does “intercontinental ballistic missile” come from?

intercontinental ballistic missile (English) comes from English intercontinental, from English continental, from English continent, from Latin continēns, from Latin contineo, from Latin cōn-, from Latin cum, from Old Latin com — to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

intercontinental ballistic missile (English): A class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads

Definitions

  1. A class of long-range missiles associated especially with carrying nuclear warheads

Ancestry of “intercontinental ballistic missile”, step by step

intercontinental ballistic missile traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English intercontinental

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishintercontinentalTaking place between two or more continents;...
2EnglishcontinentalOf or relating to a continent or continents; of...
3EnglishcontinentEach of the main continuous land-masses on the...
4Latincontinēnslimiting, enclosing
5LatincontineoI hold or keep together/close, surround, contain;...
6Latincōn-Used in compounds to indicate a being or bringing together of several objects
7Latincumwith, along with; at; -fold
8Old LatincomAlternative form of cum
9Proto-Italickomwith, along, at
10Proto-Indo-Europeanḱómbeside, near, by, with
11Proto-Indo-EuropeanḱeDeictic particle, here; Post-positional...
12Middle Englishkyt
13Germankittputty certain kinds of cement used for fixing e.g. window panes
14Old High Germankuti
15Proto-West Germanickwidugum, resin
16Proto-Germanickweduzresin
17Proto-Indo-Europeangʷet-resin, gum; to say, speak
18Proto-Indo-Europeangū-to bend; curve; arch; vault; to bow, bend, arch,...

via English ballistic missile

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishballistic missileA missile that is initially guided, but then follows a ballistic (freely falling) trajectory
2EnglishballisticOr relating to ballistics; Or relating to...
3English-icUsed to form adjectives from nouns with the...
4EnglishimageAn optical or other representation of a real...
5Frenchimagepicture, image; frame; first-person singular...
6Portugueseimagemimage; picture; figure; image; image; face
7Spanishimagenimage
8Italianimmagineimage; imago
9Latinimāginem
10Latinim-Alternative form of in-; form of "in"; in
11Latinīn-un-, non-, not
12Latinînin, at, on, upon, from (space)
13Latinenlookǃ beholdǃ; reallyǃ?; come onǃ
14Proto-Italicenin
15Proto-Indo-Europeanh₁énin
Every word from Proto-Indo-European gū-
intercontinental ballistic missile — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer