Rocket Means a Little Distaff
A rocket is a self-propelled projectile. The Italian name compares its shape to a spinning tool, and rocket is also a salad leaf.
A rocket is a projectile driven by expelling its own exhaust. The name is domestic: Italian *rocchetta* means a little distaff, the rod used in spinning, which the cylindrical firework resembled. The salad leaf called rocket is an entirely separate word, from Latin *eruca*, and Americans call it arugula.
- A self-propelled projectile. *A launch rocket.*
- A salad leaf. *Rocket and parmesan.*
- A reprimand (British). *He got a rocket.*
- To rise fast. *Prices rocketed.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | rocket | A model rocket. |
| Plural | rockets | Two rockets. |
| Verb | rocket | Costs rocketed. |
| Salad leaf | rocket | Wild rocket. |
| American | arugula | Baby arugula. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Rockets work in vacuum.They push against their own exhaust.
- He got a rocket from the boss.British: a reprimand.
- Rocket the salad is a different word.From Latin *eruca*.
Rocket facts
- Newton's third law — thrust comes from expelling mass, not pushing on air
- Works in vacuum — better than in atmosphere, in fact
- Tsiolkovsky equation — governs how much fuel a given change of speed requires
- Staging — discarding empty tanks to avoid carrying dead weight
- Chinese origin — gunpowder rockets are recorded from the thirteenth century
From Italian *rocchetta*, a little distaff or bobbin, from the shape. The salad leaf comes from Latin *eruca*, through French *roquette*.
Do rockets push against the air?
No. They work by expelling mass, which produces thrust by Newton's third law. They perform better in vacuum than in atmosphere.
Rocket or arugula?
Rocket is British, arugula American, from an Italian dialect form. Both name the same salad leaf.