go ballistic

3 definitions

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#1·4h ago

(idiomatic) To become very angry and irrational.

(en, Elle James and Pamela Kent, Enemy Lover)

Origin: The idiomatic usage derives from the second-generation of jet fighters, armed with guided missiles, in the late 1950s into the 1960s, with the informal military sense of fully-powered non-ballistic missiles going ballistic when losing control and assuming a free-fall trajectory, sense 3. But in subsequent usage the term has often become associated with the intentionally ballistic, suborbital trajectories of long-range, typically nuclear-armed missiles, sense 2. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).

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#2·4h ago

(aerospace) for a usually rocket-powered, predominantly non-glide projectile or aerial vehicle, such as a ballistic missile, to travel to its target partly via unpowered ballistic or quasi-ballistic flight, usually following burnout of its rocket motor.

2011 Allen Gregory, "Pilot" (season 1, episode 1):

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#3·4h ago

(military, slang) for a powered, usually guided missile or other aerial vehicle to travel on an unguided or ballistic trajectory, having lost power, control or guidance.

: Allen Gregory DeLongpre: Hey, sorry for going ballistic back there. I think the whole Julie-being-alive thing affected me more than I thought.

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