Language: en
Meaning: Anaerospace engineer.1940August, “Seeking Power for Space Rockets”, inH[enry] H[aven] Windsor, editor,Popular Mechanics Magazine, volume74, number 2, Chicago, Ill.: Popular Mechanics Co.,→ISSN,→OCLC,page119A, column 1:Rocket scientistshave calculated that a velocity of seven miles per second, or approximately 25,000 miles per hour, would be necessary for a rocket to escape the earth's gravity.1946, Joint Board on Scientific Information Policy forOffice of Scientific Research and Development,War Department,Navy Department, “Specialized Uses of Rockets”, inU.S. Rocket Ordnance: Development and Use in World War II,[Washington, D.C.]:U.S. Government Printing Office,→OCLC,page56:Theserocket scientistsconstitute a valuable nucleus for carrying the peacetime development programs of the Army and Navy.2006, Gerard J. Degroot, “What are We Waiting for?”, inDark Side of the Moon: The Magnificent Madness of the American Lunar Quest, New York, N.Y.; London:New York University Press,→ISBN,page29:"There was hardly a German sufficiently competent to talk about the V-2 and other big stuff,"Grigory Tokady, a Russianrocket scientistsent to investigate immediately after the German defeat, later revealed.2007,James Longuski, “Do a Sanity Test”, inThe Seven Secrets of How to Think Like a Rocket Scientist, New York, N.Y.: Copernicus Books,Springer Science+Business Media,→ISBN, part IV (Check),page73:When arocket scientistdoes a sanity test, he's pinching himself back into reality and asking if what he has done adds up.[…]By writing equations and sorting the symbols by the rules of algebra, therocket scientistcan predict how high and how fast the rocket will go and when it will get to its destination, which could be as far away as Pluto—4 billion miles from the sun.2013, Steven[James]Lambakis, “In Space is Our Trust: How and Why Does Space Impact the United States?”, inOn the Edge of Earth: The Future of American Space Power, Lexington, Ky.:University Press of Kentucky,→ISBN, part 1 (The Vital Force),page 9:By the 1940s, his work in this area was so advanced that Germanrocket scientistWernher von Braunremarked that "[Robert Hutchings] Goddard's experiments in liquid fuel saved us years of work, and enabled us to perfect the V-2 years before it would have been possible."; (hyperbolic,idiomatic,chiefly in the negative)Onequalifiedtohandleorunderstandthingswhich are verycomplexorconfusing; a veryintelligentperson.Synonyms:brain surgeon,Einstein,genius,(humorous)rocket surgeon;see alsoThesaurus:genius,Thesaurus:intelligent personAntonyms:seeThesaurus:idiotYou don’t have to be arocket scientistto see that that idea won’t work.1989fall, Gary G. Geilenfeldt, “Initial Support or Initial Shock”, inThe DISAM Journal of International Security Assistance Management, volume12, number 1, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Oh.: Defense Institute of Security Assistance Management,→OCLC,page100:"OK," you say, "I understand that definition and although I'm not arocket scientist, it appears to make sense. What else is there? I just want a couple of F-16s to go along with my AEGIS Destroyers and Abrams Tanks. Push the button and send the planes."1998,Allan Blakeney, Sandford Borins, “Choosing a Cabinet”, inPolitical Management in Canada: Conversations on Statecraft, 2nd edition, Toronto, Ont.; Buffalo, N.Y.:University of Toronto Press,→ISBN, part 1 (The Political Dimension),pages16–17:While visiting another province, I remarked that I thought a particular cabinet minister was not exactly arocket scientist. The reply from a fellow cabinet minister in that province was, 'Yes, I agree. A is not arocket scientist. But I'm sorry to say that about 25 per cent of the people in this province are decidedly notrocket scientists, and they deserve representation, too.' And that story is only half in jest.1999November, Jim Wilson, “Science: UnlockingEinstein’s Brain”, in Joe Oldham, editor,Popular Mechanics, volume176, number11, New York, N.Y.:The Hearst Corporation,→ISSN,→OCLC,pages42 and 44:[Sandra] Witelsondelved into her collection and retrieved the brains of contributors who were both mentally and physically healthy, with IQs from 107 to 125. No dunces here, but norocket scientistseither.2000, Rajani Sudan, “Sexy SIMS, Racy SIMMS”, in Beth E. Kolko,Lisa Nakamura, Gilbert B. Rodman, editors,Race in Cyberspace, London:Routledge,→ISBN,page69:It doesn't take arocket scientistto figure out that as a culture we are obsessed with almost every aspect of technology.2019December,Cleo Coyle[pseudonym; Alice Alfonsi and Marc Cerasini], chapter 16, inBrewed Awakening, New York, N.Y.: Berkley Prime Crime,Berkley Books,→ISBN,page63:But then, in my experience, there are norocket scientistson the NYPD.
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