Meanings
nounWhipple shield (plural Whipple shields)
plural Whipple shields
- spacecraftA thin foil film attached to the outside of a spacecraft to reduce the impact of micrometeoroids.
Synonyms: meteor bumper
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA thin foil film attached to the outside of a spacecraft to reduce the impact of micrometeoroids.
Similar
Also see
Origin
Devised by Fred Whipple.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
Whipple shield. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Whipple%20shield
MLA
“Whipple shield.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Whipple%20shield. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Whipple shield,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Whipple%20shield.
Source: Whipple shield on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.