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propellant

Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Something, such as an explosive charge or a rocket fuel, that propels or provides thrust.
  • noun A compressed inert gas, such as a fluorocarbon, that acts as a vehicle for discharging the contents of an aerosol container.
  • adjective Serving to propel; propelling.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun That which propels or drives forward; a propelling agent.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun anything that propels
  • noun fuel, oxidizer, reaction mass or mixture for one or more engines (especially internal combustion engines or jet engines) that is carried within a vehicle prior to use
  • noun the compressed gas in a pressurised container (especially an aerosol can) that is used to expel a liquid
  • adjective Alternative spelling of propellent.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun any substance that propels
  • adjective tending to or capable of propelling

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

propel +‎ -ant

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Examples

  • A modest fuel depot in orbit based upon existing upper stages would allow for the separation of propellant from the payload, and allow for easy segmentation of the total mass of a lunar launch.

    NASA Leadership Vacuum - NASA Watch 2009

  • For nearly all spacecraft, the propulsion system, including the propellant, is a major fraction of the spacecraft.

    Things We Used To Do - NASA Watch 2009

  • The cost in propellant to go from one crater to another, as long as we stay on the same pole, is very small, almost negligible.

    Launch Date Now Set for LRO and LCROSS Moon Missions - NASA Watch 2009

  • It’s just a small fission reactor where instead of using the steam to drive a turbine for electricity, you run it through a rocket nozzle to provide thrust (the propellant is usually hydrogen instead of water).

    NERVA | My[confined]Space 2009

  • In a flash, the primer ignites the propellant, which is converted at nearly explosive speeds to gases.

    The Gun C. J. Chivers 2010

  • But another propellant was a constellation of doctrines — about capitalism's "contradictions," "market failures" and the need for socialism, or at least "planning" through government control of the economy's "commanding heights."

    Conservatism: Not TBTF 2008

  • The term “solid” in the title refers to the propellant, which has the consistency of hard rubber.

    Riding Rockets Astronaut Mike Mullane 2006

  • The term “solid” in the title refers to the propellant, which has the consistency of hard rubber.

    Riding Rockets Astronaut Mike Mullane 2006

  • The term “solid” in the title refers to the propellant, which has the consistency of hard rubber.

    Riding Rockets Astronaut Mike Mullane 2006

  • The term “solid” in the title refers to the propellant, which has the consistency of hard rubber.

    Riding Rockets Astronaut Mike Mullane 2006

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