thruster

noun

thrust·​er ˈthrə-stər 

variants or less commonly thrustor

: one that thrusts

especially : an engine (such as a jet engine) that develops thrust by expelling a jet of fluid or a stream of particles

Examples of thruster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This suggests that Artemis III astronauts may not even enter Starship and/or Blue Moon, let alone fire thrusters or separate from Orion. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 13 May 2026

This involved firing the spacecraft’s thrusters for 12 hours, increasing Psyche's speed, and refining its approach to the Red Planet. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 12 May 2026

The data showed that the novel thruster achieved power levels of up to 120 kilowatts — over 25 times the power of the thrusters on Psyche. —New Atlas, 12 May 2026

Despite her long career in planetary science, the mission’s cold-thruster close call marked one of the most enlightening moments Elkins-Tanton has ever experienced in her work. —K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 9 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for thruster

• bluster
• buster
• cluster
• duster
• juster
• luster
• lustre
• maister
• muster
• trustor
• adjuster
• baluster

Kids Definition

thruster

noun

thrust·​er ˈthrəs-tər 

: one that thrusts

especially : an engine that produces thrust by discharging a jet of fluid or a stream of particles