hydrazine

noun

hy·​dra·​zine ˈhī-drə-ˌzēn 

: a colorless fuming corrosive strongly reducing liquid base N₂H₄ used especially in fuels for rocket and jet engines

also : an organic base derived from this compound

Examples of hydrazine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The crew module has been powered down for recovery, and members of the recovery crew are approaching the capsule and performing a sweep with air quality sensors to make sure no hazardous fumes, such as hydrazine propellant or ammonia coolant, are leaking from the spacecraft. —Miles Doran, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026

On Thursday, around 7:50 P.M. EDT, the Orion spacecraft’s main engine, the European Service Module, ignited and jettisoned 6,700 pounds of monomethyl hydrazine propellant over the course of about six minutes. —Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 2 Apr. 2026

These maneuvers burned 123 kilograms (271 pounds) of onboard hydrazine fuel and changed the spacecraft's velocity by 367 meters per second (1,204 feet per second) — about 821 mph (1,321 kph). —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 25 Mar. 2026

These systems include the emergency exit for the astronauts in case something goes wrong, as well as safely moving fuel, which is made of hydrazine – a molecule made up of nitrogen and hydrogen that is incredibly energy-dense. —Margaret Landis, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hydrazine

• acrolein
• adenine
• alkylene
• aniline
• anthracene
• aquiline
• asphaltene
• atlantean
• atrazine
• butadiene
• butylene
• caesarean

Kids Definition

hydrazine

noun

hy·​dra·​zine ˈhī-drə-ˌzēn 

: a colorless fuming liquid used especially in fuels for rocket engines

Medical Definition

hydrazine

noun

hy·​dra·​zine ˈhī-drə-ˌzēn 

: a colorless fuming corrosive strongly reducing liquid base N₂H₄ used in the production of various materials (as pharmaceuticals and plastics)

also : an organic base derived from this compound