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

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

Some rely on furnaces hotter than 760°C, others on pressures comparable to deep-sea environments, and many involve hazardous compounds such as hydrazine or melamine. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 20 Dec. 2025

The main engine on the Cygnus spacecraft burns a mixture of hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide propellants. —Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 16 Sep. 2025

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