propellant

adjective pro·pel·lant \ prə-ˈpe-lənt \

variants: or less commonly propellent

|Updated on: 12 Jun 2018

Definition of propellant

: capable of propelling

Recent Examples of propellant from the Web

Luigi T. De Luca, an Italian academic and a leading expert in solid propellant rockets, said in an email.

— hiroko tabuchi, New York Times, "A Cheaper Airbag, and Takata’s Road to a Deadly Crisis," 26 Aug. 2016

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'propellant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of propellant

1644

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

propellant

noun

variants: or less commonly propellent

Definition of propellant

: something that propels: such as

a : an explosive for propelling projectiles

b : fuel plus oxidizer used by a rocket engine

c : a gas kept under pressure in a bottle or can for expelling the contents when the pressure is released

See propellant defined for English-language learners

See propellant defined for kids

Recent Examples of propellant from the Web

The oldest cars in the most humid conditions are at highest risk since the ammonium nitrate propellant in their airbag inflators is most likely to degrade over time.

— nathan bomey, USA TODAY, "South Florida vehicle owners urged to respond to recall of Takata exploding airbags," 8 June 2018
As planned, the nine Merlin 1D engines at the base of the first stage shut down two minutes and 45 seconds after liftoff, burning through virtually all of the booster's propellants.

— william harwood, CBS News, "SpaceX rocket launches powerful communications satellite," 4 June 2018
That would not only give the rocket thrust, but also the heat needed to destroy the next section of the propellant.

— david grossman, Popular Mechanics, "'Autophage' Rocket Would Devour Itself For Fuel," 24 May 2018
Blasting heavy cargo, spacecraft, and maybe people to respectable speeds over interplanetary distances (not to mention the luxury of stopping at destinations) requires an amount of propellant too massive for current rockets to haul into the void.

— National Geographic, "NASA's 'Impossible' Space Engine Tested—Here Are the Results," 22 May 2018
Ideally, once one of these rocket lands, SpaceX will turn it horizontal, attach a new upper stage and nose cone on top, turn it vertical on the launchpad, fill it with propellant, and then launch it again.

— loren grush, The Verge, "With the landing of SpaceX’s powerful new Falcon 9, a new era of rocket reusability takes off," 11 May 2018
Segments of solid rocket boosters are built and loaded with propellant.

— joe pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "Solid Rocket City: The Utah Space Center Fighting for Its Life," 4 Apr. 2018
The central core stage, however, ran out of propellant on the way down and was unable to restart its engines for descent into the lower atmosphere.

— william harwood, CBS News, "SpaceX Falcon Heavy launch puts on spectacular show in maiden flight," 6 Feb. 2018
Military flamethrowers often use a liquid fuel, like diesel or gasoline, or use a two-tank system that mixes a flammable fuel with a propellant.

— ron amadeo, Ars Technica, "The Boring Company is really pushing the definition of “Flamethrower”," 31 Jan. 2018

First Known Use of propellant

1654

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

NEW! Time Traveler

PROPELLANT Defined for English Language Learners

propellant

noun

Definition of propellant for English Language Learners

: a gas under pressure in a can that is used to spray out the contents when the pressure is released
: a fuel or an explosive substance that is used to make something (such as a rocket) go forward