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

The new propulsion solution is supported by Kongsberg Maritime’s global service organisation, leveraging extensive experience from the company’s existing large scale thruster portfolio to ensure reliable lifecycle support worldwide. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026

The mission was made even more complicated in April 2024, when a solar panel issue reduced the available power for MTM's electric thrusters. — Josh Dinner, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Overheating electronics contributed to the failure of two of the craft's three reaction wheels, compounded by an unrelated malfunction in its thruster system. — David Szondy august 20, New Atlas, 21 Aug. 2026

Meanwhile the hopper will fire a rocket thruster to jump up to 15 kilometers (nine miles) across the surface at a time, targeting touchdowns in surrounding, permanently shadowed craters. — Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 20 Aug. 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