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

Such a swap is programmed to occur automatically if the spacecraft computers detect something amiss with the active thrusters. — Elizabeth Howell, Space.com, 5 Nov. 2026

Without working wheels, a spacecraft steers with its thrusters instead, and every burn spends propellant. — Wanjiku Chebet Kanjumba, The Conversation, 4 Nov. 2026

Much of the spacecraft, including its thrusters to the avionics, is cooled by water. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 3 Nov. 2026

The visualization also exposes hardware such as the suspension and thrusters. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 23 Oct. 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