propellant

[ pruh-pel-uhnt ]
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noun
  1. a propelling agent.

  2. the charge of explosive used to propel the projectile from a gun.

  1. a substance, usually a mixture of fuel and oxidizer, for propelling a rocket.

  2. a compressed inert gas that serves to dispense the contents of an aerosol container when the pressure is released.

Origin of propellant

1
First recorded in 1915–20; propel + -ant

Other words from propellant

  • mul·ti·pro·pel·lant, noun

Words that may be confused with propellant

Words Nearby propellant

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use propellant in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for propellant

propellant

propellent

/ (prəˈpɛlənt) /


noun
  1. something that provides or causes propulsion, such as the explosive charge in a gun or the fuel in a rocket

  2. the gas used to carry the liquid droplets in an aerosol spray

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012