booster

[boo-ster]

noun

1. a person or thing that boosts, especially an energetic and enthusiastic supporter.

2. Electricity.,  a device connected in series with a current for increasing or decreasing the nominal circuit voltage.

3. Railroads.,  any machine, device, phenomenon, etc., that helps to move a train, as a tailwind, downgrade, roller bearings, or especially a helper locomotive.

4. Military.,  an explosive more powerful than a primer, for ensuring the detonation of the main charge of a shell.

5. Rocketry.

   1. a rocket engine used as the principal source of thrust in the takeoff of a rocket or missile.

   2. the first stage containing this engine and its fuel supply, which may or may not be detached from the rocket when the fuel has been consumed.

6. Also called booster shot. Also called booster dose,. Medicine/Medical.,  a dose of an immunizing substance given to maintain or renew the effect of a previous one.

7. Pharmacology.,  a chemical compound, medicinal substance, or the like, that serves as a synergist.

8. a radio-frequency amplifier for connecting between a radio or television antenna and the receiving set to intensify the received signal.

9. an auxiliary pump, used in a pipeline or other system, to add to or maintain a prevailing amount of pressure or vacuum.

10. Slang.,  a shoplifter or petty thief.

booster

/ ˈbuːstə /

noun

1. a person or thing that supports, assists, or increases power or effectiveness

2. Also called: launch vehicle. the first stage of a multistage rocket

3. radio television

   1. a radio-frequency amplifier connected between an aerial and a receiver to amplify weak incoming signals

   2. a radio-frequency amplifier that amplifies incoming signals, retransmitting them at higher power

4. another name for supercharger

5. short for booster dose

6. slang,  a shoplifter

booster

1. An additional dose of an immunizing agent, such as a vaccine or toxoid, given at a time period of weeks to years after the initial dose to sustain the immune response elicited by the first dose. Tetanus, diphtheria, and measles vaccines are commonly given in booster doses.

Other Word Forms

• boosterish adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of booster¹

An Americanism dating back to 1885–90; boost + -er ¹

Example Sentences

They have two measures to decide on Election Day: one would put tight limits on rental housing, which boosters say would preserve more real estate for islanders.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The companies and a variety of AI boosters say the investments are necessary for machine-learning systems to reach artificial general intelligence, or AGI, a state in which they are smarter than humans.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Connolly is a fluent speaker and booster of the Irish language, which became a surprisingly important signifier in the race, as Humphreys “has no Irish,” to use the vernacular.

Read more on Salon

The missile, code-named Skyfall by Nato, is thought to be powered by a nuclear reactor, which is supposed to activate after solid fuel rocket boosters have launched it into the air.

Read more on BBC

But now, boosters of geothermal energy say that thanks to a combination of new technologies and generous tax incentives, it is finally ready to compete with all comers on cost and reliability.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• backer 
• enthusiast 
• patron 
• promoter 

When To Use

What is a booster shot?

A booster shot is an additional dose of a vaccine given to a person in order to maintain or renew the effect of a previous dose. This is sometimes called a booster dose (especially since vaccines aren’t always given via shots) or simply a booster.Vaccines strengthen the body’s immunity against disease. They work by introducing a killed, weakened, or otherwise modified version of a specific disease (such as a virus or bacterium) so that the body’s immune system will produce antibodies that will destroy those specific pathogens if they ever enter the body again.A booster shot basically refreshes the immune system’s memory of a disease in order to strengthen immunity—it “boosts” the existing defenses.Booster shots are commonly given to both children and adults. Common vaccines that typically involve one or multiple booster shots include those against tetanus, hepatitis A, human papillomavirus (HPV), and measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). The timing of the booster shot varies depending on the vaccine—some are given a few months after the initial dose, while others are given years later. Medical organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide immunization schedules that recommend the frequency of booster shots.