propellant

[pruh-pel-uhnt]

noun

1. a propelling agent.

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

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

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

propellant

/ 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

Other Word Forms

• multipropellant noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of propellant¹

First recorded in 1915–20; propel + -ant

Example Sentences

The plant will have an annual production capacity of around 300,000 modular propellant charges and will produce an additional 200 tons of propellant powder to meet Romania’s demand, Rheinmetall said.

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Experts say a key hurdle SpaceX has yet to clear is transferring propellant to Starship while it is in Earth’s orbit so it can reach the moon.

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Each round is about 2 feet long and consists of a detonating fuse, projectile, propellant and primer.

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Each round is about 2 feet long and essentially a very big bullet, made of up a detonating fuse, projectile, propellant and primer.

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It will also be used to demonstrate transferring propellant in orbit between vehicles, which will be necessary for missions to the Moon or Mars.

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Related Words

• ammunition 
• bomb 
• booby trap 
• detonator 
• dynamite 
• gunpowder 
• mine 
• missile 
• munition 
• powder