hypergolic

American

[hahy-per-gaw-lik, -gol-ik] / ˌhaɪ pərˈgɔ lɪk, -ˈgɒl ɪk /

adjective

(especially of rocket-fuel propellant constituents) igniting spontaneously upon contact with a complementary substance.

hypergolic British

/ ˌhaɪpəˈɡɒlɪk /

adjective

(of a rocket fuel) able to ignite spontaneously on contact with an oxidizer

"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

hypergolic Scientific

/ hī′pər-gŏl′ĭk /

Relating to or using a rocket propellant consisting of liquid fuel and an oxidizer that ignite spontaneously on contact.

Etymology

Origin of hypergolic

First recorded in 1945–50; hyp(er)- + erg(o)- ¹ + -ol ² + -ic

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

hypergolic

When hypergolic propellants burn, they release highly carcinogenic toxins and can cause suffocation and mutate a person’s DNA.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026

Both are highly toxic as well as "hypergolic," which means they react violently when in contact with each other.

From Reuters ● Jan. 11, 2022

The bombardier beetle isn’t the only organism that takes advantage of hypergolic chemicals; we use them in rocket fuel.

From Scientific American ● Jan. 2, 2014

Also, holding both a large amount of methane or hypergolic chemical internally is explosively problematic.

From Scientific American ● Jan. 2, 2014

Besides being storable, Titan II's fuels are "hypergolic."

From Time Magazine Archive

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023