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.

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

From Reuters • Jan. 11, 2022

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

From Scientific American • Jan. 2, 2014

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

The best combinations are "hypergolic," igniting spontaneously as soon as mixed.

From Time Magazine Archive

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

From Time Magazine Archive

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