jet propulsion

American  

noun

1. the propulsion of a body by its reaction to a force ejecting a gas or a liquid from it.

---

jet propulsion British  

noun

1. propulsion by means of a jet of fluid

2. propulsion by means of a gas turbine, esp when the exhaust gases provide the propulsive thrust

---

jet propulsion Scientific  

1. The driving of an aircraft by the powerful thrust developed when a jet of gas is forced out of a jet engine.

2. Propulsion by means of any fluid that is forced out in a stream in the opposite direction. Squids, octopuses, and cuttlefish, for example, jet their way through the ocean by taking in and then quickly expelling water.

---

Example Sentences

First, there are new technologies: radar and jet propulsion in World War II, computers during the Cold War, robotics and artificial intelligence today.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

Microbes beat water with hair-like projections or tail whips, but salps swim via jet propulsion, Sutherland said.

From Science Daily • May 15, 2024

Biden speaking in video conference call with the leadership of space agency’s jet propulsion laboratory team expressed awe over the Feb. 18 landing of Perseverance.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 4, 2021

“By no means are we out of the woods here,” said John Callas, the Opportunity project manager at Nasa’s jet propulsion laboratory in Pasadena, California.

From The Guardian • Jun. 13, 2018

Sandy's eyes needed only jet propulsion to become flying saucers.

From Lighter Than You Think by Bond, Nelson Slade