propellant
Americannoun
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a propelling agent.
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the charge of explosive used to propel the projectile from a gun.
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a substance, usually a mixture of fuel and oxidizer, for propelling a rocket.
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a compressed inert gas that serves to dispense the contents of an aerosol container when the pressure is released.
noun
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something that provides or causes propulsion, such as the explosive charge in a gun or the fuel in a rocket
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the gas used to carry the liquid droplets in an aerosol spray
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of propellant
Explanation
A propellant is a force or substance that drives something else forward. Your model rocket needs a propellant, or a fuel to push it into the air. You might use something as simple as vinegar and baking soda. Space rockets use solid or liquid propellants, or fuel. Propellant derives from the word propel, which means to drive something forward with force. A propellant can be fuel, or the explosive charge that pushes a bullet out of a gun. Gases used to propel can be called "propellant gases" and might be stored in a "propellant tank." Note that some dictionaries accept the variant spelling propellent.
Vocabulary lists containing propellant
This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for August 27–September 2, 2022
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October Sky
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Selection Vocabulary 2, Unit 6
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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.
The solid rocket boosters for SLS, made by Northrop Grumman, are 17-story-tall devices that burn more than 11,000 pounds of propellant a second during liftoff.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
"But we're also humans trying to load millions of pounds of propellant onto a giant machine and send it to the Moon," he added.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
The check on Thursday, which involved fuelling the rocket with some 730,000 gallons of propellant over the course of 50-hours, initially revealed no faults.
From BBC • Feb. 21, 2026
The new vehicles will be equipped to handle in-orbit docking and demonstrate vehicle-to-vehicle propellant transfer while in orbit — which is key for future moon or Mars missions.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 30, 2025
I went down to my lab to mix up some more propellant.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
