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
Derived 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.
It builds hardware for space launch, including propellant tanks.
From Barron's • Jun. 3, 2026
In a statement on Monday, Blue Origin CEO Dave Limp said that the site’s propellant farm and its oxygen, liquid hydrogen and liquid natural gas tanks are all “in good shape.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
Its Mark 1 demonstrator was already in final stacking in Florida, while SpaceX's Starship has yet to complete a successful in-space propellant transfer.
From BBC • May 29, 2026
The new version of Starship includes upgrades to the fuel transfer tube that moves propellant to the booster’s 33 engines, redesigned so engines can simultaneously and more quickly begin firing.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
The series of equations we needed to work described the parameters of thrust coefficient, nozzle-throat area, combustion-chamber cross-sectional areas, and velocity of the gases predicted for any particular 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.
