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self-propelled

American  
[self-pruh-peld, self-] / ˈsɛlf prəˈpɛld, ˌsɛlf- /
Sometimes self-propelling

adjective

  1. propelled by itself.

  2. (of a vehicle) propelled by its own engine, motor, or the like, rather than drawn or pushed by a horse, locomotive, etc.

  3. (of a gun or a rocket launcher) having a vehicle as a base.


self-propelled British  

adjective

  1. (of a vehicle) provided with its own source of tractive power rather than requiring an external means of propulsion

"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

Other Word Forms

  • self-propelling adjective

Etymology

Origin of self-propelled

First recorded in 1895–1900

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.

But instead of dismantling it, engineers are moving it in one piece, supported by steel beams and carried on self-propelled modular transporters.

From BBC

It's a French made self-propelled artillery gun called the "Caesar".

From BBC

To the layman, a self-propelled howitzer looks like a tank, but it has a bigger, 155mm gun to fire at longer range.

From Salon

But as delightful as many of those pieces are, as paintings, none quite has the self-propelled perfection of Hakuin’s “Giant Daruma.”

From New York Times

To meet Ukraine’s demands, France has also halved the production time for Caesar self-propelled howitzers and plans to produce 78 such cannons this year.

From New York Times