thrust

[thruhst]

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verb (used with object), thrust, thrust·ing.

to push forcibly; shove; put or drive with force: He thrust his way through the crowd. She thrust a dagger into his back.

to put boldly forth or impose acceptance of: to thrust oneself into a conversation between others; to thrust a dollar into the waiter's hand.

to extend; present: He thrust his fist in front of my face.

Archaic. to stab or pierce, as with a sword: She thrust his back with a dagger.

verb (used without object), thrust, thrust·ing.

to push against something.

to push or force one's way, as against obstacles or through a crowd.

to make a thrust, lunge, or stab at something.

noun

an act or instance of thrusting; a forcible push or shove; lunge or stab.

a lunge or stab, as with a sword.

Mechanics. a linear reactive force exerted by a propeller, propulsive gases, etc., to propel a ship, aircraft, etc.

Geology. a compressive strain in the crust of the earth that, in its most characteristic development, produces reverse or thrust faults.

the main point, purpose, or essence: The thrust of his speech was an urgent appeal for votes.

Machinery. a pushing force or pressure exerted by a thing or a part against a contiguous one.

Architecture. the downward and outward force exerted by an arch on each side.

an organized military attack; assault; offensive.

Origin of thrust

1125–75; Middle English thrusten, thrysten (v.) < Old Norse thrȳsta to thrust, force, press

Related formscoun·ter·thrust, nounpre·thrust, noun, verb (used with object), pre·thrust, pre·thrust·ing.un·thrust, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for thrust

Contemporary Examples of thrust

But with the outbreak of hostilities in mid-2011, all festivities were thrust into the deep freeze.
In One Corner of Syria, Christmas Spirit Somehow Manages to Survive
Peter Schwartzstein
December 25, 2014
Suddenly, a tall, curly haired white man appeared and thrust himself in the middle of the opposing forces.
Honoring The Late John Doar, A Nearly Forgotten Hero Of The Civil Rights Era
Gary May
November 15, 2014
Thrust into a world of seemingly supernatural monsters, his adventure begins.
The Walking Dead’s Luke Skywalker: Rick Grimes Is the Perfect Modern-Day Mythical Hero
Regina Lizik
October 28, 2014
Presidents must act at least as much as they react; they must seize the initiative and thrust their enemies on the defensive.
This Really Is Obama's Moment of Truth
Jonathan Alter
September 4, 2014
Volcanoes spewed lava and ash, ocean floors were thrust upward, sand and rock and shale settled into slurry.
Napa’s Earthquake Is Not The Only Thing Shaking The Vineyards
Clive Irving
August 31, 2014

Historical Examples of thrust

A broken kitchen knife had been thrust through a bit of the paper on the box.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
Viviette followed him, but he turned on her rudely and thrust her back.
Viviette
William J. Locke
But mark these houses, Alleyne, how they thrust forth upon the top.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
But that choice is not thrust upon us by the nature of things.
A Treatise on Parents and Children
George Bernard Shaw
His head was thrust forward menacingly, and his eyes were savage.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana

British Dictionary definitions for thrust

thrust

verb thrusts, thrusting or thrust

(tr) to push (someone or something) with force or sudden strengthshe thrust him away; she thrust it into the fire

(tr) to force or impose upon (someone) or into (some condition or situation)they thrust extra responsibilities upon her; she was thrust into the limelight

(tr foll by through) to pierce; stab

(intr; usually foll by through or into) to force a passage or entrance

(intr) to push forwards, upwards, or outwards

(intr foll by at) to make a stab or lunge at (a person or thing)

noun

a forceful drive, push, stab, or lunge

a force, esp one that produces motion

a propulsive force produced by the fluid pressure or the change of momentum of the fluid in a jet engine, rocket engine, etc
a similar force produced by a propeller

a pressure that is exerted continuously by one part of an object, structure, etc, against another, esp the axial force by or on a shaft

geology

the compressive force in the earth's crust that produces recumbent folds and thrust or reverse faults
See thrust fault

civil engineering a force exerted in a downwards and outwards direction, as by an arch or rafter, or the horizontal force exerted by retained earth

force, impetus, or drivea man with thrust and energy

the essential or most forceful partthe thrust of the argument

Word Origin for thrust

C12: from Old Norse thrysta; related to Latin trūdere; see intrude

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

Word Origin and History for thrust

late 12c., from Old Norse þrysta "to thrust, force," from Proto-Germanic *thrustijanan, perhaps from PIE *trud- "push, press" (see threat), but OED finds this derivation doubtful. The noun is recorded from 1510s; figurative sense of "principal theme, aim, point, purpose" is recorded from 1968.

Science definitions for thrust