thruster

American  

[thruhs-ter] / ˈθrʌs tər /

noun

1. a person or thing that thrusts.

2. Fox Hunting. a rider who keeps in the front of the field.

3. Aerospace. a small rocket attached to a spacecraft and used to control its attitude or translational motion.

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thruster British  

/ ˈθrʌstə /

noun

1. a person or thing that thrusts

2. Also called: vernier rocket.  a small rocket engine, esp one used to correct the altitude or course of a spacecraft

3. an auxiliary propeller on a ship, capable of acting athwartships

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Etymology

Origin of thruster

First recorded in 1590–1600; thrust + -er ¹

Example Sentences

A year later, Musk was promoting a new design for Roadsters with what he called “small rocket thrusters.”

From The Wall Street Journal

I got a more alarming “bleep” during dumbbell thrusters: “Go deeper so your thighs are closer to parallel.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The flight quickly went off course because of helium leaks in the vehicle’s propulsion system and the temporary failure of five thrusters that maneuver the craft.

From The Wall Street Journal

Equipped with lights, cameras, thrusters, and other cutting-edge high-tech devices, the Exosuit represents a major breakthrough in marine archaeology.

From Literature

The quick and dirty alternative would be to “point the thing down and fire the thruster, which would basically produce an instantaneous reentry.”

From Los Angeles Times