propellant

1 of 2

adjective

pro·​pel·​lant prə-ˈpe-lənt 

variants or less commonly propellent

: capable of propelling

propellant

2 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly propellent

: something that propels: such as

a

: an explosive for propelling projectiles

b

: fuel plus oxidizer used by a rocket engine

c

: a gas kept under pressure in a bottle or can for expelling the contents when the pressure is released

Examples of propellant in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The spaceship’s propulsion system, for example, has been altered to increase the propellant volume by 25%. —Jackie Wattles, CNN, 15 Jan. 2025

The ship's propellant tanks have 25 percent more volume than previous iterations of the vehicle, and the payload compartment, which contains 10 mock-ups of Starlink Internet satellites on this launch, is somewhat smaller. —Ars Technica, 9 Jan. 2025

Noun

Engineers determined that the lander ran out of propellant after a software error caused the spacecraft to hover too long before making its final descent to the lunar surface. —Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 16 Jan. 2025

Pale Blue’s thruster uses water as a propellant, which potentially offers a cleaner and more sustainable fuel for small satellites. —Alex Knapp, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

borrowed from Latin prōpellent-, prōpellens, present participle of prōpellere "to push or thrust forward, compel to go onward" — more at propel

Noun

in part noun derivative of propellant entry 1, in part from propel + -ant entry 1

First Known Use

Adjective

1644, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1654, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

propellant

noun

pro·​pel·​lant

variants also propellent

prə-ˈpel-ənt

: something that propels: as

a

: fuel plus a chemical to supply oxygen used by a rocket engine

b

: a gas under pressure in a can for expelling the contents when the pressure is released