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
Jackie Wattles, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024
Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, said the early results of Thursday’s launch suggested Russia might have given a key propellant component that can boost a missile’s engine thrust.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
William Harwood, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2024
While SpaceX normally recovers first stage boosters for refurbishment and reuse, the three core stage boosters and the rocket's second stage needed all of their propellants to accelerate the Clipper to the required Earth-departure velocity.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for propellant 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Adjective
The uncrewed Progress capsule — which can carry science experiments, propellant, food and other supplies to the ISS — runs on a fuel called unsymmetric-dimethylhydrazine and an oxidizer called nitrogen tetroxide.
—Jackie Wattles, CNN, 25 Nov. 2024
Lee Choon Geun, an honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, said the early results of Thursday’s launch suggested Russia might have given a key propellant component that can boost a missile’s engine thrust.
—Hyung-Jin Kim, Los Angeles Times, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
The second stage being used for the Hera mission will boost the space probe into deep space, using all of its propellant in the process.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2024
While SpaceX normally recovers first stage boosters for refurbishment and reuse, the three core stage boosters and the rocket's second stage needed all of their propellants to accelerate the Clipper to the required Earth-departure velocity.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for propellant
Dictionary Entries Near propellant
Cite this Entry
“Propellant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propellant. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share