propellant

1 of 2

adjective

pro·​pel·​lant prə-ˈpe-lənt How to pronounce propellant (audio)
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
Intuitive Machines’ successful touchdown comes only weeks after a commercial lander from the company Astrobotic failed to land on the moon following a propellant leak after launch. Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Feb. 2024 During Peregrine's startup sequence after separation from its United Launch Alliance Vulcan rocket, one of the spacecraft's propellant tanks ruptured, spewing precious nitrogen tetroxide into space. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2024 But shortly after launching into orbit Jan. 8, the lander suffered a critical propellant leak that forced its operators to scrap the entire mission. Denise Chow, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2024 The company will also need to demonstrate propellant transfers between two in-orbit Starships, which has never been done before. Michael Greshko, Scientific American, 18 Jan. 2024 The malfunction that caused the propellant leak appears to have been with a valve that did not properly reseat during the propulsion system's initialization sequence. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 22 Jan. 2024 The company has not yet said what might have gone wrong with Peregrine to trigger the propellant leak. William Harwood, CBS News, 9 Jan. 2024 The robotic Peregrine lander, still in orbit around Earth, appears to have a propellant leak that will prevent it from reaching the Moon. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 8 Jan. 2024 Along with exercise-equipment and propellant storage, Orion provides nine cubic meters of habitable space, including a bathroom and a galley. IEEE Spectrum, 23 Dec. 2023
Noun
If broken apart into its elemental components — hydrogen and oxygen — the water could also become future propellants for rockets. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2024 The mission had been slated to launch on Wednesday, but an issue with the temperature of propellant needed to power the spacecraft delayed the attempt by 24 hours. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 15 Feb. 2024 Mueller said Helios could be refilled with propellant and then go on to other missions in orbit. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 19 Jan. 2024 Molten plastic is then fed into the engine’s combustion chamber as additional fuel to burn alongside its regular liquid propellants. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 11 Jan. 2024 Also on board: an innovative sensor using radio waves to accurately determine how much cryogenic propellant is left in a tank in the weightless environment of space, technology expected to prove useful for downstream moon missions and other deep space voyages. William Harwood, CBS News, 22 Feb. 2024 Quick-thinking Astrobotic engineers used Peregrine’s small control thrusters to counteract the jetting propellant, successfully stabilizing the spacecraft and pointing its solar panels toward the sun to charge onboard batteries. Michael Greshko, Scientific American, 19 Jan. 2024 In another announcement less than an hour later, Astrobotic said the propulsion failure is now causing the spacecraft to run low on propellant. Denise Chow, NBC News, 8 Jan. 2024 Musk said the second full-scale Starship test flight in November ended when the Starship upper stage blew up during a planned vent of liquid oxygen propellant. Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 19 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'propellant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of propellant was in 1644

Dictionary Entries Near propellant

Cite this Entry

“Propellant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propellant. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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