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
Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 2 Aug. 2024
Crews will put the core stage's propellant tanks together horizontally in New Orleans, then install the engine section and the RS-25 engines at Kennedy in a vertical orientation.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 25 July 2024
Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Aug. 2024
Inspections of the thruster at White Sands showed bulging in a Teflon seal in an oxidizer valve, which could restrict the flow of nitrogen tetroxide propellant.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 26 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for propellant 
Adjective
An Auxiliary Propulsion Unit, which is a small engine to provide additional bursts of thrust and pressurize the upper stage's propellant tanks, shut down shortly after startup ahead of the third burn of the primary Vinci engine.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 2 Aug. 2024
Crews will put the core stage's propellant tanks together horizontally in New Orleans, then install the engine section and the RS-25 engines at Kennedy in a vertical orientation.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 25 July 2024
Noun
Ground tests suggested this excess heat expanded Teflon seals in the thrusters, limiting the flow of propellant.
—Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Aug. 2024
Inspections of the thruster at White Sands showed bulging in a Teflon seal in an oxidizer valve, which could restrict the flow of nitrogen tetroxide propellant.
—Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 26 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for propellant
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.
Dictionary Entries Near propellant
Cite this Entry
“Propellant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propellant. Accessed 19 Aug. 2024.
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