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
Andrew Jones, Space.com, 5 May 2026
Unlike the side boosters, which had propellant reserves for landing, the core stage burned all of its fuel as planned and was then jettisoned to crash into the Atlantic Ocean.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 20 May 2026
The Liquid Oxygen Flight demonstration (LOXSAT) will launch to orbit around the Earth later this year to test the fluid management capabilities that will be needed to maintain cryogenic fuels in microgravity, which come with additional challenges compared to other propellants.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for propellant
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Adjective
The key to the major progress needed in the next 18 months, however, is flying Starship regularly and demonstrating on-orbit docking and propellant transfer.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 5 May 2026
Unlike the side boosters, which had propellant reserves for landing, the core stage burned all of its fuel as planned and was then jettisoned to crash into the Atlantic Ocean.
—William Harwood, CBS News, 29 Apr. 2026
Noun
As boiloff occurs, pressure builds, and Starship must vent gas and lose propellant to prevent damage.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 20 May 2026
The Liquid Oxygen Flight demonstration (LOXSAT) will launch to orbit around the Earth later this year to test the fluid management capabilities that will be needed to maintain cryogenic fuels in microgravity, which come with additional challenges compared to other propellants.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for propellant
Cite this Entry
“Propellant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propellant. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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