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
Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
SpaceX determined that they Flight 7 mishap was caused by propellant leaks, which led to sustained fires in the Ship upper stage.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, 13 Feb. 2025
These often have residual propellant, which means the stages explode on impact with the ground, while remaining fuel and oxidizer could harm people or animals.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for propellant
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Adjective
If this propellant production complex depended solely on solar arrays, Zubrin says, the light-collecting panels would stretch out to cover 60,000 square meters, and would weigh about 240 metric tons, which alone would require three Starship launches to transport them to Mars.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes, 11 Mar. 2025
SpaceX determined that they Flight 7 mishap was caused by propellant leaks, which led to sustained fires in the Ship upper stage.
—Mike Wall, Space.com, 7 Mar. 2025
Noun
The sodium perchlorate could allow for the production of sufficient propellant for some 260 solid rocket motors for Iran’s Kheibar Shekan missiles or 200 of the Haj Qasem ballistic missiles, according to the intelligence sources.
—Saskya Vandoorne, CNN, 13 Feb. 2025
These often have residual propellant, which means the stages explode on impact with the ground, while remaining fuel and oxidizer could harm people or animals.
—Andrew Jones, Space.com, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for propellant
Cite this Entry
“Propellant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propellant. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
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