Propellant

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A material that generates thrust through expulsion from a mechanism
2. A substance that produces force by being ejected from a device to propel it forward
3. Material that, when released, causes movement by pushing a vehicle or object ahead

Etymology: "Propellant" is a plain formation: the verb "propel" with the suffix "-ant", which English took from the Latin "-ans" (the ending of present participles). "Propel" itself comes from Latin "propellere," meaning "to drive forward," built from "pro-" (forward) and "pellere" (to drive or push). The suffix was attached to "propel" to make a noun for whatever does the propelling. The word's modern sense is more specialized than its parts suggest. Early uses of "propel" were about pushing things along physically, but the noun now names the material itself, such as the fuel and oxidizer in a rocket or the charge in a firearm, that is expelled to produce thrust. The shift from a driving agent to a substance that is burned or expelled reflects how the technology developed.

Synonyms: fuel, propulsion, driving force, explosive, accelerant