Propellents

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Substances designed to generate thrust and propel objects forward, often used in rockets or aerosols
2. Materials formulated to create pressure that drives projectiles or fluids from a contained space
3. Compounds that facilitate motion by expelling gas or other forceful agents from a system into the atmosphere

Etymology: "Propellents" is simply the plural of "propellent," a noun for substances that drive things forward by expelling matter. The Latin verb "propellere" meant "to drive forward," built from "pro-" (forward) and "pellere" (to drive or push), and its present participle "propellens" gave rise to the English noun by way of the English verb "propel" plus the suffix "-ent." The more familiar form, "propellant," is actually the less etymologically faithful one. Both come from the same Latin participle, but "-ant" is the ending English most often uses in such nouns, so "propellant" became the common choice. "Propellent" follows the Latin ending more closely, which is why some writers consider it the purer form, even though it appears far less often in print.

Synonyms: propellants, fuels