Dictionary

propulsion en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /pɹəˈpʌlʃən/

Etymology

Borrowed from Medieval Latin propulsio, propulsionis, from the past participle of Latin propello (“to drive forward, drive forth, drive away, drive out”).

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) The process of propelling, driving, or pushing, typically forward or onward; a propulsive force or impulse.
2. (countable, uncountable) That which propels.
   • Solar-electric propulsion accelerates a spacecraft by means of a low-thrust ion jet. 2015, Peter Jedicke, Extreme Science: The Highway of Light and Other Man-Made Wonders, Scientific American:
   • This propulsion provides an initial velocity for the vehicle in a short time span. 2013, Yung-Kang (Derby) Sun, Non-Propellant Propulsion for Space Flight, page 20:
   • However, nuclear propulsion provides a very high specific impulse and consistent, long duration energy source. 1995, Joyce A. Hayes, Benjamin E. Goldberg, David M. Anderson, “Environmental Benefits of Chemical Propulsion”, in Ann F. Whitaker, editor, Aerospace Environmental Technology Conference, page 59:

Forms

Deriveds

retropropulsion · propulsionless · nonpropulsion · jet propulsion · astronaut propulsion unit · gravitational propulsion · overpropulsion

Relateds

propel

Translations (25)

ja 推力 (the action of driving or pushing) · hi प्रणोदन (the action of driving or pushing) · fi työntö (the action of driving or pushing) · hu meghajtás (the action of driving or pushing) · fr propulsion (the action of driving or pushing) · da fremdrift (the action of driving or pushing) · ta உந்து (the action of driving or pushing) · ro propulsare (the action of driving or pushing) · de Antrieb (the action of driving or pushing) · pt propulsão (the action of driving or pushing) · gd sparradh (the action of driving or pushing) · gl propulsión (the action of driving or pushing) · bg задвижване (the action of driving or pushing) · fi propulsio (the action of driving or pushing) · ca propulsió (the action of driving or pushing) · ru пропу́льсия (the action of driving or pushing) · es propulsión (the action of driving or pushing) · fi työntövoima (the action of driving or pushing) · ru дви́жущая си́ла (the action of driving or pushing) · ro propulsie (the action of driving or pushing) · ka წინსვლა (the action of driving or pushing) · nl voortstuwing (the action of driving or pushing) · sd ڌُوڪَ (the action of driving or pushing) · cmn 動力 /动力 (the action of driving or pushing) · cmn 推進力 /推进力 (the action of driving or pushing)