Definition of "propellant" [propellant]

• Something, such as an explosive charge or a rocket fuel, that propels or provides thrust. (noun)
• A compressed inert gas, such as a fluorocarbon, that acts as a vehicle for discharging the contents of an aerosol container. (noun)
• Serving to propel; propelling. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The cost in propellant to go from one crater to another, as long as we stay on the same pole, is very small, almost negligible."
• "A modest fuel depot in orbit based upon existing upper stages would allow for the separation of propellant from the payload, and allow for easy segmentation of the total mass of a lunar launch."
• "For nearly all spacecraft, the propulsion system, including the propellant, is a major fraction of the spacecraft."