propulsion

The act of moving something forward is called propulsionPropulsion is the force that pushes a rocket into space, that sends a football spiraling toward a receiver's hands, and that moves a strongly kicking swimmer through the water.

  • Pronunciation: / prə'pʌlʃən/
  • English description: the act of propelling
  • Synonyms: actuation
  • Chinese Translation: 推进力(tui1 jin4 li4)
  • Spanish Translation: la propulsión
  • ORIGIN: The noun propulsion came from the Latin prōpellere, "to push away." The modern meaning of propulsion meaning "the act of moving forward" was first recorded in 1799. In water, flippers, fins, and the wind can aid propulsion. In a general sense, if society is to move forward, we must stop using fossil fuels as our main means of propulsion.

EXAMPLE SENTENCE:

  • Tesla's strength is propulsion technology, notably batteries, while Apple's is in electronic navigation and communication systems.
  • The Air Force plans to award additional, larger contracts for U.S.-developed propulsion systems later this year.

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