thruster

noun

thrust·​er ˈthrə-stər 

variants or less commonly thrustor

: one that thrusts

especially : an engine (such as a jet engine) that develops thrust by expelling a jet of fluid or a stream of particles

Examples of thruster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead, the Starliner spacecraft suffered problems with overheating thrusters and helium leaks after its launch last June aboard an Atlas V rocket. —Stephen Clark, Ars Technica, 4 Feb. 2025

The duo flew to the station in early June on the first crewed flight of the Boeing Starliner, but the spacecraft experienced helium leaks and thruster issues in transit. —Sara Hashemi, Smithsonian Magazine, 31 Jan. 2025

Not only did the probe's thrusters go wonky because of decades of gunk building up in the pipes, but the onboard computer had a fit, cutting off communication with Earth. —David Szondy, New Atlas, 18 Jan. 2025

But this line isn't nearly as interesting as the Death Star's trench, which houses the battle station's engines, thrusters and docking bays. —Ailsa Harvey, Space.com, 17 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1597, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

thruster

noun

thrust·​er ˈthrəs-tər 

: one that thrusts

especially : an engine that produces thrust by discharging a jet of fluid or a stream of particles