hydrazine

noun

hy·​dra·​zine ˈhī-drə-ˌzēn 

: a colorless fuming corrosive strongly reducing liquid base N₂H₄ used especially in fuels for rocket and jet engines

also : an organic base derived from this compound

Examples of hydrazine in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These circuits would then fire hydrazine thrusters to correct the spacecraft’s orientation. —Viktor T. Toth, IEEE Spectrum, 30 Nov. 2012

Like other engines in the Leros line, the Leros 4 consumes a bipropellant mix of hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide, which combust when coming into contact with one another. —Ars Technica, 24 Jan. 2025

One of the more common combinations in the world of hypergolic propulsion, for instance, is mixing the fuel hydrazine with the oxidizer nitrogen tetroxide. —Michael Franco, New Atlas, 20 Dec. 2024

Powered by solar arrays, Hera has a hydrazine propulsion system that propels it to the Didymos system. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 7 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for hydrazine

• acrolein
• adenine
• alkylene
• aniline
• anthracene
• aquiline
• asphaltene
• atlantean
• atrazine
• butadiene
• butylene
• caesarean

Kids Definition

hydrazine

noun

hy·​dra·​zine ˈhī-drə-ˌzēn 

: a colorless fuming liquid used especially in fuels for rocket engines

Medical Definition

hydrazine

noun

hy·​dra·​zine ˈhī-drə-ˌzēn 

: a colorless fuming corrosive strongly reducing liquid base N₂H₄ used in the production of various materials (as pharmaceuticals and plastics)

also : an organic base derived from this compound