rocket engine

rocket engine

n.

A reaction engine that contains all the substances necessary for its operation and is not dependent on substances such as atmospheric oxygen, drawn from the surrounding medium, and thus is capable of operating in outer space. Also called rocket motor.

---

rocket engine

n

(Astronautics) a reaction engine in which a fuel and oxidizer are burnt in a combustion chamber, the products of combustion expanding through a nozzle and producing thrust Also called rocket motor

---

rocket engine An engine used to produce a jet of hot gases to propel a rocket. The jet is produced by combustion of a fuel with other chemicals stored in the rocket. Since they do not rely on the oxygen in the atmosphere for combustion, rocket engines can operate in space. Compare turbojet.

rocket engine The combination of a mixture of liquid fuel and oxygen in the combustion chamber generates the thrust that propels the rocket.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

rocket engine - a jet engine containing its own propellant and driven by reaction propulsion rocket booster rocket, booster unit, takeoff booster, takeoff rocket, booster - the first stage of a multistage rocket jet engine - a gas turbine produces a stream of hot gas that propels a jet plane by reaction propulsion nuclear rocket - a rocket engine in which a nuclear reactor is used to heat a propellant retrorocket - a small rocket engine on a larger rocket or spacecraft that is fired to slow or alter its course rocket, projectile - any vehicle self-propelled by a rocket engine space rocket - a rocket powerful enough to travel into outer space thruster - a small rocket engine that provides the thrust needed to maneuver a spacecraft