Adjacent Words

Propel definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PROPEL', v.t. [L. propello; pro, forward,and pello, to drive.]
To drive forward; to urge or press onward by force. The wind or steam propels ships; balls are propelled by the force of gun-powder; mill wheels are propelled by water or steam; the blood is propelled through the arteries and veins by the action of the heart. [This word is commonly applied to material bodies.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: cause to move forward with force; "Steam propels this ship" [syn: propel, impel]
2: give an incentive for action; "This moved me to sacrifice my career" [syn: motivate, actuate, propel, move, prompt, incite]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (propelled; propelling) Etymology: Middle English propellen, from Latin propellere, from pro- before + pellere to drive — more at felt Date: 15th century to drive forward or onward by or as if by means of a force that imparts motion

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. (propelled, propelling) 1 drive or push forward. 2 urge on; encourage. Phrases and idioms: propelling pencil a pencil with a replaceable lead moved upward by twisting the outer case. Etymology: ME, = expel, f. L propellere (as PRO-(1), pellere puls- drive)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Propel Pro*pel", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Propelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Propelling.] [L. propellere, propulsum; pro forward + pellere to drive. See Pulse a beating.] To drive forward; to urge or press onward by force; to move, or cause to move; as, the wind or steam propels ships; balls are propelled by gunpowder.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(propels, propelling, propelled) 1. To propel something in a particular direction means to cause it to move in that direction. The tiny rocket is attached to the spacecraft and is designed to propel it toward Mars. VERB: V n prep • -propelled combines with nouns to form adjectives which indicate how something, especially a weapon, is propelled. ...rocket-propelled grenades. COMB in ADJ 2. If something propels you into a particular activity, it causes you to do it. It was a shooting star that propelled me into astronomy in the first place... He is propelled by both guilt and the need to avenge his father. VERB: V n prep, be V-ed

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. Impel, drive forward, push forward, urge on.

Moby Thesaurus

actuate, advance, animate, bowl, bunt, butt, compel, drive, drive on, egg on, energize, exhort, force, forward, foster, galvanize, get moving, give an impetus, give momentum, goad, impel, incite, launch, mobilize, motivate, move, move to action, nudge, pedal, pole, power, prick, prod, promote, prompt, push, put in motion, roll, row, send, set agoing, set going, set in motion, shove, shunt, spark, spur, start, stimulate, sweep, sweep along, thrust, treadle, troll, trundle, whip on