accelerant

Definition

Any substance that can bond or mix with, or disturb, another substance and cause an increase in the speed of a natural or artificial chemical process.

Etymology

From accelerate + -ant (suffix forming agent nouns from verbs, or forming adjectives with senses of being prone or tending to do the actions of verbs).

Example Sentences

• "Accelerant was poured across the beds where the two daughters of a family in Cheshire, Conn., had been tied before a fire during a home invasion in 2007, a fire investigator told jurors on Friday."
• "Hello Neighbor’s experience reflects the rise of video sites like YouTube as an accelerant for the video game business."
• "[Mike] Skinner can be credited with pouring lots of accelerant on pop in his time. In his absence, Caribbean-derived UK bass music became the de facto sound of British youth."

Related Words