propel

Definition

To provide an impetus for motion or physical action; to cause to move in a certain direction; to drive or push forward.

Etymology

From Middle English propellen (“drive out, expel”), from Latin propellō, from pro- (“forward”) and pellō (“I push, I move”).

Example Sentences

• "When it had advanced from the wood, it hopped much after the fashion of a kangaroo, using its hind feet and tail to propel it, and when it stood erect, it sat upon its tail."
• "This tunnel assumed some measure of importance during the second world war, when it was used nightly as an air raid shelter for multiple unit electric trains which were propelled over the branch by a steam engine."
• "Primary mass relays can propel ships thousands of light years, often from one spiral arm of the galaxy to another."