noun
accelerant
uhk-SEH-luhrnt
Accelerant (noun) means a substance, especially a flammable one, used to speed up a fire or chemical reaction. Example: “Investigators found traces of an accelerant at the scene of the fire.”
noun
1
A substance, especially a flammable one, used to speed up a fire or chemical reaction.
"Investigators found traces of an accelerant at the scene of the fire."
2
Anything that speeds up a process, used more broadly.
"Cheap credit acted as an accelerant for the housing boom."
"Hello Neighbor’s experience reflects the rise of video sites like YouTube as an accelerant for the video game business."
— Laura Hudson, Using YouTube as an Accelerant for Video Games (2017)
How to use accelerant
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething — often a flammable liquid, but also more generally any factor — that speeds a process up.
Common pairings
use of an accelerant
chemical accelerant
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Word forms
- Plural
- accelerants
- Comparative
- more accelerant
- Superlative
- most accelerant
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
Investigators found traces of an _____ at the scene of the fire.
Etymology
From accelerate plus the suffix -ant, which forms nouns and adjectives describing something that performs an action.
Rhymes for accelerant
See all rhymes for accelerant →Frequently asked questions
What does “accelerant” mean?
The word “accelerant” means a substance, especially a flammable one, used to speed up a fire or chemical reaction. In plain terms, something — often a flammable liquid, but also more generally any factor — that speeds a process up.
How do you pronounce “accelerant”?
“Accelerant” is pronounced uhk-SEH-luhrnt (/əkˈsɛləɹənt/ in IPA).
How do you use “accelerant” in a sentence?
Here is “accelerant” used in a sentence: “Investigators found traces of an accelerant at the scene of the fire.”
What part of speech is “accelerant”?
“Accelerant” is a noun.
How many meanings does “accelerant” have?
“Accelerant” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a substance, especially a flammable one, used to speed up a fire or chemical reaction.
