verb

jettison

JEH-tihsn

Jettison (verb) means to throw cargo or equipment overboard or overboard-equivalent, usually to lighten a vessel or aircraft in an emergency. Example: “The pilot jettisoned fuel before making an emergency landing.”

verb

To throw cargo or equipment overboard or overboard-equivalent, usually to lighten a vessel or aircraft in an emergency.

"The pilot jettisoned fuel before making an emergency landing."

To abandon or discard something no longer wanted or useful.

"The company jettisoned its old branding after the merger."

noun

The act of throwing something overboard, or the items thrown out this way.

"Insurance covered the jettison of damaged containers during the storm."

How to use jettison

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo dump something overboard in an emergency, or more generally to get rid of something no longer needed.

Common pairings

jettison cargo jettison a plan jettison old habits

Word forms

jettisoned past tense, jettisons plural, jettisons singular

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The pilot _____ fuel before making an emergency landing.

Etymology

From an old French word meaning "a throwing", ultimately from Latin iactare, "to throw repeatedly" — a distant cousin of "jet" and "jut".

Origin: Latin

Rhymes for jettison

Bison poison prison UNISON Alison Edison Maison liaison venison Addison Allison Madison

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Frequently asked questions

What does “jettison” mean?

The word “jettison” means to throw cargo or equipment overboard or overboard-equivalent, usually to lighten a vessel or aircraft in an emergency. In plain terms, to dump something overboard in an emergency, or more generally to get rid of something no longer needed.

How do you pronounce “jettison”?

“Jettison” is pronounced JEH-tihsn (/ˈd͡ʒɛtɪsn̩/ in IPA).

How do you use “jettison” in a sentence?

Here is “jettison” used in a sentence: “The pilot jettisoned fuel before making an emergency landing.”

What part of speech is “jettison”?

Depending on how it is used, “jettison” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “jettison” come from?

The word “jettison” comes from Latin. From an old French word meaning "a throwing", ultimately from Latin iactare, "to throw repeatedly" — a distant cousin of "jet" and "jut".

How many meanings does “jettison” have?

“Jettison” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to throw cargo or equipment overboard or overboard-equivalent, usually to lighten a vessel or aircraft in an emergency.