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
1
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."
2
To abandon or discard something no longer wanted or useful.
"The company jettisoned its old branding after the merger."
noun
1
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 notesIn 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
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Word forms
- Plural
- jettisons
- Third person singular
- jettisons
- Past tense
- jettisoned
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
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".
Rhymes for jettison
See all rhymes for jettison →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.
