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Added 9 October 2026

thruster

/ˈθɹʌ.stɚ/ noun

In Latin: none, coined in 1980 Coined: 1980, by Simon Anderson Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about thruster at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

One who thrusts, who pushes or stabs.
A device for propelling an object, especially a spacecraft or a ship (marine vessel).
A bow thruster or a stern thruster.

Origin

From thrust + -er. The surfboard sense was coined (but never trademarked) by Simon Anderson, who created the design in 1980. The name was almost immediately applied generically to any surfboard with that fin design.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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