jettison

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman getteson, from Old French getaison, from geter, jeter (modern French: would be *jetaison like pendaison); possibly from a Vulgar Latin *iectātiō, iectātiōn-, from *iectātus < iectāre, from Latin iactō. Doublet of jetsam

Pronunciation

• (Australian English) IPA^(key): /ˈdʒɛɾəsən/, /ˈdʒɛtɪsən/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈdʒɛtɪsn̩/, /-zn̩/
• (US) IPA^(key): /ˈdʒɛɾɪsn̩/, /-zn̩/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Noun

jettison (plural jettisons)

1. (uncountable) Collectively, items that have been or are about to be ejected from a boat or balloon.
2. (countable) The action of jettisoning items.

Verb

jettison (third-person singular simple present jettisons, present participle jettisoning, simple past and past participle jettisoned)

1. To eject from a boat, submarine, aircraft, spaceship or hot-air balloon, so as to lighten the load.

   The ballooners had to jettison all of their sand bags to make it over the final hill.

   The jettisoning of fuel tanks.

2. To let go or get rid of as being useless or defective; discard.