noun
accelerant
uhk-SEH-luhrnt
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."
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
Word Forms
more accelerant comparative, accelerants plural, most accelerant superlative
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Etymology
From accelerate plus the suffix -ant, which forms nouns and adjectives describing something that performs an action.