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jettison

Pronunciation: /ˈd͡ʒɛtɪsn̩/

The English word “jettison” has 4 meanings listed here.

noun

  1. Items that have been or are about to be ejected from a boat or balloon to lighten the vessel.
  2. The act of throwing goods overboard to lighten a ship or aircraft in distress.

verb

  1. To eject from a boat, submarine, aircraft, spaceship or hot-air balloon, so as to lighten the load.
  2. To let go or get rid of as being useless or defective.

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, from *iectātus < iectāre, from Latin iactō. Doublet of jetsam.

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