self-propelled

[ self-pruh-peld, self- ]

adjective

1. propelled by itself.
2. (of a vehicle) propelled by its own engine, motor, or the like, rather than drawn or pushed by a horse, locomotive, etc.
3. (of a gun or a rocket launcher) having a vehicle as a base.

self-propelled

adjective

1. (of a vehicle) provided with its own source of tractive power rather than requiring an external means of propulsion

Derived Forms

• ˌself-proˈpelling, adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of self-propelled¹

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

To the layman, a self-propelled howitzer looks like a tank, but it has a bigger, 155mm gun to fire at longer range.

From Salon

But as delightful as many of those pieces are, as paintings, none quite has the self-propelled perfection of Hakuin’s “Giant Daruma.”

From New York Times

To meet Ukraine’s demands, France has also halved the production time for Caesar self-propelled howitzers and plans to produce 78 such cannons this year.

From New York Times

He cited the Caesar self-propelled 155 mm howitzer, made in France by Nexter, as an example of how French defense contractors are adopting a war footing.

From Seattle Times

It was maneuvered to the construction site Wednesday by self-propelled modular transporters similar to the ones used to move Endeavour through Los Angeles’ streets in 2012.

From Los Angeles Times