Word: booster Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree English boost Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English booster From boost + -er. Pronunciation: /ˈbustɚ/ 1. Something that boosts. Example: DUBNER: Now, the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, some officials there, after we published these findings in the New York Times, wrote a letter to the editor, and it said, "Our research consistently shows that child safety seats and booster seats significantly lower the risk of serious injury compared to seatbelts alone." They go on to say that your recommendations to rethink car-seat laws are "irresponsible and dangerous"... LEVITT: I think what's irresponsible and dangerous is accepting mediocrity, accepting our existing solutions as if they are the best solution. What I take away from the research is we've put in all of these laws about child car seats and we've built these contraptions but then when you look at the data, they're really not doing better, certainly not much better, than this other invention, which never had kids in mind and shouldn't work at all. 2. Ellipsis of booster seat. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis 3. The first stage of a multistage rocket, providing primary or supplemental thrust for liftoff and early flight. 4. A motor-generator set used for voltage regulation in direct current electrical power circuits. 5. Someone who publicly promotes or endorses (something or someone); a fan or supporter. Example: The Pied Piper treats Lowenstein as a metaphor for American post-war liberalism and subjects a once highly regarded political movement to the same scrutiny Lowenstein himself faces. Not too surprisingly, both come out wanting, though their boosters claim otherwise. Example: Nor is his district quite the Democratic bastion boosters describe: voters there narrowly backed Barack Obama in 2008, but voted for Mr Bush by a hefty margin in 2004. 6. A member of a booster club. 7. A booster dose. Example: When did you get your last tetanus booster? Example: In the September vaccine monitor survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation, 71 percent of unvaccinated respondents said the need for boosters indicated that the vaccines were not working. 8. A small quantity of a sensitive explosive that is triggered by a detonator and provides the energy needed to detonate a larger quantity of a less-sensitive explosive. 9. A term that serves to amplify or strengthen an utterance, such as "really". 10. A power-up item. 11. A package of cards or figurines designed to add to a player's collection. 12. A thief. Labels: slang Example: The security guard captured two boosters before they could exit the retail store. 13. A booster engine fitted to a steam locomotive. Example: Another notable new series of locomotives, now in course of delivery to the Canadian National Railways, [...]. Fifteen are being built by the Montreal Locomotive Works Limited, and ten by the Canadian Locomotive Company, of Kingston, Ontario; the former are being provided with boosters and the latter are not. Example: Also in 1939, six 4-8-4s, classified "Kb" because they have boosters, were built at Hillside for service between Christchurch and Arthurs Pass.