MEANING
To fire rockets so that their thrust reduces a vehicle’s speed along its current path.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- retrofire for reentry
- retrofire sequence
On the page
The capsule retrofired above the night side of Earth.
The pilot retrofired to reduce the closing speed.
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- retrofire
- Past tense
- retrofired
- Past participle
- retrofired
- Present participle
- retrofiring
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- retrofire
- Present continuous
- am/is/are retrofiring
- Present perfect
- have/has retrofired
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been retrofiring
- Past
- retrofired
- Past continuous
- was/were retrofiring
- Past perfect
- had retrofired
- Past perfect continuous
- had been retrofiring
- Future
- will retrofire
- Future continuous
- will be retrofiring
- Future perfect
- will have retrofired
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been retrofiring
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Primary category: sci-fi. Forms: retrofire; retrofires; retrofired; retrofired; retrofiring Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: retrofires.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.