Definition
A method of temporarily increasing the thrust produced by a turbine engine beyond its normal rated output. Common methods include water or water-methanol injection into the compressor or combustion section, and afterburning, in which additional fuel is burned in the exhaust stream behind the turbine.
Plain English
A way of getting extra thrust out of a jet engine for short periods, usually for takeoff or high-performance flight, by either spraying water into the engine or burning more fuel in the exhaust.
Context Anchor
Seen in discussions of jet engines, turbine performance, military aircraft, and takeoff performance for aircraft equipped with boost systems.
Derivation
Augment comes from the Latin augere, meaning to increase or make greater. Thrust augmentation literally means making the thrust greater than it would otherwise be.
Why Pilots Care
Enables higher speeds, shorter takeoff rolls, or better climb performance when standard thrust is not enough.
Intuition Check
Thrust augmentation does not mean a different kind of thrust. It means increasing the engine’s normal thrust with an added boost method, usually for a limited time.
Example Sentence 1
Older jet transports used water injection as a form of thrust augmentation to improve takeoff performance on hot days.
Example Sentence 2
Thrust augmentation with water injection helped the airliner meet required takeoff performance on the hot day.