thrust

verb (thrusts, thrusting; past and past participle thrust)

• push suddenly or violently in a specified direction:she thrust her hands into her pockets figurativeHoward was thrust into the limelight [no object]:he thrust at his opponent with his sword
• [no object, with adverbial of direction] move or advance forcibly:she thrust through the bramble canes he tried to thrust his way past her
• [no object, with adverbial of direction] extend so as to project conspicuously:beside the boathouse a jetty thrust out into the water
• (thrust something on/upon) force (someone) to accept or deal with something:he felt that fame had been thrust upon him

noun

• 1a sudden or violent lunge with a pointed weapon or a bodily part:he drove the blade upwards with one powerful thrust
• a forceful attack or effort:executives led a new thrust in business development
• [in singular] the principal purpose or theme of a course of action or line of reasoning:anti-Americanism became the main thrust of their policy

• 2 [mass noun] the propulsive force of a jet or rocket engine: the engine was a Russian-built Nene of higher thrust than the original models
• the lateral pressure exerted by an arch or other support in a building: semi-domes assist in containing the thrust within the building

• 3 (also thrust fault) Geology a reverse fault of low angle, with older strata displaced horizontally over newer.