Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An aircraft takeoff aided by an auxiliary jet or rocket.
  • noun An auxiliary jet-producing unit providing additional thrust for a takeoff.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An auxiliary jet engine in a detachable unit that provides extra power for the takeoff of an aircraft
  • noun A takeoff assisted by such a unit
  • noun A RATO unit or RATO takeoff - a rocket assisted take-off

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[j(et-)a(ssisted) t(ake)o(ff).]

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Examples

  • That meant we didn't dare put on spin by violent means-which is where jato units come in.

    The Past Through Tomorrow Heinlein, Robert A. 1967

  • The stuff was oxygen tanks, loaded, and aluminum mirrors to shield them, panels of outer skin-sandwich stuff of titanium alloy sheet with foamed glass filling-and cases of jato units to spin the living quarters.

    The Past Through Tomorrow Heinlein, Robert A. 1967

  • The twins as well as Meade went out with him; they made quick work of setting jato units, the young people locking them in place and the Captain seeing to the wiring personally.

    The Rolling Stones Heinlein, Robert A. 1952

  • Later in the afternoon he fired one more jato unit, leaving the Stone dead in space relative to City Hall and less than an eighth of a mile from it He turned to the phone and called the Mayor.

    The Rolling Stones Heinlein, Robert A. 1952

  • 'Oh, I imagine you could move that hulk with a few jato units, if you were gentle about it and weren't in any hurry.

    The Rolling Stones Heinlein, Robert A. 1952

  • Before the strike in the Hallelujah the group calling themselves Rock City had been working Kaiser Wilhelm node behind Ceres in orbit; at the good news they moved, speeding up a trifle and passing in-orbit of Ceres, a ragtag caravan nudged through the sky by scooters, chemical rocket engines, jato units, and faith.

    The Rolling Stones Heinlein, Robert A. 1952

  • Just before lunch on the third day Captain Stone slowed his ship still more and corrected her vector by firing a jato unit; City Hall and several other shapes could be seen ahead.

    The Rolling Stones Heinlein, Robert A. 1952

  • Anybody want to come out with me while I set jato units? '

    The Rolling Stones Heinlein, Robert A. 1952

  • Except for one fast trip to Chemisant City -- when he had neither the time nor the excuse to buy a jato rocket -- Karpin had spent all of his time since McCann's death right here on this planetoid.

    The Risk Profession Donald E. Westlake

  • The advanced trainees shoot off a jato at top speed.

    Space Platform Murray Leinster 1935

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