Hajtás

Hajtás is a Hungarian noun with several related meanings, used in both biological and technical contexts. In botany, hajtás denotes a shoot or new growth on a plant—the above-ground organ that bears leaves and buds and that develops from a bud or node. It is used to describe the vegetative stem or any extension that will give rise to further foliage or branches, with terms such as apical hajtás referring to the growing tip.

In engineering and automotive terminology, hajtás means drive or propulsion—the system that transmits power from an engine to wheels or other driven components. The concept appears in compound terms such as hajtáslánc (drive chain), hajtómű (drive shaft or geartrain), and négyhajtás (four-wheel drive). Here hajtás designates the mechanism or arrangement responsible for motion and power transfer.

Etymology and usage: hajtás derives from the verb hajtani, meaning to push, drive, or move, with the nominal suffix -ás forming a noun that denotes the act or result of driving. The word is used broadly, and the intended sense—botanical growth or mechanical propulsion—usually becomes clear from context.

Notes: In specialized writing, hajtás may be distinguished from related terms such as szár (stem) or gyökér (root) in botanical discussions, and from components like meghajtó (driver) or hajtóerő (driving force) in technical discussions. The term is common in everyday Hungarian as well as in scientific and engineering literature.