Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| jump v. (1952) | to journey through hyperspace n.; to engage in any (nearly) instantaneous travel over a long distance; cf. jump n. |
| jump drive n. (1959) | a spacecraft drive that enables a ship to journey through hyperspace or to engage in any instantaneous (long-distance) travel; cf. jump n., jump v. |
| jump engine n. (1981) | = jump drive n. |
| jump gate n. (1993) | a device that opens up a portal into hyperspace n., or otherwise enables (nearly) instantaneous travel; the gateway thus opened up; cf. gate n. |
| jump pilot n. (1983) | one who pilots a spaceship through a jump n. |
| jump point n. (1964) | a location where interstellar jumps are possible |
| jumpship n. (1957) | a spaceship that makes interstellar jumps |
| jumpspace n. (1961) | hyperspace n.; the (notional) space in which ships travel during a jump |
| Jupiterian n. (1855) | a native or inhabitant of the planet Jupiter |
| Jupiterian adj. (1907) | of or pertaining to the planet Jupiter or its inhabitants |
| kiloday n. (1945) | a period of one thousand days |
| kilohour n. (1989) | a period of one thousand hours |
| kiloyear n. (1945) | a period of one thousand years |
| kipple n. (1960) | useless or unwanted (household) objects; junk; rubbish |
| Klingon n. (1967) | in the fictional universe of the Star Trek franchise: a member of a humanoid alien race, characterized by authoritarian brutality and a strict code of honor; (also) the language of this race, now widely studied as an artificial language |
| Kobayashi Maru n. (1982) | in the Star Trek universe: a training exercise in which a cadet commanding a ship must rescue a civilian vessel in enemy territory, with any strategy leading to an unsuccessful outcome; (hence) any no-win situation, esp. one used as a test of character |
| Kornbluthian adj. (1941) | of, relating to, or characteristic of the writing of Cyril M. Kornbluth |
| kryptonite n. (1943) | in the fictional world of the comic book hero Superman: a substance that renders Superman weak when he is exposed to it; (hence, in figurative or allusive use) something that can weaken or damage a particular person or thing; an Achilles heel |
| K/S n. (1978) | a subgenre of science fiction, originally published in fanzines and now esp. online, in which the Star Trek characters Kirk and Spock are portrayed as having a homosexual relationship; (later) any similar fiction in which a pair of (established) male characters is so portrayed |
| landspeeder n. (1977) | in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise: a small vehicle that uses antigravity technology to hover close to the ground |
| laser cannon n. (1962) | a large weapon, similar in size to a cannon, that fires a laser |
| laser gun n. (1963) | a weapon that fires a laser |
| laser pistol n. (1963) | a hand weapon of similar size to a pistol that fires a laser |
| laser rifle n. (1963) | a long shoulder weapon that fires a laser |