Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1938 | suited adj. (1938) | wearing a spacesuit |
| 1938 | telescanner n. (1938) | a scanner, esp. one used for remote visual examination |
| 1938 | time-warped adj. (1938) | transported from the past or future by a time warp n. |
| 1938 | tin can n. (1938) | a spaceship or space station |
| 1938 | uchronia n. (1938) | = alternate history n. |
| 1938 | uchronic adj. (1938) | of or relating to uchronias |
| 1938 | vac-suit n. (1938) | = vacuum suit n. |
| 1938 | zero-gravity n. (1938) | the state or condition in which there is no apparent force of gravity acting on a body, either because the force is locally weak, or because both the body and its surroundings are freely and equally accelerating under the force |
| 1939 | Aldebaranian n. 2 (1939) | the language of Aldebaranians |
| 1939 | astrogational adj. (1939) | of or relating to astrogation n. |
| 1939 | bug-eyed monster n. (1939) | a monstrous alien with bulging eyes, esp. as a clichéd subject for cover illustrations in early science fiction magazines; cf. BEM n. |
| 1939 | carbon-based adj. (1939) | based on the chemistry of carbon compounds (usually describing life as we know it on Earth, in contrast with with theoretical forms of life based on other chemical elements, as silicon) |
| 1939 | -con suffix (1939) | (used to form the names of conventions, with the first element indicating the location or (typically in informal designations) the main subject or focus of the event); cf. con n. |
| 1939 | con n. (1939) | a convention; an organized gathering of fans; cf. -con suffix |
| 1939 | darkside n. 1 (1939) | the side of an object in space (as a spaceship, or a moon or planet) that faces away from the closest star; cf. farside n., nightside n. |
| 1939 | Earth-type adj. 1 (1939) | of Earth style or manufacture |
| 1939 | ET n. (1939) | = alien n. |
| 1939 | extraterrestrial n. (1939) | an (intelligent) being that is not from Earth |
| 1939 | grandfather paradox n. (1939) | a paradox concerning the implications of time travel, expressed by the idea that a time traveller could potentially go back into the past and (deliberately or inadvertently) kill his or her grandfather, thus preventing the time traveller’s existence and the possibility of having travelled back into the past in the first place; cf. time paradox n. |
| 1939 | grav n. 1 (1939) | an anti-gravitational propulsion device; (typically as) gravs: a propulsion system using antigravity |
| 1939 | grav n. 2 (1939) | an earth-standard acceleration; gee n. 2 |
| 1939 | groundlubber n. (1939) | = groundhog n. |
| 1939 | Hamiltonian adj. (1939) | of, relating to, or characteristic of the writing of Edmond Hamilton |
| 1939 | home star n. (1939) | the star which the homeworld orbits; cf. earlier home sun n. |
| 1939 | pleasure planet n. (1939) | a planet that is pleasurable to visit, esp. one that functions chiefly as a resort; cf. paradise planet n. |
| 1939 | pseudogravity n. (1939) | = artificial gravity n. |
| 1939 | pulp science fiction n. (1939) | science fiction published in the pulp magazines of the early–mid twentieth century; any science fiction regarded as being characteristic of these magazines, esp. in being action-driven or based on clichéd ideas, plots, or characterizations |
| 1939 | Rhean n. (1939) | a native or inhabitant of the Saturnian moon Rhea; (also) the language of Rheans |
| 1939 | shapeshifter n. (1939) | one that shapeshifts |
| 1939 | skyhook n. 2 (1939) | a hook on an aircraft or spaceship capable of lifting burdens |
| 1939 | sol n. 2 (1939) | = solar n. |
| 1939 | space crew n. (1939) | the crew of a spacecraft |
| 1939 | space field n. 2 (1939) | a place esp. on the surface of a planet where spacecraft can take off and land; = spaceport n. |
| 1939 | space law n. (1939) | a body of laws governing issues relating to outer space |
| 1939 | space patrolman n. (1939) | a man who works for a space patrol n. |
| 1939 | spacer n. 2 (1939) | = spaceship n. |