Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | stun-gun v. (1949) | to shoot with a stun gun n. |
| 1949 | tanstaafl n. (1949) | (used as a proverb to assert that everything has a cost, hidden or otherwise) |
| 1949 | telekineticist n. (1949) | one who practises or has the power of telekinesis |
| 1949 | teleport n. 2 (1949) | a person who is able to teleport, esp. by psychic rather than technological means; teleporter n. 1 |
| 1949 | teleporter n. 1 (1949) | a person who is able to teleport; = teleport n. 2 |
| 1949 | thruster n. (1949) | an engine that creates thrust, esp. a small rocket engine used to adjust the attitude or course of a spacecraft in flight |
| 1949 | tie-in n. (1949) | a book, film, or the like published to take advantage of the appearance of the same work in another medium |
| 1949 | ultradrive n. (1949) | a type of faster-than-light star drive |
| 1949 | universal translator n. (1949) | a device, computer system, etc. that (instantaneously) translates among languages |
| 1949 | unperson n. (1949) | a person who, usually for political reasons, is deemed not to have existed and whose name is removed from all public records; hence, more generally: a person whose contributions or achievements are officially denied or disregarded; a person regarded as less than human |
| 1949 | videophonic adj. (1949) | of or related to videophones or their use |
| 1949 | xenologist n. (1949) | a person who studies aliens; a specialist in xenology n. |
| 1949 | xenology n. (1949) | the scientific study of aliens, esp. xenobiology n. |
| 1948 | atmosphere suit n. (1948) | = space suit n. |
| 1948 | avian n. (1948) | a bird-like alien |
| 1948 | BNF n. (1948) | someone who is extremely prominent within a particular fandom |
| 1948 | Bradburyesque adj. (1948) | = Bradburyish adj. |
| 1948 | Bradburyish adj. (1948) | of, relating to, or characteristic of the writing of Ray Bradbury, esp. in focusing on psychological concerns (often based on the presumed simplicity of personal interactions) rather than technological developments |
| 1948 | catastrophe adj. (1948) | = disaster adj. |
| 1948 | golden age n. (1948) | a period in the past regarded as the time when science fiction was at its best |
| 1948 | omniverse n. (1948) | all universes collectively; cf. multiverse n. 1 |
| 1948 | paradise planet n. (1948) | a planet regarded as peaceful or beautiful, esp. one having unspoilt natural beauty; cf. pleasure planet n. |
| 1948 | planet hop n. (1948) | a (short) trip made from one planet to another |
| 1948 | precog v. (1948) | to predict the future; to predict (something) in the future |
| 1948 | science fantasy n. 3 (1948) | a genre which combines elements of science fiction and fantasy; a work in this genre |
| 1948 | space ark n. (1948) | a large ship designed to move or rescue large numbers of people, often with large ecosystems and many animals and plants on board |
| 1948 | space-pale adj. (1948) | pale from being in space; cf. space-tanned adj. |
| 1948 | star drive n. (1948) | a propulsion device for a spaceship capable of interstellar travel, esp. one that permits the ship to travel faster than light; cf. earlier space drive n. |
| 1948 | subetherics n. (1948) | a device which uses sub-ether (esp. with allusion to a means of faster-than-light communication) |
| 1948 | suit up v. (1948) | to put on a spacesuit |
| 1948 | teleporting adj. (1948) | capable of teleportation n.; causing teleportation n. |