Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| nanomachine n. (1986) | a nanotechnological machine |
| nanorobot n. (1988) | = nanobot n. |
| nanotech n. (1990) | = nanotechnology n. |
| nanotech adj. (1987) | = nanotechnological adj. |
| nanotechnological adj. (1986) | resulting from developments in nanotechnology; of or relating to nanotechnology |
| nanotechnologist n. (No cites) | an expert or specialist in nanotechnology |
| nanotechnology n. (1974) | the branch of technology that deals with dimensions and tolerances of 0.1 to 100 nanometres, or, generally, with the manipulation of individual atoms and molecules |
| near-future adj. (1954) | denoting a subgenre of science fiction set in a future recognizably similar to a contemporary setting, having only moderate differences in technology |
| nearside n. (1974) | the part of a moon that faces the planet it orbits; cf. farside n. |
| Nebula n. (1966) | any of several awards given annually by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America for excellence in science fiction and fantasy writing |
| needle v. (1943) | to fire a needle gun or needle-beam at |
| needle-beam n. (1930) | a weapon producing a very narrow beam of energy; the beam produced by such a weapon |
| needle gun n. (1932) | a gun that produces a very narrow beam of energy; (also) a gun that fires small slivers of metal |
| needle pistol n. (1933) | a handheld needle gun n. |
| needler n. (1937) | = needle gun n.; (also) a person who who operates such a weapon |
| needle-ray n. (1931) | = needle-beam n. |
| neo n. (1954) | = neofan n. |
| neofan n. (1944) | a newly recruited or newly active fan |
| neopro n. (1967) | a new professional writer |
| Neptunian n. 1 (1870) | a native or inhabitant of the planet Neptune |
| Neptunian n. 2 (1930) | the language of Neptunians |
| Neptunian adj. (1849) | of or relating to the the planet Neptune or its inhabitants |
| neural adj. (1951) | connected directly to the nervous system; relating to or designating an interface between an electronic device and the nervous system |
| neurolink n. (1990) | a technologically based communication connection between a (human) brain and a computer system; a device providing such a connection; cf. jack in v. |
| neuronic adj. (1942) | designating a weapon that causes pain (but usu. not lasting injury) by stimulating the nervous system or brain |
| neutronium n. (1927) | an extremely dense material composed entirely of free neutrons |
| newspeak n. (1949) | the artificial language used for official propaganda in the dystopia of Orwellβs novel Nineteen Eighty-Four; (hence) any form of English regarded as dishonest, corrupt, etc.; esp. ambiguous or euphemistic language as used in official pronouncements or political propaganda |
| New Wave n. (1968) | a loose movement in science fiction writing from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s, characterized by an experimental approach to narrative structures and language and an emphasis on nuanced social, moral, or psychological conflict rather than on technological concerns |
| New Weird n. (2002) | a genre that incorporates elements of fantasy, science fiction, and horror, typically in a complex urban setting |
| nightside n. (1914) | that part of an astronomical body facing away from the nearest star; cf. darkside n. 1, farside n. |
| nightside adj. (1935) | of or relating to the nightside n. |