Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| parallel world n. (1931) | a world that exists alongside or in addition to the known world; = parallel universe n. |
| parking orbit n. (1941) | an orbit around the earth or some other planet from which a space vehicle can be launched farther into space; also, an orbit which is stable and from which visits to the planet surface can conveniently be made |
| Peter Parker principle n. (No cites) | see Spider-Man principle n. |
| pew n. (1971) | (used to represent the sound of a weapon, esp. a beam weapon) |
| phaser n. (1966) | in the fictional universe of the Star Trek franchise: a (usu. hand-held) weapon incorporating an energy beam whose phase can be altered to create different effects (such as stunning, disintegration, etc.) on the target |
| photon torpedo n. (1968) | in the fictional universe of the Star Trek franchise: a ship-based weapon in which a destructive force is generated by a collision of matter and antimatter |
| plane n. (1927) | = dimension n. |
| planet v. (1945) | to land on or arrive at a planet; hence planeted adj. |
| planetary engineer n. (1932) | one who engages in planetary engineering n. |
| planetary engineering n. (1936) | large-scale modification of the environment or geography of a planet; = terraforming n. |
| planetary romance n. (1978) | a subgenre of science fiction that focuses on adventures taken on a planetβs surface, especially in which the description of the planet is integral to the story; a work in this subgenre |
| planet-bound adj. (1944) | unable or unwilling to leave a planet |
| planet-buster n. (1950) | a bomb or other weapon capable of destroying a planet |
| planet dweller n. (1931) | a person who lives on a planet, rather than in space |
| Planet Earth n. (1858) | (without the), the earth, as distinct from the rest of the universe, esp. when considered as the planet on which humans live, or on which living organisms form an ecological system; the whole world |
| planeteer n. (1918) | someone who travels to or explores other planets |
| planetfall n. (1940) | the landing of a spaceship or space traveller upon a planet |
| planet hop n. (1948) | a (short) trip made from one planet to another |
| planet-hop v. (1953) | to travel from one planet to another, esp. in short trips; cf. slightly earlier planet-hopper n. 1 |
| planet-hopper n. 1 (1936) | a person who planet-hops |
| planet-hopper n. 2 (1959) | a small spacecraft used esp. for short journeys between nearby planets, in contrast to one used for interstellar travel |
| planet-hopping n. (1945) | the action of making (short) trips from one planet to another |
| planet-hopping adj. (1946) | that planet-hops; of or relating to planet-hopping n. |
| planetless adj. (1929) | of a star: having no orbiting planets; (occasionally, of people) having no home planet; homeless in space |
| planetman n. (1937) | a person from oneβs home planet n. |
| planetographer n. (1937) | one who studies or maps planets |
| planetography n. (1941) | the study of the geography or physical features of planets |
| planetquake n. (1887) | seismic activity on the surface of a planet, especially one other than Earth |
| planetscape n. (1940) | the surface geography of a planet |
| planetside n. (1959) | the surface of a planet; a base or other installation on a planet |
| planetside adj. (1955) | located or occurring on the surface of a planet |
| planetside adv. (1952) | on or onto the surface of a planet |
| planet-wide adj. (1932) | extending over or affecting an entire planet |
| planet-wide adv. (1933) | on, over, or throughout an entire planet |
| Planet X n. (1976) | (an arbitrary designation for) an unknown or hypothetical alien planet |
| plasteel n. (1942) | an artificial material that combines some of the qualities of plastic (such as lightness or transparency) with some of the qualities of steel (such as hardness or strength) |