Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological ( asc | desc )
| First date | Word | Definition |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | time opera n. (1948) | a subgenre of science fiction featuring adventure-driven, extravagantly dramatic plots based on time travel; a work in this genre |
| 1948 | warp drive n. (1948) | a device by which a spaceship is enabled to travel through space by means of a space warp; a faster-than-light drive |
| 1949 | Campbellian adj. (1949) | of, relating to, or characteristic of the writing that appeared in the magazines edited by John W. Campbell, esp. in featuring heroic characters in technologically advanced scenarios |
| 1949 | conreport n. (1949) | a report of the events of a convention |
| 1949 | disaster adj. (1949) | designating a genre that deals with a global catastrophe (natural, man-made, or extraterrestrial in origin) and its aftermath; cf. slightly earlier catastrophe adj. |
| 1949 | Earthside adj. (1949) | of, relating to, or from Earth |
| 1949 | esp v. (1949) | to use extrasensory powers (on); as: to communicate with (a person) telepathically; to send (a message) telepathically; to analyze (a person, place, etc.) using extrasensory powers |
| 1949 | eyetracks n. (1949) | imaginary marks left on something (esp. a book or periodical) by the act of looking at it |
| 1949 | fuggheaded adj. (1949) | stupid; obnoxious; incompetent |
| 1949 | fuggheadedness n. (1949) | the quality of being stupid, obnoxious, or incompetent |
| 1949 | galaxy-wide adv. (1949) | across or extending throughout a galaxy |
| 1949 | gee n. 1 (1949) | a measure of gravitation or acceleration |
| 1949 | 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 |
| 1949 | nova v. (1949) | to cause to become a nova; to destroy (a star, planet, etc.); (intransitive): (of a star) to become a nova; (more generally, of a star, planet, etc.) to explode |
| 1949 | Orwellian adj. (1949) | characteristic or suggestive of the writings of George Orwell, esp. of the totalitarian state depicted in his dystopian account of the future, Nineteen Eighty-four (1949) |
| 1949 | out-system adj. (1949) | of or relating to another solar system; outside of a solar system; cf. in-system adj. |
| 1949 | overmind n. (1949) | a single, non-material consciousness composed of the consciousnesses of a large number of beings |
| 1949 | plastiskin n. (1949) | synthetic skin |
| 1949 | prespace adj. (1949) | = pre-spaceflight adj. |
| 1949 | science-fictioner n. (1949) | a science fiction film or TV show |
| 1949 | Sirian n. 2 (1949) | the language of Sirians |
| 1949 | skimmer n. (1949) | any of various small vehicles that fly relatively close to the ground, esp. by means of an anti-gravity propulsion system |
| 1949 | space probe n. (1949) | an unmanned spacecraft used esp. for research or reconnaissance |
| 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 |