Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| space-borne adj. (1924) | travelling or carried through space; also, carried out in space or by means of instruments in space |
| space-bound adj. 1 (1928) | restricted to space |
| space-bound adj. 2 (1942) | headed to space |
| space bronzed adj. (1940) | = space-tanned adj. |
| space bum n. (1938) | a spacer who wanders aimlessly; a vagrant in space; (also) a spacer who is regarded as contemptible |
| space burn n. (1937) | inflammation of the skin caused by exposure to the light of stars unfiltered by planetary atmospheres; cf. space tan n., space-burned adj. |
| space-burned adj. (1942) | having a space burn n.; cf. space-tanned adj. |
| space bus n. (1929) | a spacecraft designed to ferry people (and sometimes freight) short distances |
| space cadet n. (1941) | a trainee spaceman or spacewoman; a young astronaut |
| space capsule n. (1943) | a small spacecraft, or self-contained section of a larger one, containing the instruments or crew for a space flight |
| space car n. (1928) | = spacecraft n. |
| space colony n. (1932) | a group of beings living in a space station or on a world other than their motherworld; the structure or location of such a group |
| space conquest n. (1937) | the conquest of territory in outer space or on other planets |
| spacecraft n. (1929) | any vehicle designed to travel in space |
| space crew n. (1939) | the crew of a spacecraft |
| space cruiser n. (1925) | a spaceship; = cruiser n. |
| space dinghy n. (1941) | a small spaceship; a lifeboat or shuttle |
| space dock n. (1938) | a spaceport or space station, esp. one where a spaceship can undergo repair or take on supplies |
| space dog n. (1937) | = spacehound n. |
| space drive n. (1932) | a propulsion system for a spaceship; cf. star drive n. |
| space elevator n. (1975) | any of various proposed structures extending from the earth upwards for many miles as a means of transporting materials into space, esp. one consisting of a tether linked to a geosynchronous satellite orbiting the earth; cf. orbital tower n. |
| space epic n. (1943) | a subgenre of science fiction featuring adventure-driven plots set in outer space; a work in this genre; cf. space opera n. |
| space exploration n. (1878) | the exploration of space |
| space explorer n. (1901) | one who explores space |
| spacefarer n. (1936) | a person who travels in space, an astronaut; (also) a space traveller from another planet |
| spacefaring n. (1942) | the action of travelling in space |
| spacefaring adj. (1942) | that travels, or is able to travel, in space; that is used during or pertains to space travel |
| space fiction n. (1929) | science fiction set in space or on other worlds, or involving space travel n. |
| space-fictional n. (1963) | resembling or characteristic of space fiction n. |
| space field n. 1 (1931) | a field of energy |
| space field n. 2 (1939) | a place esp. on the surface of a planet where spacecraft can take off and land; = spaceport n. |
| space fleet n. (1930) | an organized group of spaceships, esp. one under military control |
| space flight n. (1930) | a journey in or into outer space; (as a mass noun) space-travel generally |
| space flyer n. 1 (1911) | a spacecraft |
| space flyer n. 2 (1928) | a space traveller; an astronaut |
| space force n. (1932) | a branch of the military that acts in outer space |
| space freighter n. (1930) | a spaceship primarily used for transporting cargo |
| spacegirl n. (1933) | a female space traveller, esp. one who is young; (also) a (young) female or feminine person or being from another planet; cf. spacewoman n. |