Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| tri-D n. (1950) | a device or system capable of transmitting or displaying a three dimensional image or video; (also) a three-dimensional image or video; cf. slightly earlier three-D n. |
| tridee n. (No cites) | see tri-D n. |
| trideo n. (1953) | a device or system capable of transmitting or displaying a (moving) three dimensional image; a (moving) image displayed by such a device |
| tri-di n. (No cites) | see tri-D n. |
| tri-dim n. (1942) | a device or system capable of transmitting or displaying a three dimensional image; (also) a three-dimensional image or video; = tri-D n. |
| triffid n. (1951) | in John Wyndhamโs novel The Day of the Triffids: one of a race of malevolent alien plants which threaten to overrun the world |
| triffidian adj. (No cites) | like, or in the manner of a triffid |
| triffid-like adj. (No cites) | like, or in the manner of a triffid |
| tri-v n. (1954) | a device or system capable of recording, transmitting, or displaying a (moving) three dimensional image; such a system as a form of entertainment |
| trivee n. (No cites) | see tri-v n. |
| tri-vid n. (1955) | a device or system capable of transmitting or displaying a three-dimensional image |
| trufan n. (1954) | a science fiction fan who adheres to the ideals and practices of fandom |
| trufandom n. (1954) | the state of being a trufan; excellence in fannish behavior |
| uchronia n. (1938) | = alternate history n. |
| uchronian adj. (1974) | of or relating to uchronias |
| uchronic adj. (1938) | of or relating to uchronias |
| UFO n. (1953) | an unidentified flying object; a โflying saucerโ |
| ultradrive n. (1949) | a type of faster-than-light star drive |
| ultraphone n. (1928) | a communications device that transmits messages faster than the speed of light |
| ultrawave n. (1934) | a communication system that transmits messages faster than the speed of light; (also) a wave phenomenon used by such devices |
| unfannish adj. (1943) | (of a person) failing to be fannish; not having the attributes of a dedicated or obsessive fan; (also, of writing, organizations, etc.) not interesting to or characteristic of dedicated fans |
| unhuman n. (1944) | an intelligent nonhuman entity; alien n.; cf. non-human n. |
| universal translator n. (1949) | a device, computer system, etc. that (instantaneously) translates among languages |
| universe n. (1947) | the setting of a work or series of fiction, esp. of imaginative fiction |
| unobtainium n. (1956) | a hypothetical substance that would be highly desirable but is unrealized or unobtainable; a notional substance with exceptional or ideal properties |
| 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 |
| unsuit v. (1957) | to remove a spacesuit |
| unsuited adv. (1957) | without wearing a spacesuit |
| uplift n. (1980) | the making of a sentient species from a non-sentient one, esp. by genetic engineering |
| uplift v. (1980) | to transform a non-sentient species into a sentient species, esp. by genetic engineering |
| uplifter n. (2006) | a genetic engineer who carries out uplift n. |
| uplifting n. (1980) | = uplift n. |
| uptime adj. (1972) | esp. in time-travel contexts: in or from the future; cf. downtime adj. |
| uptime adv. (1972) | esp. in time-travel contexts: in, into, or toward the future; cf. downtime adv. |
| Uranian n. (1834) | a native or inhabitant of Uranus; (also) the language of Uranians |
| Uranian adj. (1839) | of or relating to the planet Uranus or its inhabitants |
| urban fantasy n. (1978) | a genre of fantasy that uses a (modern) city as its primary setting; a work in this genre |