Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction
Order by: alphabetical | chronological
| Word | Definition |
|---|---|
| Vulcan n. (1966) | in the fictional universe of the Star Trek franchise: a member of a humanoid alien race, characterized by strictly logical and rational thinking and the suppression of normal human emotions; (hence) a person regarded as having similar characteristics |
| Vulcanite n. (1932) | a native or inhabitant of Vulcan (a hypothetical planet orbiting nearer to the sun than Mercury) |
| Vulcan mind meld n. (1968) | = mind-meld n. |
| Vulcan nerve pinch n. (1968) | a one-handed pinch delivered (chiefly by Vulcans) to the base of a personโs neck that immediately renders the victim unconscious |
| waldo n. (1942) | a remotely operated body, arm, etc., used variously to extend the userโs natural abilities, perform work in an inhospitable environment or at a distance, etc. |
| wallscreen n. (1931) | a large wall-mounted video display |
| warp n. (1936) | = space warp n.; travel by means of a space warp, travel at warp speed; (also) = time warp n. |
| warp v. (1932) | (intransitive) to travel through space by means of a space warp n.; (transitive) to cause to move through space, to another dimension, etc., by means of a warp |
| 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 |
| warp speed n. (1952) | a faster-than-light speed, attained by a spaceship with a propulsion mechanism capable of manipulating space-time; (also, in extended use) an extraordinarily high speed |
| warship n. (1898) | a military spaceship designed for combat |
| weird n. (1923) | something that is weird adj.; weird fiction collectively |
| weird adj. (1923) | describing supernatural horror (often in weird fiction, weird story, etc.) |
| weirdist n. (1936) | an author or fan of weird fiction |
| weird science n. (1927) | a genre that combines elements of weird with science fiction |
| Wellsian n. (1914) | a devotee or follower of H. G. Wells |
| Wellsian adj. (1895) | of, pertaining to, or resembling the ideas and writings of H. G. Wells, esp. in his science fiction, social comment, etc. |
| wetware n. (1963) | biological structures or systems regarded as analogous to computer equipment; (specif.) the human brain; the mind, esp. when able to be affected or altered by computer processes |
| Whoniverse n. (1981) | the fictional universe used as the setting for the British television series Doctor Who; (also) any media, fandom, etc. connected to Doctor Who |
| Whovian n. (1982) | a fan of the British television series Doctor Who |
| widescreen baroque n. (1964) | Brian Aldissโs term for: a subgenre of science fiction characterized by larger-than-life characters, violence, intrigue, extravagant settings or actions, and fast-paced plotting; a form of space opera n. |
| WKF n. (1953) | someone who is moderately prominent within a particular fandom; cf. BNF n. |
| Wookiee n. (1974) | in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise: (a member of) a race of tall, hairy, humanoid aliens |
| worldbuilder n. (1892) | a writer who engages in world-building n. |
| world-building n. (1920) | the creation of fictional realms and their geology, geography, biology, etc., often including the history and culture of their inhabitants |
| Worldcon n. (1942) | the annual World Science Fiction Convention |
| worldlet n. (1841) | a small celestial object; a planetoid |
| worm n. (1975) | a program designed to sabotage a computer or computer network; spec. a self-duplicating program which can operate without becoming incorporated into another program |