New Entries (since site relaunch)



Date added Word Definition
2021-01-23 Borg n. (1989) in the fictional universe of the Star Trek franchise: a group of cybernetically enhanced aliens linked in a hive mind n.
2021-01-21 soma n. (1932) in Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World: a narcotic drug which produces euphoria and hallucination, distributed by the state in order to control the population by promoting content and social harmony
2021-01-14 Clarke’s Law n. (1962) any of three maxims formulated by Arthur C. Clarke (sometimes specified as Clarke’s First Law, Clarke’s Second Law, Clarke’s Third Law): (a) ‘When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong’ (b) ‘The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.’ (c) ‘Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic’
2021-01-14 space car n. (1928) = spacecraft n.
2021-01-13 spaceboot n. (1932) footwear intended for use in outer space or on other worlds
2021-01-06 skiffy n. (1978) = sci-fi n.
2020-12-30 meat puppet n. (1984) the human body; a physical human being, esp. in contrast to virtual reality or artificial intelligence
2020-12-29 Mary Sue n. (1976) a writer who inserts an idealized version of themselves in their own fan fiction n.; such a story or character
2020-12-27 mind shield n. (1938) = thought shield n.
2020-12-27 subjunctivity n. (1969) the relationship between reality and something portrayed in a text
2020-12-26 pantropy n. (1952) James Blish’s term for: the modification of humans, esp. by genetic engineering, to make them able to survive in an alien environment
2020-12-25 sercon adj. (1955) of fans or fan activities: (obsessively) concerned with matters of criticism or scholarship, rather than fandom itself; cf. faan n.
2020-12-25 sercon n. (1958) a sercon fan; a sercon item, sercon activities
2020-12-25 faanish adj. (1959) of or relating to fandom, esp. on a superficial level; typical of a faan n.
2020-12-25 faan n. (1953) a science fiction fan, esp. one regarded as non-serious, or devoted more to fandom than to science fiction itself; cf. sercon adj.
2020-12-24 earthfall n. (1952) the arrival of a spaceship on the surface of Earth; cf. planetfall n.
2020-12-22 cosy catastrophe n. (No cites) see catastrophe adj.
2020-12-22 regeneration tank n. (1950) a tank, typically filled with a nutrient bath, in which a person can recover from severe injury, such as the loss of a limb
2020-12-22 organlegger n. (1967) a person who illegally removes organs from people or corpses and sells them to use for transplantation
2020-12-22 auton n. (1970) an autonomous robot or robotic device; (specif. in form Auton) in the British television series Doctor Who: one of a group of malevolent humanoid robots having plastic-like skin
2020-12-21 pressor ray n. (1942) = pressor beam n.
2020-12-21 science fantasy n. 2 (1932) = imaginative fiction
2020-12-20 robotic n. (1950) a robot; a robotic device
2020-12-20 robotically adv. 2 (1953) by means of a robot or robotics
2020-12-18 SF/F n. (1981) science fiction and fantasy, regarded as a single broad genre
2020-12-17 slugthrower n. (1954) a weapon that fires a physical projectile, in contrast to an energy weapon n.
2020-12-16 Earth-norm adj. (1942) = Earth-normal adj.
2020-12-16 Earth-normal n. (1932) a state, amount, or value of something (as gravity or atmospheric pressure) that is typical of what is found on Earth
2020-12-14 space-travelling adj. (1930) capable of space travel; that travels in space
2020-12-14 transdimensional adj. (1931) designating movement between dimensions; involving more than one dimension
2020-12-13 gravity drive n. (1932) a spaceship drive that uses any technology associated with gravity
2020-12-12 holocamera n. (1975) = holocam n.
2020-12-12 holoscreen n. (1969) a screen that displays a hologram
2020-12-12 supernormal n. (1936) a being with extraordinary (usu. psychic) powers as compared to other members of their kind
2020-12-11 speculative fiction n. 3 (1968) fiction which includes science fictional elements but which is regarded as not part of the genre of science fiction, as because it is soft science fiction, or to avoid a stigma felt to be associated with the term ‘science fiction’
2020-12-11 speculative fiction n. 2 (1952) = imaginative fiction
2020-12-11 space gun n. 2 (1932) a weapon used in by people in space; a toy handgun of a style imagined to be used by space travellers
2020-12-10 space-bound adj. 2 (1942) headed to space
2020-12-09 matrix n. (1976) with the: = cyberspace n.
2020-12-09 loc v. (1962) to write a loc (to)
2020-12-09 braintape n. (1946) a recording of the (entire) contents of a person’s mind
2020-12-07 hypospray n. (1947) an injection device that forces a fine, high-pressure jet of fluid through the skin without breaking it
2020-12-07 tribble n. (1967) in the fictional universe of the Star Trek franchise: a species of small, furry, featureless alien
2020-12-07 smeghead n. (1988) in the British TV series Red Dwarf: a foolish or contemptible person
2020-12-07 smeg n. (1988) in the British TV series Red Dwarf: (used as a mild expletive)
2020-12-07 smeg v. (1988) in the British TV series Red Dwarf: (used as a mild expletive)
2020-12-07 3V n. (No cites) see tri-v n.
2020-12-07 planetside n. (1959) the surface of a planet; a base or other installation on a planet
2020-12-06 newspeak n. (1949) the artificial language used for official propaganda in the dystopia of Orwell’s 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
2020-12-05 Wookiee n. (1974) in the fictional universe of the Star Wars franchise: (a member of) a race of tall, hairy, humanoid aliens