nonhumanoid n.

an alien with a non-human bodily form

Aliens

  • 1951 K. F. Crossen Merakian Miracle in Thrilling Wonder Stories Oct. 111/2 page image Kendell Foster Crossen bibliography

    The Merakians….are non-humanoids. I am told that their bodies are globular in shape and that they have no necks and heads in the humanoid sense. Their mouths, noses, eyes and ears appear as needed and when these organs are not in use, all that can be seen is the smooth surface of a globe. They usually have two arms and two legs, but these are retractable and extensional, so that a Merakian may be three feet tall when you first meet him and eight feet tall the next time you see him.

  • 1954 J. Blish Beep in Galaxy Science Fiction Feb. 42/2 James Blish bibliography

    And we’ll be using non-humanoids there!

  • 1956 P. Anderson The Live Coward in Astounding Science Fiction June 119/2 page image Poul Anderson bibliography

    In spite of his claims to ambassadorial rank, Alak found himself ranking low—his only retinue was one ugly nonhumanoid.

  • 1962 ‘G. Briarton’ Through Time & Space with Ferdinand Feghoot: LV in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Oct. 70 page image Reginald Bretnor bibliography

    The natives of Qsgg III, besides being exceedingly vain of their sciences and arts, were the busiest non-humanoids in the galaxy.

  • 1985 A. Cole & C. Bunch Court of Thousand Suns (1990) 19 Allan Cole Chris Bunch bibliography

    Prime World humans felt that the nonhumans, the N'Ranya, were underdogs, and preferred to invest their credits accordingly; non-humanoids felt somewhat differently, preferring to back the favorites.

  • 1998 ‘L. A. Graf’ War Dragons i. 4 Julia Ecklar Karen Rose Cercone bibliography

    Are they friendly toward nonhumanoids?

  • 2010 R. T. Jeschonek One Awake in All the World in Destination: Future 105 page image Robert T. Jeschonek bibliography

    There’re a lot of non-humanoids between here and there.

Research requirements

antedating 1951
Earliest cite

Kendell Foster Crossen
Research History
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a 1990 reprint of Allan Cole and Chris Bunch's "The Court of a Thousand Suns".
Mike Christie submitted a 1956 cite from Poul Anderson's "Live Coward".
Fred Galvin submitted a cite for "non-humanoid" from a 1976 reprint of James Blish's "Beep", which Mike Christie verified in its 1954 first publication.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1962 cite from "Through Time and Space With Ferdinand Feghoot: LV" by Grendel Briarton [pseudonym of Reginald Bretnor].
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 2010 cite from Robert Jeschonek.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1951 cite from Kendell Foster Crossen.

Last modified 2022-03-06 12:51:04
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.