neuronic adj.

designating a weapon that causes pain (but usu. not lasting injury) by stimulating the nervous system or brain

The scientific sense ‘of or relating to a neuron or neurons’ dates to 1899 (OED), but has largely been supplanted by neuronal.

Weaponry

  • 1942 I. Asimov The Hazing in Thrilling Wonder Stories Oct. 90/2 page image Isaac Asimov bibliography

    It held a ‘neuronic whip,’ that pleasant little weapon that paralyzes the vocal cords and twists nerves into so many knots of agony.

  • 1942 I. Asimov The Hazing in Thrilling Wonder Stories Oct. 93/1 page image Isaac Asimov bibliography

    With one hand, he emptied the bag he carried, and with the other kept his neuronic whip carefully leveled.

  • 1953 M. Lesser The Irrationals in Science Fiction Quarterly Nov. 17/2 page image Milton Lesser bibliography

    The neuronic pistol could not kill, but shock and exposure could.

  • 1964 D. Broderick The Sea’s Furthest End in J. Carnell New Writings in SF 1 172 page image Damien Broderick bibliography

    The neuronic blast of the feedback as the field neutralized the positron stream held him crippled.

  • 1970 L. Carter Star Rogue 75 page image Lin Carter bibliography

    Repeat, do not fight back if I am attacked with a neuronic scrambler, unless I am subjected to same for a period of time sufficient to kill. [Ibid. 77] I didn’t feel like being stungunned again, so en route I had tinkered with my mindlock and made it opaque to the frequency of a neuronic weapon.

  • 1985 W. Tracy Defenders of the Future in The Dragon Aug. 82/3 page image

    Nikki usually carries two weapons: a neuronic-frequency stunner, and a pulsed, high-powered, green laser pistol…. Anyone hit by the stunner must make an Endurance FEAT roll in the yellow area of the column. If they fail the roll, they will be paralyzed and stunned for 100 rounds minus their Endurance rank number.

  • 1991 N. Spinrad Russian Spring 542 page image Norman Spinrad bibliography

    There had been demonstrations of support in Uzbekistan, Byelorussia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and for the first time in Franja’s memory, riot police had been sent in with water cannon and neuronic disrupters to break them up.

  • 1998 T. Zahn Jade Solitaire in Star Wars Adventure Journal May 15 page image Timothy Zahn bibliography

    Each of them held a neuronic whip, with a holstered blaster and long knife standing ready in reserve.

  • 2009 Sabra in The Marvel Comics Encyclopedia 279 page image

    Special Powers/Abilities: Wrist bracelets equipped with neuronic-frequency stunners that shoot ‘energy quills’.

Research requirements

antedating 1942
Earliest cite

In Isaac Asimov's "The Hazing", in Thrilling Wonder Stories.
Research History
Suggested by Eric Albert, who also supplied a cite from a 1985 reprint of Asimov's 1950 "Pebble in the Sky".
Bee Ostrowsky submitted a 1972 cite from Alan Dean Foster's "The Tar-Aiym Krang".
Noa Sheidlower submitted a number of cites.

Last modified 2024-12-16 18:01:37
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.