spinward adv.

in the direction that something (as a space station or a galaxy) is rotating

Also as adj., n.

  • 1966 D. F. Galouye Lost Perception (1968) xv. 140 page image Daniel F. Galouye bibliography

    Vega Jumpoff Station was a huge doughnut that rotated serently about its nodular hub in the quiet of space…. ‘Spinward’ and ‘contraspinward’ were curvilinear directions along the ring. ‘Up’ mean towards the hub. [Ibid. 141] There was a slight increase in weight as spinward jets came to life and sent Vega Jumpoff wheeling insignificantly faster about its hub.

  • 1970 L. Niven Ringworld (1976) x. 138 page image Larry Niven bibliography

    They established directions. Spinward was back along the meteoric furrow dug by the Liar’s landing. Antispinward was the opposite direction. [Ibid. xxiii. 315] Across the spinward section of the city lay a cloud of black smoke. [Ibid. xxiv. 330] By now they were almost directly to spinward of the great mountain.

  • 1978 P. Anderson The Avatar 171 page image Poul Anderson bibliography

    They retreated spinward from us. The auditorium is antispinward from here. We’ll have a slight jump on them.

  • 1990 J. Pournelle & S. M. Stirling Asteroid Queen in L. Niven et al. Man-Kzin Wars III (1992) iv. 80 S. M. Stirling Jerry Pournelle bibliography

    He passed through the mechanical airlock and into one of the main transverse corridors. It was ten meters by twenty, and sixty kilometers long; three sides were small businesses and shops; on the fourth, spinward, was a slideway.

  • 1999 A. Thomson Through Alien Eyes (2000) ii. 46 Amy Thomson bibliography

    We bought another ten hectares just spinward of Toivo's place.

  • 2006 W. Shunn Inclination in Asimov’s Science Fiction Apr.–May 29 page image William Shunn bibliography

    We ride a slidewalk spinward, then crowd into a hubward elevator. [Ibid. 49] The sensation of walking spinward inside a great turning wheel like Netherview Station is a little like walking up an endless inclined plane. Because your feet are borne forward by the rotation a tiny bit faster than your head, you might feel, if you’re attentive enough, as if you’re leaning slightly backward, or walking up the slightest of slopes. By the same token, a counterspinward stroll might feel a bit like a walk downhill.

  • 2017 J. E. Czerneda To Guard Against the Dark 218 Julie E. Czerneda bibliography

    The quality improved spinward, which was why this meeting place was in the opposite direction. [Ibid. 406] Nice address, though, Morgan noted, nothing fancy, but Level 5, spinward.


Research requirements

antedating 1966

Research History

Last modified 2024-08-08 18:59:01
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.