antispinward adv.

in the opposite 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] That…was because they were moving all that heavy equipment contraspinward.]

  • 1970 L. Niven Ringworld (1976) xvii. 240 page image Larry Niven bibliography

    Air moving in from the opposite direction, from antispinward, will become fractionally heavier…. From antispinward it comes, Louis. Its rotational velocity is increased fractionally with respect to the Ring. [Ibid. 301] We’ve got to get past the Eye storm. Then turn forty-five degrees or so to antispinward.

  • 1977 J. Varley Ophiuchi Hotline (1994) 31 John Varley bibliography

    She faced the sun, which was a small but very bright disc just to anti-spinward of Saturn.

  • 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.

  • 1985 G. Bear Eon liv. 316 page image Greg Bear bibliography

    They backtracked anti-spinward to the zero compound.

  • 1990 A. Steele Clarke County, Space xv. 186 page image Allen Steele bibliography

    Tennis was also feasible, but since the Coriolis effect tended to make all the shots swerve a little anti-spinward, most players ended their games in frustration.

  • 1992 V. Vinge Fire upon Deep 390 page image Vernor Vinge bibliography

    For your information, I have no trouble reaching sites that are antispinward. I understand an effort is being made to hop messages the long way around the galaxy.

  • 2009 J. Ringo Eye of the Storm 53 page image John Ringo bibliography

    Your father’s corps was probing along the spinward axis of the spiral arm. Akoria is on the anti-spinward axis.

  • 2017 ‘I. Douglas’ Darkness Falling 81 page image William H. Keith, Jr. bibliography

    You’re two hundred fifteen kilomters antispinward from where you entered the ring.

Research requirements

antedating 1970
Research History
Suggested by Randy Hoffman.
We're also keeping an eye on "counterspinward", which seems much less common.

Last modified 2024-08-08 18:18:38
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.