port n.

= spaceport n.

  • 1932 ‘A. Gilmore’ Affair of the Brains in Astounding Stories Mar. 329/1 page image Harry Bates D. W. Hall bibliography

    The pirate port of Porno is of course dead now, replaced by the clean lawfulness of Port Midway, but a hundred years ago, in the days before the patrol-ships came, she roared her bawdy song through the farthest reaches of the solar system. For crack merchant ships and dingy space trading tramps alike, she was haven; drink and drugs, women and diversions unspeakable lured to her space ports the cream arid scum, adventures [sic] and riffraff of half a dozen worlds. Sailors and pirates paid off at her and stayed as long as their wages lasted in the Street of the Sailors; not a few remained permanently, their bodies flung to the beasts of the savage jungle that rimmed the port. There only the cunning and strong could live. Ray-guns were the surest law. Modem scientific progress stood side by side with murderous lawlessness as old as man himself.

  • 1935 C. A. Smith Vulthoom in Weird Tales Sept. 336/1 page image Clark Ashton Smith bibliography

    Haines, the third assistant pilot of an ether-liner, had been charged with insubordination by his superiors, and had been left behind in Ignarh, the commercial metropolis of Mars, and the port of all space-traffic.

  • 1939 ‘G. A. Giles’ Flight of Starshell in Thrilling Wonder Stories Feb. 57/1 page image Otto Binder bibliography

    The Starshell plunged on, negotiating the black gulf between Mars and Earth in rapid time. It had been several weeks since she had left her first port, Saturn’s outer moon.

  • 1959 A. B. Chandler To Run Rim in Astounding Science Fiction Jan. 11/2 page image A. Bertram Chandler bibliography

    And if I hadn’t told Commodore Sir Archibald Sinclair to his face what an idiot he was I'd still be with the Royal Mail, still keeping my night on board in port and making sure that a proper air lock watch was being maintained, and all the rest of it.

  • 1960 H. Harrison Deathworld in Astounding Science Fiction Jan. 26/1 Harry Harrison bibliography

    I'm sure the Cassylians don’t want to advertise their bad sportsmanship, so there won’t be anything as crude as a roadblock. But the port will be crawling with every agent they have. They know once the money gets off-planet it is gone forever.

  • 1964 A. Davidson Valentine's Planet in Worlds of Tomorrow Aug. 10/1 Avram Davidson bibliography

    It’s the breaks, former First Officer Cane. I never got them, not till old Jarvy dropped dead and went out the garbage chute one week from port.

  • 1981 M. Resnick Soul Eater (1992) 10 Mike Resnick bibliography

    He remained in port for four days, until all his money for the most recent hunt had been cabled to him, then made preparations to pick up the Baffledivers in the Pinnipes system.

  • 2000 D. Drake Lt. Leary Commanding (2001) i. 8 David Drake

    A plume of steam expanded from a berth halfway across the port. The ground trembled for several seconds before the roar of a ship lifting off reached Daniel’s party through the air.

  • 2001 D. Feintuch Children of Hope 53 David Feintuch bibliography

    Anselm clapped the shoulder of his jumpsuit. ‘You're fine, joey. Officers dress for dinner; passengers are more casual, especially in port.’

  • 2022 M. A. Mohanraj Hush in Tor.com page image Mary Anne Mohanraj bibliography

    Inside the parking garage, the walls were plastered with anti-alien posters, which was particularly spiteful, considering how many aliens came through the port.


Research requirements

antedating 1932

Earliest cite

"Anthony Gilmore", in Astounding

Research History
Jeff Prucher submitted a 1939 cite from Gordon Giles' "Flight of the Starshell".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a reprint of Avram Davidson's "Mutiny In Space"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1964 first magazine appearance.
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a reprint of A. Bertram Chandler's "The Rim of Space"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1959 first magazine appearance.
Douglas Winston submitted a 2001 cite from David Feintuch's "Children of Hope".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a 1992 reprint of Mike Resnick's 1981 "The Soul Eater".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a reprint of Harry Harrison's "Deathworld"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1960 first magazine appearance.
Michael Dolbear submitted a cite from a 2001 reprint of David Drake's 2000 "Lt. Leary Commanding".
Mark English submitted a cite from a reprint of Clark Ashton Smith's "Vulthoom"; Jesse Sheidlower verified it in the original publication in the September 1935 Weird Tales.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1932 cite from "Anthony Gilmore," a pseudonym for Harry Bates and D. W. Hall, in Astounding.
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 2022 cite from Mary Ann Mohanraj.

We suspect this may be found earlier, and would like to get an antedating.

Last modified 2022-04-11 13:58:27
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.