contragravity n.

= antigravity n.

Often attrib. Rare.

  • 1929 ‘H. Vincent’ Barton's Island in Amazing Stories Aug. 394/1 page image Harl Vincent bibliography

    The engine room of the Inquisitor was provided with two contra-field generators, each of sufficient power to support the vessel when fully loaded. These generators were of the most improved type, and were connected to fore and aft pole pieces from whence the contra-gravity flux emanated.

  • 1953 H. B. Piper Ullr Uprising in Space Science Fiction Feb. 6/1 page image H. Beam Piper bibliography

    The big armor-tender vibrated, gently and not unpleasantly, as the contragravity field alternated on and off. Ibid. People came to Niflheim, and worked the mines and uranium refineries and chemical plants, but they did so inside power-driven and contragravity-lifted armor, and they lived on artificial satellites two thousand miles off-planet.

  • 1958 H. Beam Piper Ministry of Disturbance in Astounding Science Fiction 30/2 page image H. Beam Piper

    The other office also returned, bringing a portable viewscreen with him on a contragravity-lifter.

  • 1965 ‘C. Anvil’ Plateau in Amazing Stories Mar. 71/2 page image Christopher Anvil bibliography

    You have endless power, can control atomic and molecular structure, process metals, set up impenetrable barriers, create contragravity, [etc.].

  • 1985 H. Turtledove Road Not Taken in Warrior (1986) 282 page image Harry Turtledove bibliography

    As inconspicuously as he could, the captain let out a sigh. He did not know what to believe himself, and he had listened to the pilot’s report. How could the locals have flying machines when they did not know contragravity? Togram had heard of a race that used hot-air balloons before it discovered the better way of doing things, but no balloon could have reached the altitude the locals’ flier had achieved, and no balloon could have changed direction, as the pilot had violently insisted this craft had done.

  • 1998 UFO Magazine Jan. 19/3

    I firmly believe that before long man will acquire the ability to build an electromagnetic contra-gravity mechanism that works.

  • 2012 G. Nix Confusion of Princes 23 Garth Nix bibliography

    For the final descent, Haddad had also equipped us with contragravity harnesses, military-issue ones as worn by mekbi troopers rather than the superior variety used by Princes.


Research requirements

antedating 1929

Earliest cite

Harl Vincent, in Amazing Stories

Research History
Fred Galvin submitted a 1953 cite from H. Beam Piper's "Ullr Uprising".
Randy Hoffman submitted a 1962 cite from H. Beam Piper's "Little Fuzzy".
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 2012 cite from Garth Nix.
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 1985 cite from Harry Turtledove.

Also suggested by David Starner, who has a cite from the 1988 GURPS Space Roleplaying game handbook.

Last modified 2021-09-25 02:39:23
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.