ray-proof adj.

impervious to energy rays, esp. ray weapons

Weaponry

  • 1905 H. R. Haggard Ayesha: Return of She in Windsor Magazine Aug. 313/2 H. Rider Haggard bibliography

    Ayesha began to loose Leo from his ray-proof armour—if so it can be called—and he in turn loosed me.

  • 1921 G. Smith Treasures of Tantalus in Argosy All-story Weekly 8 Jan. 420/2 page image Garret Smith bibliography

    I’ll work out the formula in the morning for a ray-proof paint and you boys can manufacture it along with the telephonoscope. It’ll be cheap. Everybody can paint every part of his house with it except a little section where he wants to give and receive telephonoscope messages. So we’ll all be happy and private again.

  • 1929 A. H. Verrill Death from the Skies in Amazing Stories Oct. 592/2 page image A. Hyatt Verrill bibliography

    He was safe, for he had perfected his ray-proof costume until tests with the fragment he had secured had proved it one-hundred per cent resistant.

  • 1934 E. E. Smith Triplanetary in Amazing Stories Jan. 31/1 page image Edward E. Smith bibliography

    Even the captain, in the shell-proof, shock-proof, and doubly ray-proof retreat of his conning compartment, was equally at a loss.

  • 1938 I. O. Evans Hiking and Camping in A.D. 20,000 in Tomorrow (vol. 1, no. 4) Winter 13 page image I. O. Evans

    One of them, noticeable in spite of his ray-proof armour and oxygen mask, pushed his way rapidly along.

  • 1947 E. Hamilton Star of Life in Startling Stories Jan. 71/2 page image Edmond Hamilton bibliography

    Thank heaven I so suspected the full effect of the rays that I prevailed on Wilson and the others to keep their rayproof body[-]shields on until we were more sure.

  • 1956 W. G. Walter Curve of the Snowflake 234 page image W. Grey Walter bibliography

    And we have found that, with a few notable exceptions, even a young Selenite who keeps on breaking the social rules tends also to break the rules that preserve his own life—going out crater-jumping without his rayproof suit or with an empty oxygen bottle—even, when he returns to earth, trying to jump across a busy road.

  • 2014 J. Morrow Madonna & the Starship 67 James Morrow bibliography

    Wulawand crept toward the steamer trunk and yanked the gold cloth from my award. ‘After Volavont and I suspend this impervious veil in front of the picture tube, we shall be able to watch the program without misadventure.’… ‘I’m famished.’ ‘Myself as well,’ said Wulawand, tucking the ray-proof cloth into her carapace.


Research requirements

any evidence 1905

Earliest cite

H. Rider Haggard, "Ayesha: The Return of She Who Must Be Obeyed"

Research History
Fred Galvin submitted a cite from the Gutenberg etext edition of E.E. Smith's "Triplanetary"; Jesse Sheidlower verified it in the original publication in Amazing Stories in 1934.
Simon Koppel submitted a cite from the Project Gutenberg text of H. Rider Haggard's "Ayesha"; Jesse Sheidlower verified it in the original serialization in Windsor Magazine.

Last modified 2021-08-26 19:53:05
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.