tribble n.
in the fictional universe of the Star Trek franchise: a species of small, furry, featureless alien
[coined by David Gerrold, author of the Star Trek episode The Trouble with Tribbles]
Memory Alpha
Wikipedia
Star Trek
Aliens
-
1967
[Uhura] Oh, it’s adorable. What is it? [Jones] What is it? Why, lovely lady, it’s a tribble…. Only the sweetest creature known to man, excepting, of course, your lovely self. [Uhura] Oh, it’s purring. Listen, it’s purring.
Trouble with Tribbles (Star Trek episode) (transcription) -
1968
bibliography
The Tribbles were small furry creatures about five inches in diameter.
in S. E. Whitfield & G. Roddenberry Making of ‘Star Trek’ iii. 345 -
1977
Spock, who couldn’t hold a tribble or a cat without petting it.
Price of Phoenix (1985) i. 4 -
1993
What exactly are you keeping in there now? Denebian slime devils? a mugatu? Tribbles?
From Depths iii. 43 -
1998
At least it’s not a tribble, he thought.
Assignment: Eternity ii. 21 -
2004
page image
John Barnes
bibliography
She leaned forward, focusing her attention on a young man with a thick wad of unruly black hair that looked like he’d rolled over on a tribble in his sleep.
Gaudeamus (2014) xxii. 302
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2013
page image
Alan Dean Foster
bibliography
The tribble. The only one on board. It was, impossibly, alive. It ought not to be. But it most certainly was, which suggested that... which meant that... His eyes widened.
Into Darkness xvii. 298
Research requirements
antedating 1967
Research History
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 2004 cite from John Barnes.Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 2013 cite from Alan Dean Foster.
Last modified 2021-12-06 20:36:49
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entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries
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