regeneration tank n.

a tank, typically filled with a nutrient bath, in which a person can recover from severe injury, such as the loss of a limb

SF Encyclopedia


  • 1950 K. MacLean Contagion in Galaxy Science Fiction Oct. 132/2 page image Jim Turner bibliography

    ‘Len’s gone, Doc’…. ‘Artificial respiration and get him into a regeneration tank’.… The tanks were ordinarily used to suspend animation in a nutrient bath during the regrowth of any diseased organ.

  • 1957 D. Malcolm Defence Mechanism in New Worlds Science Fiction (#65) Nov. 74 page image Donald Malcolm bibliography

    I placed the dead limbs into my regeneration tanks and revived the cells and the tissue.

  • 1962 F. Herbert Mindfield! in Amazing Stories Mar. 28/2 page image Frank Herbert bibliography

    They came out into a laboratory cut deep in the rock…. This was the room where Ren kept he stolen regeneration tank.

  • 1981 J. May Many-Colored Land (1983) 25 Julian May bibliography

    The wounded actor was philosophical about his three months in the regeneration tank. ‘Just the hazards of the trade, kid,’ he had told his remorseful attacker.

  • 1986 J. M. Dillard Demons 256 J. M. Dillard bibliography

    Gary Mitchell lay in a regeneration tank, drugged and sleeping and immersed up to his neck in translucent green regen gel.

  • 2007 K. Baker Gods & Pawns 329 Kage Baker bibliography

    His body told him, quite pointedly, that he'd been extremely stupid. It implied that if he ever subjected it to that kind of abuse again, he was going to find himself in a regeneration tank for at least six months.

Research requirements

antedating 1950
Earliest cite

Katherine MacLean, in Galaxy
Research History
Supposedly in David Langford's Space Eater (1982); we would like to check this.
We would like any early examples.

Last modified 2020-12-22 19:22:01
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.