gravitics n. 1

the science of studying or controlling gravity

  • 1944 ‘W. Long’ Redevelopment in Astounding Science Fiction Nov. 147/1 page image George O. Smith bibliography

    And if they got off of their planets, they’d be using gravitics.

  • 1944 M. Jameson Tricky Tonnage in Astounding Science Fiction Dec. 60/2 page image Malcolm Jameson bibliography

    After we straightened out on the road, Elmer began to tell me about gravitics.

  • 1945 ‘W. Long’ Fixer in Astounding Science Fiction May 81/2 George O. Smith

    Our power took a beating, as far as we are from it, and we know what kind of power it takes to do anything with the gravitics on Telfu.

  • 1953 T. Sturgeon More Than Human 206 Theodore Sturgeon bibliography

    Seems that gravitics is the key to everything. It would lead to the addition of one more item to the Unified Field—what we now call psychic energy, or ‘psionics’.

  • 2017 O. S. Card Children of the Fleet 245 Orson Scott Card

    Ah, the things that engineers had to cope with, in the days before the Jukes corporation did its breakthrough work with gravitics.

Research requirements

antedating 1944
Earliest cite

Malcolm Jameson, Tricky Tonnage
Research History
Mike Christie located and Brian Ameringen verified a cite in a 1974 reprint of Poul Anderson's story "Eutopia".
Eric Raymond then verified the cite in a 1969 reprint.
Dan Tilque submitted a cite from a reprint of Isaac Asimov's "The Dead Past"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1956 original magazine appearance.
Bill Seabrook submitted a 1953 cite from Theodore Sturgeon's "More Than Human".
Enoch Forrester submitted a cite from a reprint of Isaac Asimov's "Foundation's Edge"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1982 first edition.
Mike Christie submitted a 1945 cite from Wesley Long's "The Fixer".
Bryn Neuenschwander submitted a cite from a 2001 reprint of David Weber's 1995 "Flag in Exile".
Mike Christie submitted a 1944 cite from Wesley Long's "Redevelopment".
Mike Christie submitted a 1944 cite from Malcolm Jameson's "Tricky Tonnage".

Last modified 2021-01-19 10:46:08
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.