outworlder n.

someone from an outworld n.; an alien; an outsider

  • 1934 H. Bates A Matter of Size in Astounding Stories Apr. 41/1 page image Harry Bates bibliography

    The out-worlder smiled. He sat on a chair and removed one sandal, exposing a foot such as no man on Earth had ever yet possessed. The big toe was very large, and was flanked by another only a little bit smaller. The three outer toes were vestigial. Here was the foot of the human race, thousands of years in the future.

  • 1948 ‘T. Herrick’ Thing of Beauty in Planet Comics Nov. 19/2

    It was not their anger, their rage, their unleashed passion to murder him as an outworlder invading their domain of lonely beauty that staggered him—it was the astounding unholy sight of them!

  • 1952 P. Anderson Star Plunderer in Planet Stories Sept. 56/2 page image Poul Anderson bibliography

    I don’t fancy life as the slave of a barbarian outworlder…though humans with technical training are much in demand and usually fairly well treated.

  • 1954 R. Sheckley Milk Run in Galaxy Sept. 120/2 page image Robert Sheckley bibliography

    Their visitor was an outworlder, to judge by his stocky frame, small head and pale green skin.

  • 1957 H. Ellison Run for the Stars in Science Fiction Adventures June 69/1 Harlan Ellison bibliography

    The golden-skinned out[-]worlder hesitated a fraction of a second, and Tallant brought his knee up with a snap.

  • 1972 A. D. Foster Tar-Aiym Krang 5 Alan Dean Foster bibliography

    That worthy, a husky blond middle-aged human, had just finished selling a pair of durfarq -skin coats to two outlandishly clad outworlders…for three times what they were worth.

  • 1972 A. D. Foster Tar-Aiym Krang 31 Alan Dean Foster bibliography

    When the police discovered that the three corpses were outworlders, a search pattern would be put into effect with small delay. Murder was not conducive to increased tourism.

  • 1973 P. E. High Come, Hunt an Earthman (1985) 56 Philip E. High bibliography

    The weakness of his case, I had realised at once, was his lack of evidence of an alleged outworlder.

  • 1982 I. Asimov Foundation's Edge 224 Isaac Asimov bibliography

    I forget my hospitality. You are Outworlders and it would not be fitting that you entertain me.

  • 1985 M. W. Bonanno Dwellers in Crucible ii. 30 Margaret Wander Bonanno bibliography

    Cleante knew that as a newcomer, an outworlder on probation as it were she risked a breach of Vulcan propriety.

  • 1990 P. Anderson Inconstant Star in L. Niven et al. Man-Kzin Wars III (1992) ii. 174 Poul Anderson bibliography

    Commercial and cultural as well as political center, it was bound to draw an undue share of outworlders and their influence.

  • 1997 J. Vornholt Mind Meld i. 15 John Vornholt bibliography

    Normally, outworlders would not be privileged to hear this information, but Captain Kirk participated in your koon-ut-kal-if-fee, and the fal-tor-pan which restored you to us.

  • 2012 L. M. Bujold Captain Vorpatril’s Alliance xvi. 260 page image Lois McMaster Bujold bibliography

    ‘Imperial Regent for sixteen years, you know, when Emperor Gregor was a minor,’ Byerly charitably glossed for her outworlder benefit. ‘All of the work, none of the perks.’


Research requirements

antedating 1934

Earliest cite

H. Bates 'A Matter of Size'

Research History
Enoch Forrester submitted a cite from a reprint of Robert Sheckley's "Milk Run", which Mike Christie verified in the original 1954 magazine appearance; and also submitted a cite from a reprint of Frank Herbert's "Dune", which Mike Christie verified in the original 1965 magazine appearance; and from a reprint of Harlan Ellison's "Run for the Stars"; Mike Christie verified that cite in a 1959 printing, and Jesse Sheidlower later verified it in the 1957 first printing in Science Fiction Adventures.
Enoch Forrester submitted a cite from a 1983 reprint of Alan Dean Foster's "The Tar-Aiym Krang"; Douglas Winston verified the cite in the 1972 first edition.
Katrina Campbell submitted a cite from a 1985 reprint of Philip E. High's "Come, Hunt an Earthman".
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.
Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite from a reprint of Poul Anderson's "The Star Plunderer"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1952 original magazine appearance.
Katrina Campbell submitted a cite from a 1985 reprint of Edmond Hamilton's 1968 "The Closed Worlds".
Fred Galvin submitted a November 1948 cite from Thornecliffe Herrick's "A Thing of Beauty".
Fred Galvin submitted cites from a 1957 reprint of Harry Bates' "A Matter of Size"; Alistair Durie verified this in its 1934 first publication.
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 2012 cite from Lois McMaster Bujold.

Added to the OED in December 2004 with an earliest date of 1948.

Last modified 2022-08-25 16:07:05
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.