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starship

starship

274 6.8
A large spacecraft that carries people between stars
  • noun
  • /ˈstɑrˌʃɪp/
translation icon : nave estelar
  • When I retired, I swore I'd never set foot on a starship again, and I meant it.
  • a starship approaches
  • starship Enterprise

This time it is the Starship Enterprise from a dystopia to a utopia.

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Examples

  • I've spent a lot of time on starships since my mom joined Starfleet.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Viewed from the Federation space station, the starship approaches the open maw of the wormhole.

    Academic text (1996)
  • But anyway, so then he talks a little bit about the Starship, how they hope to launch it next month.

  • And you know, I like I often when I teach risk management, I will talk about three people on the Starship Enterprise.

  • What is the primary mission of the Starship Enterprise?

  • For a moment, he could see the great starship hanging against a backdrop of stars.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • In the distance, they catch sight of a starship entering the atmosphere.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • The Reverend Mother Artemis booked passage on the next starship scheduled to leave the station.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Captain Kirk of Star Trek, the five year mission of the spaceship Enterprise, Starship Enterprise, to boldly go where no man has gone before.

  • The crew of the starship navigated through the asteroid field to reach their destination.

Synonyms

spacecraft
vsstarship
  • Specialized
165 4.2

A vehicle that travels in outer space

is specifically for crewed interstellar missions rather than any outer space vehicle
spaceship
vsstarship
164 4.3

A vehicle that carries people between planets or stars, often in stories

is focused on carrying a crew specifically for travel between stars
Starcraft
vsstarship
1 9.5

A spaceship made for travel between stars

is intended to carry a crew into interstellar space rather than only travel
galactic spaceship
vsstarship
8.4

A large machine like a ship that travels between galaxies in science fiction

is for crew travel between stars rather than travel between galaxies

How Far

starship
274 6.8
spaceship
164 4.3
spacecraft
  • Specialized
165 4.2
rocket
  • Specialized
535 3.9

Surface Forms

starship singular
starships plural

Morphology

starship = star + ship (semi-transparent) = star + ship

The compound is clearly built from 'star' + 'ship', but the meaning is specialized to a spacecraft rather than a literal ship among stars.

Etymology

The word starship is made from two familiar words: star meaning 'a bright point in the sky' and ship meaning 'a boat' or 'vessel'. Think of a boat that sails between stars, which is why a starship is a spacecraft built to travel to other stars.