Meanings
Origin
In reference to the 1960s US television series Star Trek, in which the crew could set their phaser weapons either to stun or to kill.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
set phasers to. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/set%20phasers%20to
“set phasers to.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/set%20phasers%20to. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “set phasers to,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/set%20phasers%20to.
Source: set phasers to on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.