Meanings
nounspaceship (plural spaceships)
plural spaceships · alternative space ship
- cellular automataA finite pattern that reappears after a certain number of generations in the same orientation but in a different position.
We describe software that searches for spaceships in Conway's Game of Life and related two-dimensional cellular automata.
2002, Richard Nowakowski, More Games of No Chance, page 4332 more examples
The spaceships look like a row of threshers harvesting a field of wheat; the thickness in the direction of motion is only about 10 cells.
1989 October 26, Richard Schroeppel, “Some recent Life results”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet)Synthesis of spaceship flotillas is even more complicated than synthesis of oscillators, since spaceships are like oscillators that move[…]
2010, Andrew Adamatzky, Game of Life Cellular Automata, page 126 - computingThe operator <=> in certain programming languages, which compares two values and indicates whether the first is lesser than, greater than, or equal to the second.
If we reverse the positions of $a and $b, the spaceship will sort in the opposite order[…]
2012, Randal Schwartz, Brian Foy, Tom Phoenix, Intermediate Perl, page 142 - slangA computer.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA manned vehicle that flies through space.
Similar
Broader
Narrower
More synonyms by meaning
nouna spacecraft designed to carry a crew into interstellar space (especially in science fiction)
Similar
Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
* space + ship * (programming operator): From its resemblance to the shape of a flying saucer.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans ruimteskip
- ruimteskipvehicle that flies through space
Arabic سَفِينَةٌ فَضَائِيَّة, مَرْكَبَةٌ فَضَائِيَّة
- سَفِينَةٌ فَضَائِيَّة (safīnatun faḍāʔiyya)vehicle that flies through space
- مَرْكَبَةٌ فَضَائِيَّة (markabatun faḍāʔiyya)vehicle that flies through space
Basque espazio-ontzi
- espazio-ontzivehicle that flies through space
Bengali মহাকাশযান, কাশযান
- মহাকাশযান (mohakaśjan)vehicle that flies through space
- কাশযান (kaśjan)vehicle that flies through space
Bulgarian косми́чески ко́раб
- косми́чески ко́раб (kosmíčeski kórab)vehicle that flies through space
Catalan nau espacial, astronau
- nau espacialvehicle that flies through space
- astronauvehicle that flies through space
Chinese Cantonese 太空船, 飛船 /飞船
- 太空船 (taai³ hung¹ syun⁴)vehicle that flies through space
- 飛船 /飞船 (fei¹ syun⁴)vehicle that flies through space
- 宇宙飛船 /宇宙飞船 (jyu⁵ zau⁶ fei¹ syun⁴)vehicle that flies through space
- 航天器 (hong⁴ tin¹ hei³)vehicle that flies through space
Chinese Mandarin 太空船, 飛船 /飞船
- 太空船 (tàikōngchuán)vehicle that flies through space
- 飛船 /飞船 (fēichuán)vehicle that flies through space
- 宇宙飛船 /宇宙飞船 (yǔzhòu fēichuán)vehicle that flies through space
- 航天器 (hángtiānqì)vehicle that flies through space
Czech kosmická loď, vesmírná loď
- kosmická loďvehicle that flies through space
- vesmírná loďvehicle that flies through space
Danish rumskib, rumfartøj
- rumskibvehicle that flies through space
- rumfartøjvehicle that flies through space
Dutch ruimteschip, ruimtetuig
- ruimteschipvehicle that flies through space
- ruimtetuigvehicle that flies through space
- ruimtevaartuigvehicle that flies through space
Esperanto kosmoŝipo, spacoŝipo
- kosmoŝipovehicle that flies through space
- spacoŝipovehicle that flies through space
Estonian kosmoselaev
- kosmoselaevvehicle that flies through space
Finnish avaruusalus
- avaruusalusvehicle that flies through space
French vaisseau spatial, astronef
- vaisseau spatialvehicle that flies through space
- astronefvehicle that flies through space
- spationefvehicle that flies through space
German Raumschiff, Raumfahrzeug
- Raumschiffvehicle that flies through space
- Raumfahrzeugvehicle that flies through space
Greek διαστημόπλοιο
- διαστημόπλοιο (diastimóploio)vehicle that flies through space
Hebrew חֲלָלִית, סְפִינַת חָלָל
- חֲלָלִית (khalalít)vehicle that flies through space
- סְפִינַת חָלָל (s'finát khalál)vehicle that flies through space
Hindi अंतरिक्ष यान
- अंतरिक्ष यान (antrikṣ yān)vehicle that flies through space
Hungarian űrhajó, űreszköz
- űrhajóvehicle that flies through space
- űreszközvehicle that flies through space
- űrjárművehicle that flies through space
Icelandic geimskip, geimfar
- geimskipvehicle that flies through space
- geimfarvehicle that flies through space
Indonesian pesawat luar angkasa, pesawat ruang angkasa
- pesawat luar angkasavehicle that flies through space
- pesawat ruang angkasavehicle that flies through space
- wahana antariksavehicle that flies through space
Irish spásárthach
- spásárthachvehicle that flies through space
Italian nave spaziale, astronave
- nave spazialevehicle that flies through space
- astronavevehicle that flies through space
- spazionavevehicle that flies through space
Japanese 宇宙船, 宇宙機
- 宇宙船 (uchūsen)vehicle that flies through space
- 宇宙機 (uchūki)vehicle that flies through space
- 宇宙旅行船 (uchūryokōsen)vehicle that flies through space
Korean 우주선
- 우주선 (ujuseon)vehicle that flies through space
Latin navis cosmica
- navis cosmicavehicle that flies through space
Latvian kosmosa kuģis
- kosmosa kuģisvehicle that flies through space
Lithuanian kosminis laivas, erdvėlaivis
- kosminis laivasvehicle that flies through space
- erdvėlaivisvehicle that flies through space
Malay kapal angkasa lepas
- kapal angkasa lepasvehicle that flies through space
Māori waka ātea, waka tuarangi
- waka āteavehicle that flies through space
- waka tuarangivehicle that flies through space
Norwegian Bokmål romskip, romfartøy
- romskipvehicle that flies through space
- romfartøyvehicle that flies through space
Polish statek kosmiczny, pojazd kosmiczny
- statek kosmicznyvehicle that flies through space
- pojazd kosmicznyvehicle that flies through space
Portuguese nave espacial, espaçonave
- nave espacialvehicle that flies through space
- espaçonavevehicle that flies through space
- astronavevehicle that flies through space
Punjabi ਪੁਲਾੜ-ਜਹਾਜ਼
- ਪੁਲਾੜ-ਜਹਾਜ਼ (pulāṛa-jahāz)vehicle that flies through space
Romanian navă cosmică
- navă cosmicăvehicle that flies through space
Russian косми́ческий кора́бль
- косми́ческий кора́бль (kosmíčeskij koráblʹ)vehicle that flies through space
Slovak kozmická loď
- kozmická loďvehicle that flies through space
Spanish nave espacial, astronave
- nave espacialvehicle that flies through space
- astronavevehicle that flies through space
- cosmonavevehicle that flies through space
Swedish rymdskepp, rymdfarkost
- rymdskeppvehicle that flies through space
- rymdfarkostvehicle that flies through space
Tagalog sikpaw
- sikpawvehicle that flies through space
Tamil விண்கலம்
- விண்கலம் (viṇkalam)vehicle that flies through space
Thai ยานอวกาศ
- ยานอวกาศ (yaan-à-wá-gàat)vehicle that flies through space
Turkish uzay gemisi, atılgan
- uzay gemisivehicle that flies through space
- atılganvehicle that flies through space
- uzay aracıvehicle that flies through space
Ukrainian космі́чний корабе́ль
- космі́чний корабе́ль (kosmíčnyj korabélʹ)vehicle that flies through space
Urdu خَلائی جَہاز
- خَلائی جَہاز (xalāī jahāz)vehicle that flies through space
Vietnamese phi thuyền, tàu vũ trụ
- phi thuyềnvehicle that flies through space
- tàu vũ trụvehicle that flies through space
- phi thuyền không gianvehicle that flies through space
- thiết bị vũ trụvehicle that flies through space
Welsh llong ofod
- llong ofodvehicle that flies through space
Yiddish קאָסמאָסשיף
- קאָסמאָסשיף (kosmosshif)vehicle that flies through space
Cite this entry
APA
spaceship. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spaceship
MLA
“spaceship.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spaceship. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “spaceship,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/spaceship.
Source: spaceship on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.