von Neumann probe

noun

A von Neumann machine, or machine capable of self-replication, that is sent on interstellar voyages to investigate or terraform.

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Meanings

nounvon Neumann probe (plural von Neumann probes)

plural von Neumann probes

  1. space flightliteratureA von Neumann machine, or machine capable of self-replication, that is sent on interstellar voyages to investigate or terraform.

Origin

Named after Hungarian and American mathematician and physicist John von Neumann (1903–1957).

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Cite this entry
APA

von Neumann probe. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/von%20Neumann%20probe

MLA

“von Neumann probe.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/von%20Neumann%20probe. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “von Neumann probe,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/von%20Neumann%20probe.

Source: von Neumann probe on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.