astronaut
nouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈæstɹəˌnɔːt//
- United States//ˈæstɹəˌnɔt//
- //ˈæstɹəˌnɑt//
A member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose.
noun
- 1
A member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose.
- 2
A member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose. An American space traveler, when contrasted against equivalent terms from other countries such as cosmonaut, taikonaut, spationaut, and vyomanaut.
Though from different social, economic, and political worlds, the astronauts and cosmonauts had much in common, both as professionals and human beings.
The American astronauts in the competing Mercury program may have joked about being “Spam in a can,” but it seems clear that Korolev wanted to have plenty of cosmonauts on hand in case another rocket blew up.
- 3
A person (typically man) working abroad away from their family.
Etymology
From astro- + -naut. Coined from Ancient Greek ἄστρον (ástron, “star”) and ναύτης (naútēs, “sailor”).
Forms
- plural
- astronauts
astronaut · A member of the crew of a spaceship or other spacecraft that travels beyond Earth's atmosphere, or someone trained to serve that purpose.
astronomer · One who studies astronomy, the stars or the physical…astronomical · Of or relating to astronomy.astronomy · The study of the physical universe beyond the Earth's…