"tractor beam" meaning in English

See tractor beam in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: tractor beams [plural]
Etymology: Possibly a shortening of attractor beam; note however the broader meaning of tractor (“machinery that pulls something”). Coined by American science fiction author E. E. Smith in 1931 in his novel Spacehounds of IPC, first serialized in Amazing Stories. Etymology templates: {{m|en|attractor beam}} attractor beam, {{m|en|tractor|gloss=machinery that pulls something}} tractor (“machinery that pulls something”), {{coin|en|E. E. Smith|in=1931|nat=American|occ=science fiction author}} Coined by American science fiction author E. E. Smith in 1931 Head templates: {{en-noun}} tractor beam (plural tractor beams)
  1. (science fiction) A device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance. Categories (topical): Science fiction Translations (device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance): 牽引波束 (Chinese Mandarin), 牵引波束 (qiānyǐn bōshù) (Chinese Mandarin), 牽引光束 (Chinese Mandarin), 牵引光束 (qiānyǐn guāngshù) (Chinese Mandarin), vetosäde (Finnish), Traktorstrahl [masculine] (German), Fangstrahl [masculine] (German), raggio traente [masculine] (Italian), rayo tractor [masculine] (Spanish)

Inflected forms

Download JSON data for tractor beam meaning in English (4.5kB)

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "attractor beam"
      },
      "expansion": "attractor beam",
      "name": "m"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "tractor",
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      "expansion": "tractor (“machinery that pulls something”)",
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      "name": "coin"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Possibly a shortening of attractor beam; note however the broader meaning of tractor (“machinery that pulls something”). Coined by American science fiction author E. E. Smith in 1931 in his novel Spacehounds of IPC, first serialized in Amazing Stories.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "tractor beams",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "tractor beam (plural tractor beams)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "pressor beam"
        },
        {
          "word": "repulsor beam"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations",
          "parents": [
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        {
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Science fiction",
          "orig": "en:Science fiction",
          "parents": [
            "Fiction",
            "Speculative fiction",
            "Artistic works",
            "Genres",
            "Art",
            "Entertainment",
            "Culture",
            "Society",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1931 August, E. E. “Doc” Smith, “Spacehounds of IPC”, in Amazing Stories, volume 6, number 5, page 549",
          "text": "Through it Stevens saw with satisfaction that the Forlorn Hope was not being abandoned; in the grip of powerful tractor beams, every fragment of the wreckage was following close behind them in their flight through space.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1945 June, Murray Leinster, “The Ethical Equations”, in Astounding Science Fiction, volume 35, number 4, page 122",
          "text": "By the way they're braced, there are tractor beams and pressor beams and—there are vacuum tubes that have grids but apparently work with cold cathodes.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1977, George Lucas, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, spoken by Han Solo (Harrison Ford)",
          "text": "We're caught in a tractor beam! It's pulling us in!",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance."
      ],
      "id": "en-tractor_beam-en-noun-4SOjC7BY",
      "links": [
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          "science fiction",
          "science fiction"
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        [
          "device",
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        [
          "generate",
          "generate"
        ],
        [
          "beam",
          "beam#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "used",
          "use#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "attract",
          "attract"
        ],
        [
          "objects",
          "object#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "distance",
          "distance#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(science fiction) A device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "literature",
        "media",
        "publishing",
        "science-fiction"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
          "word": "牽引波束"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "qiānyǐn bōshù",
          "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
          "word": "牵引波束"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
          "word": "牽引光束"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "qiānyǐn guāngshù",
          "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
          "word": "牵引光束"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
          "word": "vetosäde"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Traktorstrahl"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Fangstrahl"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "raggio traente"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "rayo tractor"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "tractor beam"
}
{
  "etymology_templates": [
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      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "attractor beam"
      },
      "expansion": "attractor beam",
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
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        "gloss": "machinery that pulls something"
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      },
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      "name": "coin"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Possibly a shortening of attractor beam; note however the broader meaning of tractor (“machinery that pulls something”). Coined by American science fiction author E. E. Smith in 1931 in his novel Spacehounds of IPC, first serialized in Amazing Stories.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "tractor beams",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
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  "head_templates": [
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      "args": {},
      "expansion": "tractor beam (plural tractor beams)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "antonyms": [
        {
          "word": "pressor beam"
        },
        {
          "word": "repulsor beam"
        }
      ],
      "categories": [
        "English coinages",
        "English countable nouns",
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English nouns",
        "English terms coined by E. E. Smith",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Mandarin terms with redundant transliterations",
        "Requests for review of Czech translations",
        "Requests for review of Dutch translations",
        "Requests for review of Estonian translations",
        "Requests for review of French translations",
        "Requests for review of Hebrew translations",
        "Requests for review of Norwegian translations",
        "Requests for review of Persian translations",
        "Requests for review of Swedish translations",
        "en:Science fiction"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1931 August, E. E. “Doc” Smith, “Spacehounds of IPC”, in Amazing Stories, volume 6, number 5, page 549",
          "text": "Through it Stevens saw with satisfaction that the Forlorn Hope was not being abandoned; in the grip of powerful tractor beams, every fragment of the wreckage was following close behind them in their flight through space.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1945 June, Murray Leinster, “The Ethical Equations”, in Astounding Science Fiction, volume 35, number 4, page 122",
          "text": "By the way they're braced, there are tractor beams and pressor beams and—there are vacuum tubes that have grids but apparently work with cold cathodes.",
          "type": "quotation"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1977, George Lucas, Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, spoken by Han Solo (Harrison Ford)",
          "text": "We're caught in a tractor beam! It's pulling us in!",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "science fiction",
          "science fiction"
        ],
        [
          "device",
          "device"
        ],
        [
          "generate",
          "generate"
        ],
        [
          "beam",
          "beam#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "used",
          "use#Verb"
        ],
        [
          "attract",
          "attract"
        ],
        [
          "objects",
          "object#Noun"
        ],
        [
          "distance",
          "distance#Noun"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(science fiction) A device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance."
      ],
      "topics": [
        "literature",
        "media",
        "publishing",
        "science-fiction"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
      "word": "牽引波束"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "qiānyǐn bōshù",
      "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
      "word": "牵引波束"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
      "word": "牽引光束"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "qiānyǐn guāngshù",
      "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
      "word": "牵引光束"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
      "word": "vetosäde"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Traktorstrahl"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Fangstrahl"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "raggio traente"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "device-generated beam used to attract other objects from a distance",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "rayo tractor"
    }
  ],
  "word": "tractor beam"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-05-01 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-21 using wiktextract (f4fd8c9 and c9440ce). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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