spaceman
spaceman — noun
- spacemansingular
- spacemenplural
1. a person who goes into space in a spacecraft, especially as part of a planned mi
a person who goes into space in a spacecraft, especially as part of a planned mission.
Rania trained for years before becoming the youngest spaceman on the mission.
pattern: become the youngest spaceman on the mission
The spaceman floated outside the station to repair a loose panel.
collocation: repair a loose panel outside the station
During the school visit, Brandon asked the spaceman how food tasted in orbit.
Newspapers praised the brave spaceman after the capsule landed safely in Kazakhstan.
- astronaut
the standard modern word for a person who travels in space
- cosmonaut
used especially for a Russian or former Soviet space traveller
- space traveller
a broader phrase that can sound descriptive rather than fixed
用法筆記
In current news and science writing, astronaut is usually the more neutral choice. Spaceman still appears in older writing, casual speech, and headlines that want a vivid, familiar word.
常見錯誤
2. in stories, a being that comes from another planet and visits Earth.
in stories, a being that comes from another planet and visits Earth.
In the cartoon, a green spaceman landed in Mia's garden at midnight.
story context: cartoon spaceman landing in a garden
The children built a silver spaceman from boxes for the class play.
Tuan screamed when the film's tiny spaceman climbed out of the egg.
A friendly spaceman showed the lost dog a path home.
- alien
the broad modern word for a being from another world
- extra-terrestrial
more formal and often used in science-fiction or discussion
- Martian
specifically an imagined being from Mars
用法筆記
This sense belongs mainly to cartoons, children's stories, and casual talk about imagined life from other planets. For real people on space missions, astronaut is usually the better word.