astronaut

American  

[as-truh-nawt, -not] / ˈæs trəˌnɔt, -ˌnɒt /

noun

1. a person engaged in or trained for spaceflight.

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astronaut British  

/ ˈæstrəˌnɔːt /

noun

1. a person trained for travelling in space See also cosmonaut

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astronaut Cultural  

1. A crew member of a space mission launched by the United States. (See Apollo program and Mercury program.)

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Etymology

Origin of astronaut

1925–30; astro- + (aero)naut, probably via French astronaute; astronautical

Compare meaning

How does astronaut compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• cosmonaut vs. astronaut

Example Sentences

Because Chroococcidiopsis can produce oxygen, it could contribute to both habitat stability and astronaut life support.

From Science Daily

They also raise the possibility that the moon contains resources that could prove valuable for astronauts living and working there in the future.

From Science Daily

The space agency aims to send four astronauts around the moon early next year—and bring them safely home through intense heat.

From The Wall Street Journal

Would it perhaps be wise to plant the idea of being an astronaut in his head as early as possible?

From The Wall Street Journal

A Vietnamese-American astronaut has opened up about her depression after she received a "tsunami of harassment" following the world's first all-female space trip earlier this year.

From BBC

Related Words

• cosmonaut
• pilot