astronaut
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of astronaut
1925–30; astro- + (aero)naut, probably via French astronaute; see astronautical
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Explanation
An astronaut is someone who travels in space. While the term was once reserved for military-trained professionals, recent accessibility of space travel has seen the term astronaut now used to refer to anyone traveling in a spacecraft, including civilians. The word astronaut includes the root naut, from nautes, the Greek word for "sailor." This suffix can be used to create many travel-specific words. For example, the Argonauts were mythical Greek sailors on the ship named the Argo. Astronaut gets the astro from the Greek word astron, meaning "star," making an astronaut a “star sailor.” Russian space explorers took the title cosmonauts, with the cosmo part coming from the Greek for "universe," kosmos, so both have the same meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing astronaut
Occupations
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Elements of the Universe: Aster, Astro ("Star")
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astro, aster
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
China also plans to welcome its first foreign astronaut, from Pakistan, aboard the Tiangong station by the end of this year.
From Barron's • May 24, 2026
Nasa says the work that went into developing it and the work on the next generation of exercise devices will play a vital role in astronaut health.
From BBC • May 22, 2026
"Isn't it every kid's dream to be an astronaut?"
From BBC • May 22, 2026
I was like an astronaut returning to Earth, getting reacquainted with my own muscles.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
On February 20, 1962, astronaut John Glenn walked out to the Friendship 7 rocket we hoped would place the first American in orbit.
From "Reaching for the Moon" by Katherine Johnson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
