UFO (n.)

1953, abbreviation of Unidentified Flying Object, which is attested from 1950.

also from 1953

Entries linking to UFO

ufology (n.)

1959, from UFO + -logy.

Trends of UFO

adapted from books.google.com/ngrams/. Ngrams are probably unreliable.

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phantom

c. 1300, fantum, famtome, "illusion, unreality; an illusion," senses now obsolete, from Old French fantosme (12c.), from Vulgar Latin *fantauma, from Latin phantasma "an apparition," from Greek phantasma "image, phantom, apparition; mere image, unreality," from phantazein "to mak

phantasm

mid-13c., fantesme, "that which has only seeming reality, permanence, or value;" c. 1300 as "an illusory experience or object; an apparition;" from Old French fantosme "a dream, illusion, fantasy; apparition, ghost, phantom" (12c.), and directly from Latin phantasma "an apparitio

shadow

Middle English shadwe, from Old English sceadwe, sceaduwe "shade, the effect of interception of sunlight; dark image cast by someone or something when interposed between an object and a source of light," oblique cases ("to the," "from the," "of the," "in the") of sceadu (see shad

apparition

early 15c., "supernatural appearance or manifestation," from Anglo-French aparicion, Old French aparicion, aparoison (15c.), used in reference to the Epiphany (the revealing of the Christ child to the Wise Men), from Late Latin apparitionem (nominative apparitio) "an appearance,"

flying

early 15c., replacing forms from Old English fleogende "flying, winged;" present-participle adjective from fly (v.1). The meaning "attached so as to have freedom of movement" (1670s) is the source of the nautical use (flying jib, etc.). Meaning "designed for rapid movement" (espe

object

late 14c., "tangible thing, something perceived with or presented to the senses," from Old French object and directly from Medieval Latin obiectum "thing put before" (the mind or sight), noun use of neuter of Latin obiectus "lying before, opposite" (as a noun in classical Latin,

flying

saucer

mid-14c., "small, shallow dish," from Anglo-Latin saucerium and Old French saussier (Modern French saucière) "sauce dish," from Late Latin salsarium, neuter of salsarius "of or for salted things," from Latin salsus (see sauce (n.)). Originally a small dish or pan in which sauce i

asphalt

early 14c., "hard, resinous mineral pitch found originally in Biblical lands," from Late Latin asphaltum, from Greek asphaltos "asphalt, bitumen," often said to be from Greek a- "not" + *sphaltos "able to be thrown down," taken as verbal adjective of sphallein "to throw down," ac

expert

late 14c., "having had experience; skillful," from Old French expert, espert "experienced, practiced, skilled" and directly from Latin expertus (contracted from *experitus), "tried, proved, known by experience," past participle of experiri "to try, test," from ex "out of" (see ex

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Harper, D. (n.d.). Etymology of UFO. Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved $(datetime), from https://www.etymonline.com/word/UFO

Chicago style:

Harper Douglas, “Etymology of UFO,” Online Etymology Dictionary, accessed $(datetime), https://www.etymonline.com/word/UFO.

MLA style:

Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of UFO.” Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com/word/UFO. Accessed $(datetimeMla).

IEEE style:

D. Harper. “Etymology of UFO.” Online Etymology Dictionary. https://www.etymonline.com/word/UFO (accessed $(datetime)).

updated on September 28, 2017

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