treknobabble

English

WOTD – 16 February 2013, 16 February 2014

Etymology

Blend of Trek +‎ technobabble.

Pronunciation

  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈtɹɛknoʊˌbæbəl/
  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈtɹɛknəʊˌbæbəl/
    • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Hyphenation: trek‧no‧bab‧ble

Noun

treknobabble (uncountable)

  1. A kind of technobabble particular to the Star Trek universe, with a particularly heavy emphasis on configurations of pseudoscientific particles and waves.
    • 1997 September 24, $teve2, “Re: SUNBURN : If you were not watching GITM”, in aus.tv.x-files[1] (Usenet):
      I'd sooner trust treknobabble for an explanation than any thing you say.
    • 1999 December 29, Bozo the Proctologist, “Re: Bad Voyager Plots”, in alt.tv.star-trek.voyager[2] (Usenet):
      So you think up something like Voyager meets some Romulans stranded in the DQ, or some treknobabble takes down the command staff and Seven assumes command.
    • 2003 December 17, Kazuaki Shimazaki, “The More Detailed Critique”, in alt.startrek.vs.starwars[3] (Usenet):
      Even if they won using the power of treknobabble, this force ratio does not show the audience how mighty and dangerous the Imperial warships are []