spaceship
nounEtymology * space + ship * (programming operator): From its resemblance to the shape of a flying saucer.
1
Aerospace, Astronautics, Business, Engineering, Natural sciences, Physical sciences A manned vehicle that flies through space.
2
Cellular automata, Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences A finite pattern that reappears after a certain number of generations in the same orientation but in a different position.
- The spaceships look like a row of threshers harvesting a field of wheat; the thickness in the direction of motion is only about 10 cells.1989 October 26, Richard Schroeppel, “Some recent Life results”, in comp.theory.cell-automata (Usenet):
- We describe software that searches for spaceships in Conway's Game of Life and related two-dimensional cellular automata.2002, Richard Nowakowski, More Games of No Chance, page 433:
1 more example
- Synthesis of spaceship flotillas is even more complicated than synthesis of oscillators, since spaceships are like oscillators that move[…]2010, Andrew Adamatzky, Game of Life Cellular Automata, page 126:
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Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Programming, Sciences The operator <=> in certain programming languages, which compares two values and indicates whether the first is lesser than, greater than, or equal to the second.
- If we reverse the positions of $a and $b, the spaceship will sort in the opposite order[…]2012, Randal Schwartz, Brian Foy, Tom Phoenix, Intermediate Perl, page 142:
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Slang A computer.
- Synonyms
- spacecraft
- Derived terms
- elementary spaceship, heavyweight spaceship, overweight spaceship, spaceshiplike
- Related terms
- flying saucer, spacecraft, starship, UFO
- Hypernyms
- ship