# spaceship

/ˈspeɪsˌʃɪp/ (US) · /spˈeɪsʃɪp/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/spaceship
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. space vehicle

noun · CEFR A2

a vehicle that travels through outer space, often carrying people.

For teachers: a vehicle designed for travel or operation in outer space, especially one carrying a crew.

- The astronauts lived inside the spaceship for six months while they studied the stars.
- The engineering team spent decades developing a spaceship capable of sustaining human life during the long journey to the outer planets.

### 2. programming operator

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a symbol (<=>) used in computer code to compare two values.

For teachers: the comparison operator <=> used in languages like Ruby, C++, and PHP to return -1, 0, or 1 based on value relationships.

- You can use the spaceship operator to sort the list of names quickly.
- By implementing the spaceship operator, the developer allowed the custom object to be sorted using the language's built-in comparison logic.

Usage: Often referred to as the 'spaceship operator' because of its visual appearance.

### 3. cellular automata

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a pattern in a computer simulation that moves across the screen over time.

For teachers: a finite pattern that reappears in a different position after a set number of generations in a cellular automaton.

- In the Game of Life, a spaceship is a pattern that travels across the grid.
- The discovery of a new, complex spaceship in the simulation provided deeper insights into the mathematical properties of the grid's rules.

## Examples

- The spaceship landed safely on the moon.
- Engineers spent years designing a spaceship capable of carrying a crew to Mars and back.
- The discovery of an unidentified object in orbit sparked a global debate over whether it was a natural asteroid or a sophisticated spaceship from another galaxy.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.