English Reference
Noun

starship

n. countable
B2 Upper Intermediate US /ˈstɑɹˌʃɪp/ star·ship

n.a large vehicle designed for traveling between different stars or across the galaxy. You usually see these in science fiction movies and books.

n.a spacecraft designed for interstellar travel. Often used in science fiction contexts to describe vessels capable of moving between star systems.


SIMPLE

The starship traveled through the galaxy at high speed.

CONTEXTUAL

In many science fiction stories, the starship serves as a mobile home for a crew exploring distant planets.

COMPLEX

Engineers are currently debating whether a theoretical starship would require a massive shield to protect its hull from microscopic space debris during high-velocity interstellar transit.

Engineers have reams of data from all 13 test flights of Starship and its giant booster rocket, known as the Super Heavy.

Ars Technica· 18 Aug 2026

That meant cancelling a trip last spring to Texas to watch the SpaceX Starship launch with his brother.

BBC News· 14 Aug 2026

From star + ship.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency Frequent
Updated