treknobabble

English

WOTD – 16 February 2013

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 […]