Spacecrafts

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of vehicle designed for travel or operation in outer space or beyond the Earth's atmosphere
2. A craft specifically built for space missions, including exploration, research, and transportation
3. Any vessel used to support human or robotic missions in extraterrestrial environments, enabling various scientific and commercial activities

Etymology: "Spacecrafts" is the plural of "spacecraft," a compound formed in the mid-20th century from "space" and "craft." The second element has an older pedigree than its partner: "craft" comes from Old English "cræft," meaning skill or power, and over the centuries it came to mean a trade, then skilled workmanship, and eventually a vessel or machine built with that skill. Aircraft followed the same pattern, and "spacecraft" was built on that model once rockets and satellites made travel beyond the atmosphere a practical matter. Most dictionaries and style guides treat "spacecraft" as its own plural, so "spacecraft" and "spacecrafts" are both seen in print, with "spacecraft" the more standard choice. The plural "spacecrafts" is therefore accepted but less common, and writers who want to avoid the question often say "spacecraft" for the collective or "space vehicles" for variety.

Synonyms: spaceships, space vehicles