Ufos

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Objects or phenomena observed in the sky that are not immediately identifiable as conventional aircraft or natural occurrences
2. Items that have sparked interest and speculation regarding extraterrestrial life or advanced technology
3. Unidentified flying objects that often evoke curiosity and concern about their origins and implications in aeronautics

Etymology: "Ufos" is the plural of "UFO," an abbreviation of "unidentified flying object." The abbreviation was the work of the United States Air Force, which needed a neutral term for aerial sightings that could not be explained. Because the letters were pronounced as a single word, "UFO" came to be read as a word in its own right rather than as a string of initials. The plural follows the usual English pattern for words ending in a vowel, so the form is "UFOs" in careful writing, while "ufos" is the lowercase spelling used for the plural noun in running text. The noun refers to the mysterious flying objects themselves, and the term's cool, clinical tone was part of its purpose: it avoided the loaded language of "flying saucers" that had spread in the press.

Synonyms: unidentified flying objects, flying saucers