suit n.

= space suit n.

  • 1898 G. P. Serviss Edison’s Conquest of Mars in Los Angeles Herald 13 Feb. 22/6 page image Garrett P. Serviss bibliography

    While it was the intention to remain as much as possible within the cars, yet since it was probable that necessity would arise for occasionally quitting the interior of the electrical ships, Mr. Edison had provided for this emergency by inventing an air-tight dress constructed somewhat after the manner of a diver's suit, but of much lighter material. Each ship was provided with several of these suits, by wearing which one could venture outside the car even when it was beyond the atmosphere of the earth.

  • 1928 E. E. Smith Skylark of Space in Amazing Stories Sept. 539/2 page image Edward E. Smith bibliography

    He took a long inhalation, deposited the butt of his cigarette carefully in his ash tray, and made his way to his room. He returned with three heavy fur suits provided with air helmets, two of which he handed to the girls, who were huddled in a seat with their arms around each other. These suits were the armor designed by Crane for use in exploring the vacuum and the intense cold of dead worlds.

  • 1931 N. Schachner & A. L. Zagat Emperor of the Stars in Wonder Stories Apr. 1215/1 page image Arthur Leo Zagat Nat Schachner bibliography

    By this time he had donned the suit; only the helmet was not yet clamped into position.

  • 1936 ‘R. Rocklynne’ At the Center of Gravity in Astounding Stories June 68/1 page image Ross Rocklynne bibliography

    Both were clad in the tough, insulated, smoothly curving suits that man must wear in space.

  • 1936 ‘R. Rocklynne’ At the Center of Gravity in Astounding Stories June 70/2 page image Ross Rocklynne bibliography

    Or else we wait until our oxygen tanks run low, and then cut a hole in the fabric of our suits.

  • 1949 J. H. Schmitz Agent of Vega in Astounding Science Fiction July 52/2 page image James H. Schmitz bibliography

    She was in an ordinary space-suit—no armor. She sat rigid and motionless, blocking his advance down that side of the room because the suit she wore would have burst into incandescence at the first splash of the hellish energies pouring dangerously past her.

  • 1958 R. Silverberg Invaders from Earth (1987) x. 96 Robert Silverberg bibliography

    At the end of the first hour he had a fair idea of how to run the suit, though he was still vague on what to do when the powerpak ran dry.

  • 1966 I. Asimov The Key in Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction Oct. 7/1 page image Isaac Asimov bibliography

    They took the small skim-boat back to the mother ship. They shucked their suits once on board, something Jennings at least was always glad to do.

  • 1968 A. Norton Zero Stone (1969) 61 Andre Norton bibliography

    There was another opening at the end of this space, giving entrance directly to the lock, saving time when one must suit or unsuit in leaving or entering the ship. I ran my hand along the rack of suits, striving to find one enough my size to be, if not comfortable, usable.

  • 1972 A. D. Foster Tar-Aiym Krang 105 Alan Dean Foster bibliography

    They passed several vessels in parking orbit around the planet, including one of the great fueling stations for the shuttles. Some of the giant craft were in the process of loading or unloading, and men in suits floated about them sparkling like diamond dust.

  • 1986 ‘C. J. Cherryh’ Chanur’s Homecoming 33 C. J. Cherryh bibliography

    A pair of armed kif headed toward her airlock. They wore no suits, only the hooded black robes universal with their kind. That meant the kif put some reliance on the jury-patches and the repressurization of this zone of the dock.

  • 1991 L. Niven, J. Pournelle, & M. Flynn Fallen Angels 11 Larry Niven Michael F. Flynn Jerry Pournelle bibliography

    Five times his suit had leaked air while they worked to save Freedom Station.

  • 2020 E. Bear Machine v. 81 Elizabeth Bear bibliography

    That meant I needed to don not just my standard hardsuit, but a heavy-duty, thermally protective suit that did not radiate any heat whatsoever.


Research requirements

antedating 1898

Earliest cite

G. P. Serviss, Edison's Conquest of Mars

Research History
Douglas Winston submitted a 1966 cite from Isaac Asimov's "The Key".
Douglas Winston submitted a 1972 cite from Alan Dean Foster's "The Tar-Aiym Krang".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from an undated reprint of Andre Norton's 1968 "The Zero Stone".
Douglas Winston submitted a 1985 cite from Bruce Sterling's "Schismatrix".
Douglas Winston submitted a 1986 cite from C. J. Cherryh's "Chanur's Homecoming".
Katrina Campbell submitted a cite from a 1985 reprint of David Gerrold's "Starhunt".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a reprint of James Schmitz's "Agent of Vega"; Mike Christie verified it in the original 1949 magazine appearance.
Douglas Winston submitted a 1967 cite from Ben Bova's "Fifteen Miles".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite from a reprint of Henry Kuttner's "Camouflage"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1945 original magazine appearance.
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a 1977 reprint of Robert H. Wilson's 1931 "Out Around Rigel".
Douglas Winston submitted a cite from a 1977 reprint of Frank K. Kelly's 1933 "Into the Meteorite Orbit".
Malcolm Farmer submitted a cite from a reprint of Ross Rocklynne's "At the Center of Gravity"; Mike Christie verified the cite in the 1936 original magazine appearance.
Jeff Prucher submitted a 1931 cite from Nathan Schachner and Arthur Leo Zagat's "The Emperor of the Stars".
Alistair Durie submitted a 1928 cite from E.E. Smith's "The Skylark of Space".
Ben Ostrowsky submitted a 2020 cite from Elizabeth Bear.
Simon Koppel submitted an 1898 cite from G. P. Serviss.

Last modified 2021-04-13 23:37:24
In the compilation of some entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries in OED.