airlock n.
a small intermediate compartment with controlled pressure and two airtight doors, used to facilitate movement between the interior and exterior of a spacecraft; (also) either of the doors to such a compartment; cf. space lock n.
This term is found as early as 1840 in reference to a submarine.
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[1840 Mechanic & Chemist 19 Dec. 282/2
a l is an air-lock [in a submarine], into which the men enter to pass up tod a ;d a , rooms where air at the common density is heated, and where the hands refresh themselves.] -
1930
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Harl Vincent
bibliography
Dowling went to the shop for some tools and Ray and Gary climbed through the circular hatch into a small chamber inside the vessel. This chamber formed an air lock and communicated with the interior through a second circular hatch.
Explorers of Callisto in Amazing Stories Feb. 1001/2 -
1930
page image
John W. Campbell, Jr.
bibliography
Through the air-locks the great ships settled into their world.
Black Star Passes in Amazing Stories Quarterly Fall 523/1
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1951
Arthur C. Clarke
bibliography
Help him through the airlock when the tender couples up.
Sands of Mars ii. 12 -
1970
Anne McCaffrey
bibliography
She must put on the suit because the airlock had no independent oxygen or cooling units.
Ship who Sang (1991) i.20
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1973
Arthur C. Clarke
bibliography
A clearly marked circular disc, a hundred metres in diameter, was centred on the Pole, and Norton had a strong suspicion that this must be the outer seal of an enormous airlock.
Rendezvous with Rama (1974) 20
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1981
C. J. Cherryh
bibliography
Dur Tahar laid her ears back and started to go, lingered for one poisonous look beyond, toward the airlock, and a focus snapped back on center.
Pride of Chanur (1991) vii. 108
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1992
Allen Steele
bibliography
Since the airlock could accommodate only two people at a time, the two men had allowed Miho to have her privacy while they waited in the depressurised garage.
Labyrinth of Night 40
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2005
Robert J. Sawyer
Then we cycled through the airlock, which happened to be adjacent to the pad where the moonbuses landed.
Mindscan xxx. 218
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2019
Yoon Ha Lee
bibliography
My sharp ears picked up the sounds of the mercs aligning one of their ships with ours and forcing the hatch open, then the whine of the airlock cycling. I tensed up. How many of them would come for us?
Dragon Pearl ix. 83
Research requirements
antedating 1930
Last modified 2022-02-22 17:54:53
In the compilation of some
entries, HDSF has drawn extensively on corresponding entries
in OED.