| Definition | A non-human being that has a human-like bodily form |
| OED requirements | antedating 1940 |
| Earliest cite | Isaac Asimov, Homo Sol |
| Comment | Mike Christie submitted a 1947 cite from Jack Williamson. Imran Ghory submitted a cite from a reprint of Isaac Asimov's "Homo Sol"; Mike Christie verified it in the 1940 magazine appearance.
The OED has cites for a noun usage back to 1925, in a sense that distinguishes "humanoid" from "anthropoid", but the usage in the sf sense in the OED is from 1958. |
| Last modified | 6 July, 2008 |
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| 1951 Astounding Sci. Fiction Mar. 56/1 | Since this is a humanoid world, we'd have had to handle contact regardless of who spotted the degrader focus. |
| 1953 R. A. Heinlein Starman Jones (1975) iv. 48 | Martians in trefoil sunglasses and respirators, humanoids from Beta Corvi III, things with exoskeletons from Allah knew where. |
| 1953 R. A. Heinlein Starman Jones (1975) x. 104 | Nor had the humanoid Sirian waiter heard of strawberry soda. |
| 1962 M. Z. Bradley Planet Savers in Planet Savers/Sword of Aldones (1982) ii. 18 | With the small and delicate humanoids who had been my playfellows, I had gathered the nuts and buds and trapped the small arboreal animals they used for food. |
| 1968 G. Roddenberry in S. E. Whitfield & G. Roddenberry Making of ‘Star Trek’ ii. iii. 207 | We depict many humanoid aliens because we (along with Cal Tech studies and others) do believe parallel evolution is a distinct possibility. |
| 1969 M. Z. Bradley Brass Dragon (1980) viii. 142 | Behind him one of the slab-faced humanoids moved, weapon at the ready. |
| 1970 G. Dickson Hour of Horde viii. 107 | His last fight, with a dark-skinned humanoid named Henaoa, had take all of Miles' strength and skill to win. |
| 1982 S. Cooper Black Fire i.36 | The life form they were searching for was of humanoid appearance. |
| 1983 S. Marshak & M. Culbreath Triangle i.13 | Also one primitive humanoid, about our size—who dies at an early age. |
| 1983 S. Marshak & M. Culbreath Triangle vi. 37 | She was humanoid, certainly. |
| 1984 D. Brin Practice Effect ii. ii.25 | The small screen showed shapes that looked like blurry humanoid figures moving around the zievatron airlock. |
| 1985 S. Sucharitkul Alien Swordmaster i. ii. 11 | The possibilities of a hundred percent humanoid race evolving on another world were pretty remote. |
| 1985 M. W. Bonanno Dwellers in Crucible Prologue 4 | In the transporter room where the first shore leave party had gathered, three crewmen whom the humanoids aboard took to be Vulcans exchanged lightning glances. |
| 1986 J.M. Dillard Mindshadow i. 9 | Life form reading ahead, Captain. Humanoid. |
| 1986 D. Carey Dreadnought i.14, | I lay on my side, blinking into a maze of lights and humanoid shapes. |
| 1987 O. Butler Dawn (1991) i. ii. 12 | The lights brightened as she had supposed they would, and what had seemed to be a tall, slender man was still humanoid, but it had not nose—no bulge, no nostrils—just flat, gray skin. |
| 1992 P. David Imzadi xxiv. 189 | Phaser blasts can stop them but not on lower settings. Ranges that stun the Sindareen can severely injure, even kill other humanoids. |
| 1993 Sci. Fiction Age Jan. 21/3 | In order to assimilate and function on the planet, he takes on a humanoid shape, but he can turn himself into any shape he likes. |
| 1994 Sci Fi Entertainment Aug. 41/1 | Only that the humanoid form may in fact be far more common than anyone suspects. |
| 1995 Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch Star Trek Voyager: Escape viii. 81 | ‘Mr. Tuvok,’ she said, ‘I want you to maintain a lock on that humanoid. I want to know each time he takes a breath. Mr. Paris, I want you to scan for any anomalies in the area. Chakotay, see if you can find our away team underground, aboveground, or floating in the atmosphere. I want answers, people.’ |
| 1995 Dean Wesley Smith & Kristine Kathryn Rusch Star Trek Voyager: Escape iii. 29 | Some humanoids walked alone. |
| 1999 C. Pellegrino & G. Zebrowski Star Trek Next Generation: Dyson Sphere i. 9 | What, ultimately, were the humanoids going to do with the universe? |
| 2006 S. M. Stirling Sky People xi. 237 | Marc drew and shot, drew and shot, distantly aware that he was glad of the activity distracting him from the fact that scores of gorilla-strong humanoids were rushing at him with intent to kill him and eat his flesh, and not necessarily in that order. |