UFO orig. U.S.
(ˈjuːfəʊ, ˌjuːɛfˈəʊ)
Also U.F.O., Ufo, ufo.
[Acronym.]
An unidentified flying object; a ‘flying saucer’.
| 1953 D. E. Keyhoe in Air Line Pilot Oct. 9/3 The UFO was estimated to be between 12,000 and 20,000 feet above the jets. 1956 E. J. Ruppelt Rep. Unidentified Flying Objects 13 UFO is the official term that I created to replace the words ‘flying saucers’. 1957 Flying Saucer Rev. III. vi. 9/2 Andrew Vaccari, of London Road, Neath, saw a crescent-shaped U.F.O. travelling at a terrific speed from the direction of Wern Mountain, Port Talbot, towards Mumbles. 1959 ‘Wyndham’ & Parkes Outward Urge ii. 86 Radar Watch here, sir..Two ufos observed approaching south-east by south. 1966 New Statesman 8 July 58/2 Flying saucers or Ufos..continue. They are now seen in all parts of the world and in increasing numbers. 1977 New Yorker 27 June 51/2 She talked to people who had seen strange sights—UFOs or sea monsters. 1983 Out of Town July 14/2 A relative of the marquess, celebrated for her obsession with flying saucers, scans the skies and..UFOs obligingly hover overhead. |
Hence ˈUFOish a., having characteristics of a UFO.
| 1973 G. S. Hawkins Beyond Stonehenge vii. 117 We found no extraterrestrial artifacts. Nothing the least bit UFO-ish. 1978 J. Updike Coup (1979) iv. 130 Steely, spherical UFOish IBM type elements. |