Word of the Day

: November 6, 2023

terraform

play

verb TEH-ruh-form

Prev Next

What It Means

To terraform something (such as a planet or moon) is to transform it so that it is suitable for supporting human life.

// With Earth being the only Goldilocks planet within our reach, some argue that the survival of humanity depends on our ability to eventually terraform Mars.

See the entry >

terraform in Context

“Simulation games now routinely engage with climate change, but usually from a place of wish fulfillment. Surviving Mars lets players use magical future technology to terraform the Red Planet into a new Eden, creating a backup home in case Earth is ravaged beyond redemption.” — Mark Hill, Wired, 6 Jan. 2022

Did You Know?

In the world of science fiction, life (uh) finds a way. Such is the goal of terraforming, a concept that has long served as a sci-fi staple. In fact, the word terraform can be traced to the genre’s Golden Age: the first known use of terraform was by the science fiction writer Jack Williamson who, writing under the pseudonym Will Stewart, included the word in his 1942 story “Collision Orbit.” Terraform applies the Latin noun terra (“land, earth”) as a prefix to the English verb form (“to shape or develop”). (Terra is evidenced in many English words, including terrain, terrace, and terra-cotta.) You may ask, “what is the future of terraforming?” Suffice it to say, we have no earthly idea.