cosmonaut

noun

cos·​mo·​naut ˈkäz-mə-ˌnȯt 

-ˌnät

: an astronaut of the Soviet or Russian space program

Examples of cosmonaut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Virtual — Russian cosmonaut Alexey Zubritskiy, assisted by Sergey Ryzhikov, donned a pair of VR goggles as part of a study into the vestibular system's ability in microgravity to visually track movement while also keeping a sense of balance. —Robert Z. Pearlman, Space.com, 8 June 2025

The first such flight occurred in 1963, when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova was launched on a solo mission aboard the spacecraft Vostok 6, becoming the first woman in space and the only woman to ever go alone. —Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2025

That’s when Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova launched by herself, becoming the first woman in space. —Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 14 Apr. 2025

This is the first all-women crew to lift off in nearly six decades, following Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova's solo spaceflight, Blue Origin said. —Jennifer Earl, Analisa Novak, CBS News, 14 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Russian kosmonavt, from Greek kosmos + Russian -navt (as in aeronavt aeronaut)

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cosmonaut

• aeronaut
• aforethought
• afterthought
• apricot
• argonaut
• astronaut
• camelot
• coffeepot
• concordat
• entrepot
• flowerpot
• huguenot

Kids Definition

cosmonaut

noun

cos·​mo·​naut ˈkäz-mə-ˌnȯt 

-ˌnät

: a Soviet or Russian astronaut