Definition of steampunk
: science fiction dealing with 19th-century societies dominated by historical or imagined steam-powered technology
- Trending Now: More Trending:
- embolization oleaginous pansexual symbiote charlatan
- ALL
What's Trending Now
More Trending Words
steampunk was our Word of the Day on 07/16/2014. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Recent Examples of steampunk from the Web
-
The dragon, which has a steampunk-looking design, normally rolls through the streets of the theme park, occasionally rearing its head and blowing smoke and fire into the air.
-
Horsehead and steampunk shoes are just some of Dixie art students' latest creation.
-
Dressing up in Victorian, goth or steampunk fashion is encouraged.
-
Unlike so much other steampunk, though, this mechanized Victorian vision doesn’t ignore the human cost of industrialization.
-
Keep an eye out for the tiling in the bathroom, the vaguely steampunk-y light fixtures above the bar and the birds in flight inlaid on some of the tables.
-
Anderson transports us to a late 21st century Japan packed with narrative and visual flourishes that Anderson aficionados adore: odd codes of conduct, admirable or menacing adults, ornate steampunk machines and dry, self-deprecating, sarcastic wit.
-
From the shabby-chic River Walk space to the steampunk coffee service, Gwendolyn understands the escape, comfort, congeniality and restorative properties of an old-school restaurant experience.
-
To get to the ride, visitors pass through the inventor’s workshop, which is adorned, steampunk-style, with timepieces, cogs, gears, and mysterious artifacts about time travel.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'steampunk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
I think Victorian fantasies are going to be the next big thing, as long as we can come up with a fitting collective term for [Tim] Powers, [James] Blaylock and myself. So wrote the science-fiction author K. W. Jeter, credited with coining the term steampunk in 1987 to describe a wave of fantasy novels set in Victorian times and celebrating the technology of the era, much of which was powered by steam. In both name and subject, steampunk is an antithesis to cyberpunk, a genre often noted for featuring computerized, futuristic, or unearthly settings. The popularity of steampunk has since carried over to motion pictures, fashion, and even things like restaurant décor.
Origin and Etymology of steampunk
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up steampunk? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
