Definition of steampunk
: science fiction dealing with 19th-century societies dominated by historical or imagined steam-powered technology
From the M-W Editors
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
-
With wardrobes spanning from fur, metal and leather to fine silks, steampunk goggles and prosthetic masks, this is by far the most visually sophisticated and rewarding DC movie yet.
-
Behind him on the wall, a goat with a long beard was painted cleverly so that its horns meshed seamlessly with the building's toilet pipes, suggesting a demonic steampunk demigod.
-
The band has a four-year history with the museum dating back to a steampunk-themed event where August was the headliner.
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
1steam + cyberpunk
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).
Writing? Check your grammar now!