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Unidentified flying object

noun, slang

Definitions

Noun

1
Anything not readily explainable appearing to move through or be suspended in the air.
"The lights seen over the city last night, originally termed unidentified flying objects, turned out to be spotlights from a car dealership reflecting on low clouds."
2
an (apparently) flying object whose nature is unknown; especially those considered to have extraterrestrial origins wordnet
3
Anything not readily explainable appearing to move through or be suspended in the air.; Such things as seem to be discrete objects and comparable to aircraft.
"She said that the unidentified flying object then turned around, zoomed to a higher altitude, and loitered briefly before speeding off."
4
An alien spacecraft. colloquial
"He said that the strange beings then took him aboard their unidentified flying object and examined his body."

Etymology

The phrase is usually attributed to US Air Force officer Edward J. Ruppelt (1923–1960) who coined it as a replacement of the terms flying saucer and flying disk.

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