noun
cosmonaut
KOZ-muh-nawt
noun
1
An astronaut, especially one from Russia or the former Soviet Union.
"Yuri Gagarin became the first cosmonaut to orbit the Earth in 1961."
How to Use Cosmonaut
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishThe Russian/Soviet word for a space traveler, roughly equivalent to "astronaut."
Easily confused with
Word Forms
cosmonauts plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “cosmonaut”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
Yuri Gagarin became the first _____ to orbit the Earth in 1961.
Etymology
From Russian kosmonavt, built from Greek kosmos ("universe") and nautes ("sailor") — the Russian counterpart to "astronaut."