noun

Vulcan

VUHL-kuhn

noun

In fiction, a member of a logical, emotionally restrained alien species from the Star Trek universe.

"Spock, the most famous Vulcan, was known for suppressing his emotions."

A person who seems unusually unemotional, logical, or analytical.

"His coworkers joked that he was a total Vulcan during the crisis meeting."

A blacksmith or metalworker, an old and now rare usage.

"The village vulcan hammered out horseshoes from dawn till dusk."

How to Use Vulcan

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMost commonly refers to the logical, unemotional alien race from Star Trek, or is used to describe someone acting that way.

Common pairings

Vulcan logic act like a Vulcan

Word Forms

more Vulcan comparative, Vulcans plural, Vulcans plural, Vulcans plural, most Vulcan superlative

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Spock, the most famous _____, was known for suppressing his emotions.

Etymology

From the Roman god Vulcan, god of fire and metalworking. The Star Trek sense comes from the fictional planet Vulcan, itself named after the god by 19th-century astronomers proposing a hypothetical planet near the sun.