cosmonaut

Everyday

A cosmonaut is an astronaut from Russia or, in the past, from the Soviet Union. tree →

In the lessons

In history and science lessons: Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut, was the first person in space in 1961, and Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman in space in 1963. Different countries use different words: astronaut (USA, Europe and most countries), cosmonaut (Russia), taikonaut (often for China).

Examples

• Yuri Gagarin was the first cosmonaut to orbit the Earth. tree →
• Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman cosmonaut. tree →
• The cosmonaut floated inside the space station. tree →
• Cosmonauts and astronauts work together on the International Space Station. tree →
• The cosmonaut trained for years before her flight. tree →
• Our class wrote questions for a retired cosmonaut. tree →

Note

Countable. «Cosmos» means space or the universe; «naut» means sailor — so a cosmonaut is a «space sailor», like astronaut is a «star sailor».