Splashdown
/ˈsplæʃˌdaʊn/noun
The landing of a spacecraft or missile in water.
Did you know?Unlike ancient words with occult roots, splashdown is a modern aviation-era coinage, but it carries the same dramatic power of naming a descent as a single, cinematic event.
Etymological Timeline
Middle English
English
splashen
“to make a spattering or spluttering noise; to dash water about”
Early Modern English
English
splash
“a noisy or wet scattering of liquid”
20th Century
English
splashdown
“the landing of a spacecraft or missile in water”
Modern English
English
splashdown
“the water landing of a spacecraft, capsule, or similar vehicle”