# flying saucer

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. A disc-shaped unidentified flying object or UFO; originally in reference to sightings by aviator Kenneth Arnold in Washington in 1947.
2. An alien interplanetary vessel, typically disc-shaped and of metallic construction.
3. A form of confectionery, a small spheroidal capsule of rice paper filled with sherbet.

## Etymology
From an interview given by amateur pilot Kenneth Arnold who described seeing nine flying objects that were "moving like saucers being skimmed across a lake". The description was not meant to describe the shape of the objects, only how they maneuvered, yet the misinterpretation took hold and gained popularity.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/flying-saucer