# unidentified flying object

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. Anything not readily explainable appearing to move through or be suspended in the air.
2. Anything not readily explainable appearing to move through or be suspended in the air.
3. An alien spacecraft.

## Etymology
The phrase is usually attributed to US Air Force officer Edward J. Ruppelt (1923–1960) who coined it as a replacement of the terms flying saucer and flying disk.

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