mothership
Central alien vessel
A mothership is a large vessel—spacecraft, aircraft, or ship—that carries, deploys, or supports smaller craft.
Science fiction popularized the term for alien vessels carrying fleets of smaller ships: The mothership hovered over the city.
By extension, mothership describes any central hub or headquarters from which operations emanate: The startup's mothership is in Austin, but they have satellite offices everywhere.
Fictional interstellar vessel
- carrierOne that transports
- spaceshipVehicle for interplanetary travel
- spacecraftVehicle for outer space
- vesselReceptacle for contents
cruiser · dreadnought · station · orbital · docking · hangar · launch · fleet
Non-native being
- extraterrestrialBeing from outer space
- UFOUnidentified aerial craft
- invasionForcible entry into territory
- abductionUnlawful seizure of person
Independence Day · District 9 · Battlestar Galactica · hovering · descending · beam · tractor beam · swarm
Receptacle for contents
- fleetVehicles under unified command
- tenderSoft or sore
- carrierOne that transports
- convoyGuarded traveling group
escort · flotilla · naval · maritime · docking · provisions · resupply · at sea
Central command location
- controlAuthority to direct
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- centralIn the middle, primary
- operationsPlanned systematic activities
base · hub · nerve center · command center · dispatch · communications · admiral · bridge
Structured group with purpose
- corporationLegally separate business entity
- parent companyFirm owning subsidiary businesses
- headquartersCentral command location
- franchiseLicensed business operation
subsidiary · branch · network · conglomerate · umbrella · central office · home office · hub
Point of origin
- parentMother or father
- originatorOne who initiates
- progenitorAncestor or originator
- home baseCentral point of operations
founder · root · nucleus · birthplace · spawning · originating · primary · main
starship
Fictional interstellar vessel
- carrierOne that transports
- spaceshipVehicle for interplanetary travel
- spacecraftVehicle for outer space
vessel · cruiser · dreadnought · station · orbital · docking · hangar · launch · fleet · armada
alien
Non-native being
- extraterrestrialBeing from outer space
- UFOUnidentified aerial craft
- invasionForcible entry into territory
abduction · Independence Day · District 9 · Battlestar Galactica · hovering · descending · beam · tractor beam · swarm · hive
vessel
Receptacle for contents
convoy · escort · flotilla · naval · maritime · docking · provisions · resupply · at sea · armada
headquarters
Central command location
- controlAuthority to direct
- coordinationOrganized cooperative movement
- centralIn the middle, primary
operations · base · hub · nerve center · command center · dispatch · communications · admiral · bridge · tactical
organization
Structured group with purpose
- corporationLegally separate business entity
- parent companyFirm owning subsidiary businesses
- headquartersCentral command location
franchise · subsidiary · branch · network · conglomerate · umbrella · central office · home office · hub · anchor
source
Point of origin
- parentMother or father
- originatorOne who initiates
- progenitorAncestor or originator
home base · founder · root · nucleus · birthplace · spawning · originating · primary · main · principal
- sci-fiscience fiction, Star Wars, sci-fi, Blade Runner 2049, aliens
- space travelspaceship, starship, spacecraft, astronaut, rocket
- spacecraftspacecraft, starships, spaceship, Voyager 1, rocket ships
- Alien Invasionflying saucers, death rays, tripods, ray guns, war machines
- Extraterrestrialsalien, aliens, extraterrestrial, ET, UFO
- Fictional Vehiclesstarship, Battlestar Galactica, Millennium Falcon, Borg cube, Rocinante
mothershipfighter
One who engages in combat
drone · shuttle · landing craft · escape pod · lifeboat