"post-human" - Word of the Day from the OED

[Dave Monroe]

OED Online Word of the Day

post-human, adj. and n.DRAFT ENTRY Dec. 2006

Brit. /psthjumn/, U.S. /pos(t)(h)jum()n/  [< POST- prefix + HUMAN adj.
Cf. earlier PREHUMAN adj.]

    A. adj.

    1. Chiefly Science Fiction. Of or relating to a hypothetical
species that might evolve from human beings, as by means of genetic or
bionic augmentation.
1916 M. PARMELEE Poverty & Social Progress xxi. 319 An animal no
longer human, or for that matter mammalian, in its character... But
even if such a post-human animal did come into existence, it is
difficult to believe that it could carry on the necessary economic
activities without using a certain amount of formal organization. 1934
Times 20 Nov. 15/4 Here is no biological speculation on the means of
getting born of oviparous parentage, like the miserable post-human
young in the last act of Back to Methuselah. 1940 H. G. WELLS Babes in
Darkling Wood IV. iii. 374 If Homo sapiens fails in his promise, then
I do not care whether it is his degenerate descendants, post-human
monsters..or whether it is totalitarian ants or rats or mice or what
not which come next in the succession. 1995 D. COUPLAND Microserfs
(1996) v. 241 They want to become 'posthuman'to make their bodies like
the Bionic Woman's and the Six Million Dollar Man'sto go to the next
level of bodyhood.

    2. Designating or relating to art, music, etc., in which humanity
or human concerns are regarded as peripheral or absent; abstract,
impersonal, mechanistic, dispassionate.
1944 J. KEROUAC Let. Oct. in Sel. Lett. 1940-56 (1995) 81 Hating
himself as he does, hating his 'humankindness', he seeks new vision, a
post-human post-intelligence. 1950 J. BERRYMAN Stephen Crane iii. 257
It affects one as pure symbol, senseless and ghastly, like one of
Goya's last etchings, and has the posthuman quality of certain late
art by other masters. 1981 Time (Nexis) 25 May 86 His humor, his
presence, his act seem not only post-funny but posthuman. 1998 K.
ESHUM More Brilliant than Sun v. 68 Moving into the possibility space
of hyperrhythm, posthuman rhythm that's impossible to play, impossible
to hear in a history of causation.

    B. n.    Science Fiction. A member of a hypothetical species that
might evolve from human beings.
1985 B. STERLING Schismatrix 26 I've met many borderline posthumans in
my day, but never one of you. 1999 Village Voice (NY) (Nexis) 14 Dec.
120 The posthuman is not just some Edward Scissorhands amalgamation of
gizmos and flesh. 2002 A. M. STEELE in Asimov's Sci. Fiction May 70 A
posthuman who had once been flesh and blood until he'd relinquished
his humanity to have his mind downloaded into cyborg form, becoming an
immortal intellect.

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