Word of the Day

: October 6, 2006

techno-thriller

noun TEK-noh-thrill-er

What It Means

: a work of fiction having a high degree of intrigue, adventure, or suspense and a plot that relies on modern technology

techno-thriller in Context

The techno-thriller's protagonist, equipped with an arsenal of futuristic weapons, must prevent a terrorist group's strike on the nation's capital.

Did You Know?

"Techno-thriller" owes a lot to technology. Not only do fictional techno-thrillers include a lot of technology in their plots, the word itself includes the combining form "techno-," which derives from the word "technology." The artistic and literary genre is relatively new and so is the word that describes it; the first documented use of "techno-thriller" dates from 1986.