chicane
n.— «A maze-like series of four concrete barriers known as a chicane was constructed at the head of the street where the building was located. The suicide van managed to get through that series of barriers.» —“Criticism of Security At Embassy Rises” Washington Post Sept. 22, 1984. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
In the 15th century, the word respair meant “to have hope again.” Although this word fell out of use, it’s among dozens collected in a new book of soothing vocabulary for troubled times. Plus, baseball slang: If a batter...
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...