cold-iron v. (of a ship) to receive electricity, heat, water, and other utilities from shoreside. Editorial Note: The noun “cold iron” refers to a ship that cannot or does not operate under its own power, as seen in the 1956 and 1963 citations. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Cat hair may be something you brush off, but cat hair is also a slang term that means “money.” In the same way, cat beer isn’t alcoholic — some people use cat beer as a joking term for “milk.” And imagine walking on a...
Brian in San Antonio, Texas, wonders about the origin of the pinking in the term pinking shears. Such shears cut an even, zigzag pattern that keeps cloth from fraying at the edges. Pinking likely comes from French piquer, meaning to...