fling
n.— «He studied the deep-earth sources of earthquakes and coined the more graphic term “fling” for a phenomenon scientists call elastic rebound, which occurs along a fault line in an earthquake’s initial stages. It is this snap-back along a slipping fault, much like the rebound of a rubber band, that causes much of the damage to structures after a quake.» —“Bruce A. Bolt, 75, Scientist Who Improved Earthquake Safety, Dies” by Jeremy Pearce New York Times July 28, 2005. (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...
Sean in Oneonta, New York, says that when he was growing up in New Jersey, his family would pile in the car and set off on a surprise adventure, whether a short distance or long, and the kids would be told only that they were going on Buxtehude...