gated
adj.— «The new study suggests that itch, like pain, may be a “gated” system in which signals from other nerve cells can interfere with or moderate the sensation. Scratching the skin near, but not directly on, the spot that itches often provides relief, just as rubbing an aching limb can reduce pain.» —“Scratching Relieves Itch by Quieting Nerve Cells” by Benedict Carey New York Times Apr. 7, 2009. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Have you ever googled your own name and found someone else who goes by the very same moniker? There’s a word for that: googleganger. Plus, the language of hobbyists and enthusiasts: If you’re a beekeeper, perhaps you call yourself a...
The new Downton Abbey movie is a luscious treat for fans of the public-television period piece, but how accurate is the script when it comes to the vocabulary of the early 20th century? It may be jarring to hear the word swag, but it was already at...