gunpoint
v.— «One that I’ve heard several times, but never seen in print is the verb gunpoint, as in: “He came up to my car window, gunpointed me, and told me to get out and surrender my keys.” It’s economical, instantly comprehensible, and graphic—better than: “pointed a gun at me…”» —“Collins Word Exchange” by Vivien Horler Languagehat Jan. 17, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
What if, instead of being an inanimate object, a dictionary were alive? That’s the idea behind a lavishly illustrated new children’s book called The Dictionary Story (Bookshop|Amazon) by Oliver Jeffers and Sam Winston. This is part of a...
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...