imping
n.— «A bird found entangled in fishing line and hanging from a tree is getting some unusual help from University of California-Davis wildlife veterinarians. It’s getting feather implants. While it sounds bizarre, doctors say they’ve been doing this procedure for hundreds of years, reports KOVR-TV, the CBS affiliate in Sacramento. This procedure called, imping, sounds like something new but is actually fairly common at UC Davis and the International Bird Rescue Research Center.» —“Wildlife Veterinarians Give Bird Feather Implants” in Davis, California KEYE-TV Feb. 13, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Our discussion of Anglo-Saxon kennings inspired listener Paul Holler of Arlington Heights, Illinois, to write a lovely poem exploring the idea of the kenning sea-guest, meaning “sailor,” and what it means to be a guest of the sea and what that says...
Scientists have named some recently discovered species of tree frogs after characters from Star Trek. Why? Because of the boops and trills and other sounds that these frogs make. And: naming your children with the virtues you hope they’ll develop as...