jake brakes
n.pl.— «If approved, the ordinance would prohibit within the city limits the use of hydraulically operated devices that convert a power-producing diesel or gas engine into a a powerabsorbing retarding mechanism with a correspondingly increased amount of noise emission. The use of such braking systems, often referred to as “jake brakes,” would be permitted in emergency situations or if the service brakes failed.» —“Hitting the brakes: Council to consider ordinance halting use of ‘jake brakes’” by Drew Terry Northwest Arkansas Times (Fayetteville) Apr. 5, 2005. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Advice about college essays from the winner of a top prize for children’s literature: Kelly Barnhill encourages teens to write about experiences that are uniquely their own, from a point of view that is theirs and no one else’s. Plus, why do we say...
While compiling the Oxford English Dictionary, lexicographer James Murray exchanged hundreds of letters a week with authors, advisors, and volunteer researchers. A new collection online lets you eavesdrop on discussions about which words should be...