lap-band
n.— «They are also among the leading evangelists in the rising medical crusade against morbid obesity—an impassioned and potentially lucrative crusade that has seen the number of bariatric surgeons balloon in recent years, along with a simultaneous surge in hospital weight-loss programs. Together, with scalpels at the ready, the two doctors preach the gospel of a minimally invasive technique called laparoscopic banding surgery, or “Lap-Band” for short. Dr. Fielding became the proud owner of his own Lap-Band around 1998.» —“Skinny Physicians Dedicate Love To Making World Thinner Place” by Lizzy Ratner New York Observer (New York City) May 15, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Mary Beth in Greenville, South Carolina, wonders: Why do we say four-oh-nine for the number 409 instead of four-zero-nine or four-aught-nine? What are the rules for saying either zero or oh or aught or ought to indicate that arithmetical symbol...
Astronauts returning from space say they experience what’s called the overview effect, a new understanding of the fragility of our planet and our need to reflect on what humans all share as a species. A book about the end of the universe...