migra n. the border patrol at the shared U.S. boundary with Mexico. Editorial Note: Used by Spanish-speaking undocumented immigrants as la migra. The border patrol, originally part of the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service, is now a part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection within the Department of Homeland Security. Etymological Note: Clipped form of Sp. migración ‘migration.’ (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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...
Asthenosphere, a geologist’s term for the molten layer beneath the earth’s crust, sparks a journey that stretches all the way from ancient Greece to the author of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Plus: What the heck is a dogberg? It’s when...