sky watchtower
n.— «“It allows you to see over a large area,” said Chief Carlos Gomez, a Police Department executive officer for northern Queens, who estimated that the camera was capturing images 300 yards away. He had joined Officer Solano in one of the five sky watchtowers that are being used by the department to provide better surveillance capability, and a highly visible police presence at public events, busy intersections or high-crime sites.» —“At Shea Stadium, Police Choose Perch 20 Feet Above Crowd” by Thomas J. Lueck New York Times Apr. 10, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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...
A young caller from the Hudson Valley of New York wonders about his grandmother’s use of stemwinder to praise a speech she thought was excellent. In the early 1800s, people used pocket watches that had to be wound with a tiny key. Once someone...