spud
n.— «When working in deep water, the hull of the dredge is held in place by two forward spuds (large steel poles) and one aft spud. Each of these spuds has “power down” capability. Using the spud’s winch system, the operator forces the spud into the bottom, obtaining maximum penetration and holding power. The aft spud is hydraulically manipulated. Mounted on the centerline of the dredge, this spud can pivot to move the dredge forward during the dredging process, eliminating the need for anchors. With just the push of a button, the Amphibian can move forward, back, and change directions.» —“DL205 used on amphibious dredging machine” Automation Notebook June 11, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
If someone urges you to spill the tea, they probably don’t want you tipping over a hot beverage. Originally, the tea here was the letter T, as in “truth.” To spill the T means to “pass along truthful information.” Plus, we’re serving up some...
Do you answer the phone with a word or phrase that’s a little out of the ordinary? Readers of our email newsletter had some surprising answers to that question. One says that just for fun, he likes to answer with a cheery Front desk! A reader in...