staircasing
n.— «Pye will be able to increase her share in her home after a year, buying chunks of 5% or more—a process known as staircasing—at the prevailing market price.» —“A problem shared is a problem solved” by Alison Thomson Times (United Kingdom) Oct. 7, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The words tough, through, and dough all end in O-U-G-H. So why don’t they rhyme? A lively new book addresses the many quirks of English by explaining the history of words and phrases. And: have you ever been in a situation where a group makes...
A flashlight doesn’t flash. It provides a steady beam of light. So why is it called a flashlight? The earliest versions lit up only briefly before the batteries gave out and required a recharge, so they were literally “flash lights...