The English word stilliform means “drop-shaped,” from Latin stilla, meaning “drop.” The same drippy root turns up in distill, “to drip down,” and instill, “to put in drop by drop,” and the spelling stilliform even has a row of tall, narrow letters...
A listener from California says her family’s way of remarking on rain is to mention the space between falling drops. So a 12-inch rain means there’s about a foot between one drop and the next. Tricky, huh? This is part of a complete episode...
How do double rainbows form? Scientists at University of California San Diego have explained that extra-large droplets, known as burgeroids because of their burger-like shape, have the effect of creating a double rainbow. Burgeroids, all the way...
bendy bus n.— «One of the 19-metre-long Swansea Metro vehicles—or bendy buses as they have become known—was parked up on The Kingsway in the city centre yesterday for a drop-in surgery.» —“Bending our ears on bus” This Is...
drop-off store n.— «Zehall is among a growing number of small businesses across the country tapping into this market. He operates what is known as a drop-off store, where people can bring their items to be auctioned and shipped. While...