blisk n.— «Aircraft engines can be damaged by foreign objects entering the engine and hitting the fast-spinning airfoils. Modern jet engines use integrally-bladed rotors, often known as blisks, which are made using materials of the...
suicide smock n.— «Police have invented a “suicide smock” to stop prisoners from killing themselves in Queensland’s overcrowded watchhouses. A smock was used last Thursday night at Beenleigh watchhouse after police rescued a...
bio-ink n.— «Here’s how it works: A customized milling machine prints a small sheet of bio-paper. This “paper” is a variable gel composed of modified gelatin and hyaluronan, a sugar-rich material. Bio-ink blots—each a little...
stained-glass ceiling n. a barrier to the advancement of women within the hierarchy of a church. Etymological Note: This is a specific form of “glass ceiling,” which is the barrier to advancement of women in any profession. A related...
guitar pull n.— «There’s a scene in Heartworn Highways, the late Jim Szalapski’s 1975 documentary on singer/songwriters, that takes place around Guy Clark’s kitchen table on Christmas Eve. It’s a “guitar pull”—a term used to...
who laid the rail adv. phr.— «If the poolrooms were to shut up tomorrow, we have enough material already in hand to keep us busy for months. That could not stop us. We are going to smoke them out for who laid the rail.» —“Policy Is...