rock flour n.— «The production of rock flour is another venture under the auspices of Minerals for Agriculture. When companies mine basic rock for aggregates, the fines from this process, called rock flour, can be used to remineralise the soil...
cherrystem v.— «Interior Dept. officials are expected to decide by July 23 whether to retain existing department policy on “cherrystemming” in Bureau of Land Management wilderness study areas (WSAs).… A cherrystem is a narrow strip of land with...
heli-hiking n.— «To be honest, the first day of your heli-hiking trip, run by a company called Canadian Mountain Holidays, entailed exactly zero hiking, but plenty in the way of massages, therapeutic mineral baths, romantic dinners, poolside drinks...
leverite n. (also leaverite) a worthless stone or rock, especially one mistaken as being valuable. Editorial Note: Paul Dickson writes in Family Words (1998, p. 79), “Heaverite, according to Raymond J. Nelson of Cody, Wyoming, is a rock that, upon...
popcorn ceiling n.— «We’ve lived in our home for 30 years and have “popcorn” ceilings. I remember when we hung our swag lamp we could see fibers falling when we drilled holes. After all these years, is it too late to have the “popcorn” removed or...
castings n.pl.— «The worm’s waste materials, delicately referred to as “castings,” or, indelicately, as “poop,” are eaten by microbes and fungi, allowing them to grow and reproduce and sequester minerals from the soil.» —“Vessels of the Holy Spirit...