vent figure n.— «Klein, who lives in Nanticoke, is a trained ventriloquist. She and her puppets, or “vent figures” as they are called in the trade, perform for kids and adults throughout the area.» —“A woman’s love...
Greyjing n.— «When it was announced in 2001 that the 2008 Games were to be hosted by Beijing, or as many are referred to it “Greyjing,” drastic action was undertaken to improved its smoky image—it’s just not sport when...
seat racing n.— «In rowing, boats qualify for their country based on performance at events like the world championships and other Olympic qualifiers, then the athletes compete for seats in the boats. The process, known as “seat...
bute n.— «The biggest problem confronting the industry is its addiction to performance-enhancing drugs. In the early 1960s, phenylbutazone—bute in racetrack parlance—seemed like a miraculous antidote to lameness in tired horses...
fight call n.— «On Saturday morning, right before the second show of the day, the cast partook in what is known as a “fight call,” a last-minute rehearsal of the sword fights.» —“Shakespeare Acting Troupe Learns, Laughs, and...
ratting n.— «It can also cause some performance slowdowns in low-security areas where players are staging large fleet battles against each other. But for people who may just be “ratting” (a term for fighting small skirmishes with computer...