thermal runaway n.— «Thermal runaway is a condition in which the current for a fully charged nickel-cadmium battery rises out of proportion to the impressed-voltage level. This condition is caused when heat from oxygen recombination-an...
bullet sponge n.— «Bodyguards serving politicians and others who crave public attention must learn to please the principal’s ego and maintain safety. Besides being a “bullet sponge,” in Kobetz’s words, responsibilities fall to...
Fred Flinstone car n.— «Then there was what Woolley often euphemistically calls the “Fred Flinstone cars,” vehicles in such a bad state, you can literally see the ground through the floorboards.» —“Holiday Safety Blitz...
trunking n.— «One of the more conservative members of the Assembly, Dennis Mountjoy (R-Monrovia), has sponsored a bill to stop people, particularly teenagers, from driving with someone in the trunk. Mountjoy says the practice, known as...
hunter orange n.— «The panel found no criminal wrongdoing but issued a report calling on the state Legislature and governor to require hunters to wear blaze orange, commonly called hunter orange, while they’re in the field.» —“Hunter...
deadman’s curve n.— «In its ruling, the F.A.A. said that, by hovering at low altitudes, “sightseeing helicopters are operating in the avoid area of the height-speed envelope (deadman’s curve).” A helicopter flying too low...