vampire load
n.— «In the lingo of energy experts, devices that draw power even when turned off or idling are called “vampire loads,” because they suck energy constantly. There are also “wall warts,” devices like cellphones, digital music players and personal digital assistants that require a small charger or adapter; many of those adapters deliver only half of the power they draw in, with the rest wasted. » —“Is the TV Off? No, It’s Really on Standby, Using Current” by Sewell Chan New York Times Aug. 7, 2006. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Ever wonder what medieval England looked and sounded like? In Old English, the word hord meant “treasure” and your wordhord was the treasure of words locked up inside you. A delightful new book uses the language of that period to create...
Centuries ago, monks who took a vow of silence developed their own hand signs, with hundreds of gestures, that are still in use today. Plus, how do speakers of different languages distinguish similar shades and tints of colors such as red, yellow...