zeitgeber
n.— «Light and temperature are the only periodic or quasi-periodic environmental variables to which endogenous oscillation can be coupled: in nature they entrain the endogenous oscillation, thereby controlling period and establishing appropriate phase. They are, to use Aschoff’s phrase, the principal Zeitgeber.» —“On the Significance of Transients in Daily Rhythms” by Colin Pittendrigh, Victor Bruce, Peter Kaus Proceedings of the Natl. Acad. of Sciences (US) Sept. 15, 1958. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Carol in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, recalls her mother using the word meckle to mean “mess around with,” as in stop meckling with your cereal and eat it! Or if a sewing project was too complicated, she’d say there was too much meckling involved...
Whether it’s a Rubik’s cube or a round of Wordle, why do so many of us find puzzles irresistible? A new book celebrates the allure and psychological benefits of brain teasers. Plus, powerful language for talking about the chronic...