shooter

From Middle English schoter, schuter, schotter, scheter, schetare, scheotere, from Old English sċēotere (“shooter”), equivalent to shoot + -er. Compare Dutch schieter, schutter (“shooter”), German Schießer (“shooter”), Swedish skjutare, West Frisian sjitter (“shooter”).

(professional wrestling slang) A professional wrestler who uses actual fighting moves as part of his style, or who speaks his mind during a live or televised event (instead of speaking from a script).


hiya

hi-ya (alternative)
hiyah (alternative)
hi-yah (alternative)
haiya (alternative)

(martial arts) A kiai, shouted as a limb is swung in attack.


yuan

(Taiwan, politics) One of the five branches of the government of the Republic of China.


sneaky

[…] in cooperation with the National Security Agency, installs and maintains "sneakies" throughout the U.S.S.R. and Communist China — but increasingly, denied areas are surveyed more simply.

1974, Miles Copeland, Without cloak or dagger: the truth about the new espionage, page 244:

[…] has used travellers to plant 'sneakies' - small electronic transmitting devices which form part of a surveillance network.

1991, Chapman Pincher, The Truth about Dirty Tricks:

(espionage, slang) Any device used for covert surveillance.


inelastic

en-adj

inelastic (comparative more inelastic, superlative most inelastic)

more inelastic (comparative)
most inelastic (superlative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-inelastic.wav

(US, politics) Resistant to swings during elections; predictable.


sotokomata

Borrowed from Japanese 外小股, literally "over thigh scooping body drop".

(sumo) a kimarite in which the attacker grabs his opponent's leading leg, over the top of the thigh, and drives him over backwards


sotomuso

Borrowed from Japanese 外無双, literally “outside nothing pair”, but meaning "outer thigh propping twist down".

(sumo) a kimarite in which the attacker reaches over his opponent's body to block his leg and, at the same time, locking his gripping arm and twisting him over onto his back


sototasukizori

Borrowed from Japanese 外たすき反り, literally outer reverse backwards body drop.

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker bars his opponent's inside gripping arm, grabs his closest leg and pulls it up and forces him to touch down.


sukuinage

Borrowed from Japanese 掬い投げ, literally "scooping throw" but conventionally translated as "beltless arm throw".

(sumo) a kimarite in which the attacker releases his gripping hand, extends his arm across his opponent's back, turns away and pulls him forward and down


susoharai

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker sweeps his opponent's leg forward and pulls him backwards and down.


susotori

Borrowed from Japanese 裾取り, literally ankle pick.

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker grabs his opponent's ankle and pulls it up, driving him over backwards.


ranger

/ˈɹeɪnd͡ʒə(ɹ)/

(military) In some modern armies, an elite soldier, similar to special forces but often operating in larger units.


platoon

From obsolete French plauton, variant of peloton, from Middle French pelote + -on. Doublet of peloton. Compare pellet.

Needless to say, one's seat must be booked in advance and a platoon of urbane officials, one to each door of the train, awaits passengers to usher them to their seats and relieve them of their bulkier baggage.

1960 March, G. Freeman Allen, “Europe's most luxurious express - the "Settebello"”, in Trains Illustrated, page 140:

(military) A unit of thirty to forty soldiers typically commanded by a lieutenant and forming part of a company.


OST

Office of Science and Technology
w:Office of Science and Technology

(UK politics, historical) Initialism of Office of Science and Technology.


scooter

→ Bengali: স্কুটার (skuṭar)

→ Catalan: escúter

→ Czech: skútr

→ Danish: scooter

→ Dutch: scooter

→ Finnish: skootteri

→ French: scooter

→ German: Scooter

→ Italian: scooter

→ Japanese: スクーター (sukūtā)

→ Korean: 스쿠터 (seukuteo)

→ Malay: skuter

→ Norwegian Bokmål: scooter

→ Norwegian Nynorsk: scooter

→ Polish: skuter

→ Portuguese: scooter

→ Romanian: scuter

→ Spanish: escúter; scooter

→ Swedish: skoter

سْكُوتَر

type of motorcycle or moped with a step-through frame — see also motor scooter

diver propulsion vehicle
w:diver propulsion vehicle

(nautical, underwater diving, military) Synonym of diver propulsion vehicle.


low blow

(boxing) An unfair or illegal blow that lands below the opponent’s waist.


below the belt

(boxing) Of a punch, landing illegally, below the opponent's waist.

onder de gordel

(boxing) of a punch that lands below the opponent's waist


gerrymandering

en-noun

gerrymandering (usually uncountable, plural gerrymanderings)

/ˈdʒɛriːˌmændəɹɪŋ/

/ˈdʒɛɹɪjˌmandəɹɪŋ/

/ˈdʒɛɹiˌmændəɹɪŋ/

Blend of Gerry + salamander. Named after American politician Elbridge Gerry who was associated with a constituency said to be shaped like a salamander.
Despite Gerry's surname beginning with a hard G (/ɡ/), gerrymandering is typically pronounced with a soft G (/d͡ʒ/), as a spelling pronunciation.

named-after

(politics) The practice of redrawing electoral districts to gain an electoral advantage for a political party.


entitlement

en-noun

entitlement (countable and uncountable, plural entitlements)

(politics) A legal obligation on a government to make payments to a person, business, or unit of government that meets the criteria set in law, such as social security in the US.

uitkering

a legal obligation on a government to make payments to a person, business, or unit of government


tasukizori

From Japanese たすき反り (“reverse backwards body drop”).

bor

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker ducks under his opponent's arm, grabs his arm and back leg and leans backwards, driving him over.


tokkurinage

Borrowed from Japanese 徳利投げ, "two-handed head twist down".

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker grabs his opponent's head or neck with both hands and twists him over.


tottari

Borrowed from Japanese とったり, literally "arm bar throw".

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker grabs his opponent's arm at the wrist, bars it, and forces him down.


tsukaminage

Borrowed from Japanese つかみ投げ (tsukaminage), literally "lifting throw".

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker pulls his opponent past him and heaves him into the air.


tsukidashi

Borrowed from Japanese 突き出し, literally frontal thrust out.

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker drives his opponent backwards and out using a rhythmic thrusting motion.


pallet

Said to be from Middle English *palet, from Middle French *palet, from Middle French pal (“pale”), ultimately from Latin palla (“a strip of cloth”).

(heraldry) A narrow vertical stripe, narrower than a pale. Diminutive of pale.


rappel

Borrowed from French rappel. Compare repeal.

(military) A drumbeat pattern for calling soldiers to gather.


lariat

(wrestling) An attack where the wrestler runs towards an opponent, wraps his arm around their upper chest and neck and then forces them to the ground.


sagittary

/ˈsæd͡ʒɪtəɹi/

From Latin sagittarius, from sagitta (“arrow”). Doublet of Sagittarius.

Gules, three Sagittaries - or, three torteaux. Stephen's cognizance was a Sagittary, because he entered England when the Sun was in that sign, and was greatly indebted for his success to mounted archers.

1825, Thomas Dudley Fosbroke, Encyclopaedia of antiquities, and elements of archaeology, classical and mediaeval, page 650:

And all beasts azure are armed gules, and vice versa. The Sagittary is well known as the representation of the […]

1845, Edward Smedley, Hugh James Rose, Henry John Rose, Encyclopaedia Metropolitana: Plates and Maps to the Historical and Miscellaneous Divisions, page 608:

to have borne on a red shield, three golden centaurs armed with bows and arrows, or "Sagittaries;" it has been conjectured, however, that this idea may have arisen from the circumstance of the "Sagittary" having been Stephen's[…]

1863, Charles Boutell, Heraldry, Historical and Popular, page 263:

Gules, three sagittaries, in pale, or. These sagittaries are generally blazoned as compound creatures, half man and half lion, as in Fig. 19.

1867, Art-Union: A Monthly Journal of the Fine Arts, page 151:

[The coat-]of-arms of Normandy is "Gules, two lions guardant or," and it is supposed that this coat was used by our Norman kings with the exception of Stephen - who is credited with three centaurs with bows and arrows - Sagittaries.

1905, Royal Society of Arts (Great Britain), Journal of the Society of Arts, page 604:

(heraldry, often capitalized) A mythical compound creature, resembling a centaur (half-human, half-horse) or a half-human, half-lion, often armed with a bow and arrows.


sanjak

sanjaks (plural)
zanzack (alternative)
sanjac (alternative)
sancak (alternative)

From Ottoman Turkish سنجاق (sancâk, “subdivision of a vilayet”, literally “flag, banner”), from Proto-Turkic *sančgak (“lance, streamer attached to a spear”).

der

This lymphatic monster had once blocked the distinguished pharynx of Lord Blatherard Osmo, who at the time occupied the Novy Pazar desk at the Foreign Office, an obscure penance for the previous century of British policy on the Eastern Question, for on this obscure sanjak had once hinged the entire fate of Europe.

1973, Thomas Pynchon, Gravity's Rainbow:

(politics) A district, a prefecture, particularly (historical) a second-level administrative division of the Ottoman Empire.

sanxhak

an administrative region under the Ottoman Empire


Greco-Roman

en-adj

Greco-Roman (comparative more Greco-Roman, superlative most Greco-Roman)

more Greco-Roman (comparative)
most Greco-Roman (superlative)
Graeco-Roman (alternative British)

/ˌɡɹiːkəʊˈɹəʊmən/

/ˌɡɹɛkoʊˈɹoʊmən/

Greco-Roman wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling#English

(wrestling) Describing Greco-Roman wrestling, a form of wrestling where fighters may only attack above the waist.


groupie

In traditional military fashion our "Groupie" (group captain) called us to attention, exchanged salutes with his German opposite number, then handed the parade over to him.

1995, John D. Harvie, Missing in Action: An RCAF Navigator's Story, page 136:


bridge mount

(firearms) A sight mount with a strong metal frame between the rings, used on large-caliber rifles to negate the effects of recoil on accuracy.


whites

A set of white clothes, especially as a uniform.

(US, military) A white uniform formerly worn by officers of United States Marine Corps.


turtleback

turtlebacks (plural)
turtle-back (alternative)

(military, nautical) An armor layout with an armored deck which slopes downwards towards the sides of the ship and connects to the lower edge of the main belt armor, designed to deflect shells striking the ship on trajectories close to horizontal.


stateless

無狀態 /无状态

(computer science) without remembering state

(philosophy, politics) Neither believing in nor supporting the idea of nations.


slugger

(boxing) A boxer who tends to deliver hard punches.


commandant

(military) A commanding officer, usually of a specific force or division.

պարետ

a commanding officer, usually of a specific force or division

(military) A military rank equivalent to major used in some countries, especially when derived from French usage.

(military, South Africa, historical) lieutenant-colonel


freedom fries

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-freedom fries.wav

Blend of freedom + french fries. Originated at Cubbie's, a restaurant in Beaufort, North Carolina (owner Neal Rowland) in February 2003.
"It was never about politics," Rowland said of his initial decision to rename french fries "freedom fries." "It was about supporting our troops. Nothing has changed here. We still support our troops, and we still call them freedom fries."

[Q.]“Freedom fries” is a symbol of anti-French feeling. Does that sort of thing gall you?
[A.]Higonnet: […] Again, one has to distinguish between the public situation, in which a sense of hostility to things French is quite severe, and the private situation inside the university world where, when people talk about freedom fries, it's a big joke.

2003 March 22, Joseph Rosenbloom, quoting Patrice Higonnet, “Europeans in America: Freedom fries and raw nerves”, in International Herald Tribune:

Upset by the failure of the French government to support the war, however, the chairman of the House Administration Committee announced on March 11 that he had ordered “French toast” and “French fries” stricken from the menu of the House cafeteria. In their place would be “freedom toast” and “freedom fries.”

2006, Andrew Rudalevige, The New Imperial Presidency, page 3:

French Toast Egg Bagels Served as French Toast
Freedom Fries
Irish Nachos Freedom Fries, Bacon Bits, Chedder^([sic]) & Jack Cheese

2013 June 24, Dave Lieberman, quoting the menu of Bagel Me! restaurant, “Restaurant in Villa Park Still Sells “Freedom” Fries, But Doesn't Have a Problem with “French” Toast”, in OC Weekly:

Republican House members then ordered that “French fries” on the menus of all congressional restaurants be renamed “Freedom fries.” In response, a French Embassy spokesperson noted that fries had originated in Belgium.

2021 September 17, Karen DeYoung, “France recalls its ambassadors to the United States and Australia over submarine dispute”, in Washington Post:

(rare, US politics, sometimes humorous) French fries.


gippo

en-noun

gippo (countable and uncountable, plural gippos or gippoes)

gippos (plural)
gippoes (plural)
gypo (alternative)
gyppo (alternative)

→? Swedish: jippo (“spectacle, stunt”)

→? Finnish: jippo (“trick, gimmick”)

An alteration of gypsy, which is in turn an alteration of Egyptian.

He had his “dinner” in his canteen and placed it on the ground to go and “scrounge” a chunk of bread to help “fill up”, and as soon as he turned his back a dog walked in at the door of the barn, where we were “in residence” as they say “higher up”, [only we “flew no flag”], and started lapping up some of the “gippo”, [gravy] of which the said dinner was composed [in fact 'twas more “gippo” than dinner that day, so who could blame a dog for being mistaken].

They were always asking for ‘more gippo’ (gravy) which we got for them if we could.

2006, Mildred Joan Tulip, My experiences as a VAD nurse:

(British, military, slang, uncountable) Gravy.


mass of maneuver

(military) A body of troops held in military reserve by a general for striking a blow on an exposed flank or wherever the enemy reveals a weak spot.


logrolling

logrolling (countable and uncountable, plural logrollings)

/ˈlɒɡˌɹəʊlɪŋ/

/ˈlɑɡˌɹoʊlɪŋ/

From log + rolling, the figurative senses from the practice of neighbors helping each other do heavy work such as rolling logs in connection with clearing land and building.

tukkien pyöritys

rolling of logs from one place to another

What, for instance, did the honorable member for North Melbourne (Mr. Curtain) care about the Horsham extension? Not twopence, unless it helped him to get the "outer circle" line. It was much the same with the honorable member for Crowlands (Mr. Woods), the honorable member for the Avoca (Mr. Grant), the honorable member for South Gippsland (Mr. Mason), and others. In fact it was felt during the whole of the discussion that there was an excellent chance for good wholesale log-rolling. He believed a more wholesale attempt at log-rolling never was made.

1873 October 22, “Railway Construction Bill”, in Victoria. Parliamentary Debates. Session 1873. Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly, volume XVII (Comprising the Period from August 27 to November 25), Melbourne: John Ferres, printer, →OCLC, pages 2004, column 2 – 2005, column 1:

Thus far, by a resort to the familiar method of "log-rolling," all attempts to put an end to the Northern and Southern divisions have failed, because of the union of the opposing interests with those that want large appropriations in different parts of the State; and it is quite probable that the same tactics will be successful in the future at all general sessions.

1896, “Discussion of the Address of Mr. Courtney”, in Proceedings of the Illinois State Bar Association at Its Nineteenth Annual Meeting Held in the City of Springfield, January 23 and 24, 1896 with the Constitution, Officers, Standing Committees and Roll of Members for the Year 1896, Springfield, Mass.: Illinois State Register Book Publishing House, →OCLC, part first, page 43:

By its nature logrolling pays off concentrated group interests and ignores diffuse interests, like taxpayers, who are hard to organize. Since interests in expansion and militarism are typically more concentrated than the interests opposed to them, logrolling is inherently more apt to produce overexpansion than underexpansion.

1991, Jack Snyder, “The Myth of Security through Expansion”, in Myths of Empire: Domestic Politics and International Ambition (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs), Ithaca, N.Y., London: Cornell University Press, →ISBN, page 18:

Incentives to engage in the exchange of votes in legislatures, or logrolling, have existed since the inception of legislatures. Most prominently, logrolling is alleged in the United States, where a plurality rule is employed to elect representatives from single-member districts.

1997, Thomas Stratmann, “Logrolling”, in Dennis C[ary] Mueller, editor, Perspectives on Public Choice: A Handbook, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 322:

Logrolling is making mutually beneficial tradeoffs between the issues on the table. […] If a negotiator is positional or demanding, logrolling will be much more difficult. Logrolling is the art and science of being firm but flexible.

2014, Reed K. Holden, Leigh Thompson, “Truth 21. Logrolling (I Scratch Your Back, You Scratch Mine)”, in Learn Successful Sales and Negotiation Tips (Collection), Upper Saddle River, N.J.: FT Press Delivers, →ISBN:

(uncountable, US politics, figuratively) A concerted effort to push forward mutually advantageous legislative agendas by combining two items, either or both of which might fail on its own, into a single bill that is more likely to pass.

lehmänkauppa

politics: pushing one's agenda forward by combining two or more items


retracted

Pale, retracted, that is, shortened. It is a French term, used when pales are borne cut off, either pendent from the chief, or issuant from the base, which should be particularly noticed in the blazon.

1828, William Berry, Encyclopaedia Heraldica: Or, Complete Dictionary of Heraldry, page 1:

RETRACTED, said of charges when borne one shorter than another; as, three pales or palets issuant from the chief, retracted, that is, cut off bend ways, and hanging of different lengths.

1830, Thomas Robson (engraver.), The British herald, or Cabinet of armorial bearings of the nobility & gentry of Great Britain & Ireland:

(heraldry) Couped bendwise: cut off by a line diagonal to the main direction.


cocked

(firearms) Of a firearm or crossbow; to have the cock lifted or prepared to be fired.

viritetty

firearms: having the cock lifted or prepared to be fired


stealth bomber

(military, aviation) A bomber (military aircraft) with a smaller than usual radar signature, due to its body shape, outer coating, and thermal dissipation.


number one

(US, law enforcement, slang) Black, African-American.


about face

en-verb

about face (third-person singular simple present about faces, present participle about facing, simple past and past participle about faced)

about faces (present singular third-person)
about facing (participle present)
about faced (participle past)
about faced (past)

(military) Alternative spelling of about-face.


purging

en-noun

purging (countable and uncountable, plural purgings)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-purging.wav

From Middle English purgynge; equivalent to purge + -ing.

The act or an instance of eliminating contamination: a purification, a cleansing, particularly:

(chiefly politics) A removal of undesirable people.


parataxis

parataxis (usually uncountable, plural parataxes)

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek παράταξις (parátaxis, “placement side by side”), from παρα- (para-) + τάξις (táxis, “arrangement”); equivalent to para- + taxis.

lbor

(historical, politics) A coalition or "partisan camp" in the Ancient Greek political system.


repeater

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-repeater.wav

(firearms, dated) A gun that has a store of cartridges and does not need reloading after each shot.

автоматична пушка

a gun that has a store of cartridges and does not need reloading after each shot


tsukiotoshi

Borrowed from Japanese 突き落とし, literally "thrust down".

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker drives his opponent down using a thrusting movement on his rib cage or shoulder.


tsukitaoshi

Borrowed from Japanese 突き倒し, literally "frontal thrust down".

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker, after a heated slapping exchange, thrusts his opponent over onto his back or side.


tsumatori

Borrowed from Japanese 褄取り, literally "rear toe pick".

(sumo) a kimarite in which the attacker reaches down and picks up his opponent's foot (at the toes) and pulls back and up forcing him to fall forward


tsuridashi

Borrowed from Japanese 吊り出し (tsuridashi).

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker grips his opponent's mawashi and heaves him into the air, lifting him over and out of the ring.


tsuriotoshi

From Japanese 吊り落とし (tsuriotoshi, literally “hanging and dropping”).

bor

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker grips his opponent's mawashi, lifts him, and swings him sideways and down. A lifting bodyslam.


tsutaezori

From Japanese 伝え反り (tsutaezori), literally underarm forward body drop.

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker dives under his opponent's arm whilst maintaining a grip on it, then leans back, forcing him to fall forward.


uchigake

From Japanese 内掛け (uchigake, “inside leg trip”).

(sumo) a kimarite in which the attacker pulls his opponent forward, hooks his opponent's leg with his own, and pulls him over backwards.


uchimuso

Borrowed from Japanese 内無双, literally inner thigh propping twist down.

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker sweeps one of his opponent's legs up by hitting his inner thigh, then pulling him with the other hand.


ushiromotare

Borrowed from Japanese 後ろもたれ, literally backward lean out.

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker leans into his opponent from behind, forcing him back and out.


Brandon

From let's go, Brandon, ultimately from Brandon L. Brown. Originated from a news reporter incorrectly describing NASCAR fans chanting "fuck Joe Biden" as chanting "let's go, Brandon".


utchari

Borrowed from Japanese うっちゃり, literally "backward pivot throw".

(sumo) a kimarite in which the attacker, in a last ditch effort, drops his hips while twisting and pulling his opponent up and past him, sometimes onto his back


plunger

(firearms) The firing pin of a breechloader.


uwatedashinage

Borrowed from Japanese 上手出し投げ, literally "pulling overarm throw".

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker pulls his opponent forward and down.


uwatehineri

Borrowed from Japanese 上手捻り, literally "twisting overarm throw".

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker twists his opponent in the direction of his outside arm.


uwatenage

(sumo) a kimarite in which the attacker heaves his opponent down as he turns away


waridashi

Borrowed from Japanese 割り出し, literally "upper-arm force out".

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker grabs his opponent's arm at the biceps and pushes him back and out.


watashikomi

Borrowed from Japanese 渡し込み (watashikomi, “thigh-grabbing push down”).

Akinoshima chases "Yankee Doodle Dandy" around the dohyo, until he finally wins by watashikomi (thigh grabbing push down).

1999 March 22, Ken Crouch, “Day 9 spoiler - Kintaro's Musings Group”, in rec.sport.sumo (Usenet):

Kyokushuzan deployed several rare techniques such as watashi-komi, which he used in September of 1996.

2013, J Sargeant, Wild Men, Bad Boys and Model Citiizens:

Thigh-Grabbing Push Down (Watashikomi)

2016, Andrew Zerling, Sumo for Mixed Martial Arts: Winning Clinches, Takedowns, & Tactics, →ISBN:

Ozeki Terunofuji (4-2) outlasted top-ranked maegashira Tochiozan (0-6), while New Year champion Kotoshogiku saw off sekiwake Okinoumi (1-5) with a watashikomi thigh-grabbing pushdown to level his mark at 3-3.

2016 November 18, “Goeido, Hakuho fall; Kakuryu still unbeaten”, in The Japan Times:

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker, while driving his opponent forward, grabs his leg and pulls it, forcing him over.


yaguranage

Borrowed from Japanese 櫓投げ, meaning inner thigh throw.

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker pulls his opponent towards him, places his knee against his opponent's inner thigh and drives the leg upwards while forcing him over.


yobimodoshi

Borrowed from Japanese 呼び戻し, literally pulling body slam.

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker first pulls his opponent forward, then suddenly releases his grip and pushes him back and down.


yorikiri

From Japanese 寄り切り (yorikiri, “frontal force out”).

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker drives his opponent out backwards while maintaining a constant grip on his mawashi.


yoritaoshi

Borrowed from Japanese 寄り倒し, literally "frontal crush out".

(sumo) A kimarite in which, during a yorikiri attack, the opponent collapses to the floor.


zubuneri

Borrowed from Japanese ずぶねり, meaning "head pivot throw".

(sumo) A kimarite in which the attacker buries his head in the opponent's chest, locks his arm, and spins him down using the head as fulcrum.


volant

From Middle French volant, present participle of voler (“to fly”), from Latin volāre.

Crest - A horseshoe ar. betw. two wings volant sa. Farrer

1864, Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales: Comprising a Registry of Armorial Bearings from the Earliest to the Present Time, page 342:

A demi-ostrich, wings volant proper.

1924, The Publications of the Harleian Society, page 73:

(heraldry) Having extended wings as if flying.

A martlet volant. Motto - In Deo solo spes mea. Kay

1864, Bernard Burke, The General Armory of England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales: Comprising a Registry of Armorial Bearings from the Earliest to the Present Time, page 553:

(heraldry) Represented as unsupported in the air.


foothold

Based on status report 16-C, it seems we're no closer to gaining a foothold in any sector. Without decent recon and greater intel on this enemy, I'm starting to think our efforts are futile. The risks involved and continued loss of resources and lives makes it hard to justify.

2017, BioWare, Mass Effect: Andromeda (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →OCLC, PC, scene: APEX Status:

(military) Airhead, beachhead, bridgehead, lodgement.


jawbreaker

jawbreakers (plural)
jaw-breaker (alternative)
jaw breaker (alternative)

Bendoff went pluckily forward, but only to receive a jawbreaker from Couper's left, […]

1987, James Clarke, Like it was: The Star, 100 Years in Johannesburg, page 9:

(boxing, slang) A hard blow to the side of the face.


bendy

From Middle English bendee, from Old French bendé (past participle).

7. Talbot, Bendy gules and argent; 8. Comyn, Gules, three garbs within a tressure flory counter-flory or; 9. Valence, Barry of ten argent and azure, an orle of martlets gules;

1863, John Gough Nichols, The Herald and Genealogist, page 438:

His arms as there displayed are emblazoned on a bendy field of his livery colours vert, argent and gules.

1904, The Genealogical Magazine, page 446:

(heraldry) Divided into diagonal bands of colour.


bendy

The original escutcheon of the Norman family was a bendy of ten, argent and gules.

1927, Descendants of Richard and Elizabeth (Ewen) Talbott of Poplar Knowle, West River, Anne Arundel County, Maryland, page 436:

[…], 3 within a bordure gules a bendy of six or and azure (Burgundy Ancient), 4 sable a lion rampant or (Brabant), overall an inescutcheon or a lion rampant sable (Flanders); encircled by[…]

1985, Stained Glass Before 1700 in American Collections: Corpus Vitrearum Checklist I. New England and New York:

(heraldry) A field divided diagonally into several bends, varying in metal and colour.


neutralize

en-verb

neutralize (third-person singular simple present neutralizes, present participle neutralizing, simple past and past participle neutralized)

neutralizes (present singular third-person)
neutralizing (participle present)
neutralized (participle past)
neutralized (past)
neutralise (alternative)

From French neutraliser (first attested in 1642). By surface analysis, neutral + -ize.

At the beginning of the opening game, Shepard becomes the first human Spectre, an elite operative given broad authority to neutralize threats to galactic order in the galaxy.

2019, “Mass Effect (Trilogy)”, in Michael M. Levy, Farah Mendlesohn, editors, Aliens in Popular Culture, ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 175:

“We managed to neutralise the guilty person. So there was no longer any imminent threat,” De Croo said, […]

2023 October 17, Lisa O'Carroll, Miranda Bryant, Lorenzo Tondo, quoting Alexander De Croo, “Killing of two Swedish football fans in Brussels ‘probably lone wolf’ attack”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:

(transitive, military, euphemistic) To kill.


leaver

An extraordinary cross-party summit bringing together leading leavers and remainers – including Michael Gove and senior members of Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet – has been held in high secrecy to address the failings of Brexit and how to remedy them in the national interest, the Observer can reveal.

2023 February 11, Toby Helm, “Revealed: secret cross-party summit held to confront failings of Brexit”, in The Observer, →ISSN:

(UK politics) Alternative letter-case form of Leaver.


plink

plink (third-person singular simple present plinks, present participle plinking, simple past and past participle plinked)

plinks (present singular third-person)
plinking (participle present)
plinked (participle past)
plinked (past)

We plinked all week long in the slow-moving days between hunting seasons. Life Savers or Necco Wafers at 25 yards offhand, or 50 yards prone, and vanilla wafers offhand at 50 yards or prone at 100, were challenging targets.

1992, Ken Warner, Gun Digest, 1993, page 19:

(firearms) To take part in the sport of plinking.


courant

currant (hurry–furry merger, cure–fir merger)

From French courant (“running”). Doublet of car, carry, courier, course, current, horse, hurry, and rush.

doublet

a classical lion courant


lefty

The new brocialism cares deeply about women’s issues of course – just not enough to elect an actual woman. They don’t need to, because good lefties speak for all us. They don’t even notice gender.

2015 September 12, Suzanne Moore, “As Jeremy Corbyn was anointed leader, not one female voice was heard”, in The Guardian:

(chiefly UK, informal, politics) One who has left-wing political views.


DMS

en-noun

DMS (countable and uncountable, plural DMSs)

Destroyer MineSweeper
destroyer minesweeper#English

(countable, military) Initialism of Destroyer MineSweeper.


DMS

(military) Initialism of Decoration for Meritorious Services.


dhobying

From Hindi [script needed] (dhobi, “washerman”) + -ing.

der

(British, naval) The washing of clothes; laundry


swinger

Shorten went to Blacktown to try and summon the spirit of Gough Whitlam to persuade the swingers it was time for a change of government. Shorten said vote one Labor, for the future.

2019 May 16, Katharine Murphy, “Campaign catchup 2019: close race sparks pre-election jitters”, in The Guardian:


crined

From Old French crine (“hair of the head”) (French crin) + -ed.

Sa. three boys' heads couped at the shoulders ppr. having snakes enwrapped about their necks vert ; (sometimes borne with a chev. ar.) Crest - A boy's head as in the arms, (sometimes crined or.) VAUGHAN

1844, John Burke, Bernard Burke, Encyclopædia of Heraldry, Or General Armory of England, Scotland and Ireland: Comprising a Registry of All Armorial Bearings from the Earliest to the Present Time, Including the Late Grants by the College of Arms:

a crested bird called in Zemblan sampel (‘silktail’), closely resembling a waxwing in shape and shade, is the model of one of the three heraldic creatures (the other two being a reindeer proper and a merman azure, crined or) in the armorial bearings of the Zemblan King, Charles the Beloved

(heraldry) Having hair or a mane of a specified tincture, different from that of the body.


no man's land

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-no man's land.wav

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-no man's land.wav

Originally from Middle English Nomanneslond, which first appears c. 1350. Revived with new senses in a dispatch printed in the Times newspaper by Colonel Ernest Dunlop Swinton writing as "Eyewitness".

No Man's Land (alternative)
noman's land (alternative)
no-man's land (alternative)

(military) The ground between trenches where a soldier from either side would be easily targeted.

(politics, geography) Territory that is often disputed, and that cannot be inhabited because of fear of conflict, especially:

(historical) Tracts of uninhabited territory close to the Iron Curtain.

At the last Polish station all train officials left, except the locomotive crew, and we slowly trundled over a strongly fortified no man's land for a few hundred yards until we drew in to the first station in Russia.

1954 April, P. E. Witham, “A Trans-Siberian Memory”, in Railway Magazine, page 269, about a journey in 1937:

The stretch of land between the border posts of two contiguous sovereign states, sometimes separated by great distance.

země nikoho

Land that is not claimed by any recognized sovereign state; a terra nullius.


take a dive

en-verb

take a dive (third-person singular simple present takes a dive, present participle taking a dive, simple past took a dive, past participle taken a dive)

takes a dive (present singular third-person)
taking a dive (participle present)
took a dive (past)
taken a dive (participle past)

I decided there could be a nice bit of irony in a situation where a boxer, with a crown his for the taking, deliberately takes a dive to get revenge on the man he hates, who is betting everything on the boxer's victory.

1950, Jules Archer, I Sell What I Write, page 44:

"You got a fight next weekend. You take a dive in the fourth round, understand?"

2012, Gary Lovisi, “Boxing, Babes & Bullets”, in Battling Boxing Stories, Wildside Press LLC, →ISBN, page 165:

The businessman turned promoter rejected some of overseas rumors going around that Klitschko bet a large portion of funds on himself and then took a dive to collect.

2015 December 31, Vadim Pushkin, “Povetkin Promoter Praises Fury, Rejects Klitschko Dive Claim”, in Boxing Scene, retrieved 2016-08-03:

(idiomatic, boxing) To feign a knockout in order to lose intentionally.


baby face

baby faces (plural)
babyface (alternative)
baby-face (alternative)

[Jim] Freedman began his analysis by noting two important facts about professional wrestling: First, that heels triumph considerably more often than do babyfaces and, second, that they triumph by different means, relying on secret holds, sly managers, secret weapons, and illegal maneuvers, whereas babyfaces trust to their physical abilities and athletic training alone.

1989, Bruce Lincoln, “The Dialectics of Symbolic Inversion”, in Discourse and the Construction of Society: Comparative Studies of Myth, Ritual, and Classification, Oxford, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, part III (Classification), page 158:

And they [wrestling fans] identified with the local farmer Kasaboski, the French-Canadian boys from Montreal, the clean-cut American lads and the handsome, muscular baby faces. At the same time, they jeered the heels, the masked men, the arrogant, bearded Russians and Germans, and the treacherous Japanese. Promoters always played on stereotypes and post-war biases.

2007, Gary Howard, “Linking the East and the North”, in The Rassler from Renfrew: The History of Northland Wrestling Enterprises (1946–1980) Promoter – Larry Kasaboski, Renfrew, Ont.: General Store Publishing House, →ISBN, page 41:

A babyface’s success depends a great deal on the heels he’s facing. It’s all in how you make them look. A good heel will make your babyface look like Superman.

2007 October, Dave Batista [i.e., Dave Bautista], with Jeremy Roberts, “Evolution”, in Batista Unleashed, New York, N.Y.: Pocket Books, →ISBN, page 127:

professional wrestling
professional wrestling

(professional wrestling, slang) A headlining wrestler with a persona embodying heroic or virtuous traits and who is regarded as a "good guy", especially one who is handsome and well-conditioned.


leftist

The first major clash between the two groups occurred in Shih-ho-tzu on January 26, 1967, with the leftists admitting they had suffered a bloody defeat.

1976, June Teufel Dreyer, China's Forty Millions: Minority Nationalities and National Integration in the People's Republic of China, Harvard University Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 214:

(politics, generally) A person who holds views associated with the political left.

يَسَارِيّ m يَسَارِيّة

a person who holds views associated with the political left

(politics, specifically) Someone who holds socialist or communist-leaning economic views, usually alongside progressive social views; an anticapitalist.


armorist

armorists (plural)
armourist (alternative)

Several others are in the College of Arms. He was the first Welsh armorist to produce armorials of marshalled coats[…]

1949, Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion (London, England), The Transactions of the Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion:

(heraldry) A person skilled in the bearings of coats of arms, and all relating to their emblazonment.

armista

a person skilled in the bearings of coats of arms


assurgent

en-adj

assurgent (comparative more assurgent, superlative most assurgent)

more assurgent (comparative)
most assurgent (superlative)

From Latin assurgens, present participle of assurgo (“rise up”).

A seahorse assurgent per pale or and azure, crined gules.

1869, Robert Cooke, The Visitation of London in the Year 1568: Taken by Robert Cooke, Clarenceux King of Arms, and Since Augmented Both with Descents and Arms, page 51:


atchievement

en-noun

atchievement (countable and uncountable, plural atchievements)

(heraldry) Alternative spelling of achievement.


attired

Crest: A goat's head erased ar attired or.

1828, Thomas Allan, The History And Antiquities Of London, Westminster, Southwark and Parts Adjacent:

(heraldry) Said of the horns of an animal when they are of a different tincture to its head.

adharcach

heraldry: said of the horns of an animal when they are of a different tincture to its head


banner roll

BANNER ROLL is a small square flag containing a single escutcheon of the deceased. Thus, if there are twelve quarterings in the banner, the same number of banner rolls will be required to be borne in the funeral procession.

(heraldry) A small square flag containing a single escutcheon of the deceased.


barbed

en-adj

barbed (comparative more barbed, superlative most barbed)

more barbed (comparative)
most barbed (superlative)

Crest : A demi-cockatrice or, crested gules, stricken through the back of the neck with an arrow sable, barbed and flighted argent. Sable, two bars humettée or between a cock in fesse and a swan in chief and in base argent.

1899, Thomas Benolt, The Visitations of the County of Surrey: Made and Taken in the Years 1530 by Thomas Benolte, Clarenceux King of Arms ; 1572 by Robert Cooke, Clarenceux King of Arms ; and 1623 by Samuel Thompson, Windsor Herald, and Augustin Vincent, Rouge Croix Pursuivant, Marshals and Deputies to William Camden, Clarenceux King of Arms, page 232:

The cross barbed has its limbs terminated by arrow-heads; it is sometimes emblazoned cramponée and tournée, but Edmondson gives the last name to a totally different cross, one not unlike the cross fourchée.

1915, Guy Cadogan Rothery, A. B. C. of Heraldry, page 24:

Having barbs of a certain colour (as or similar to an arrow); beared.

Ex. A Cock barbed and crested, (that is, wattled and combed, which signifies the Comb and Gills of a Cock, when born of a different Tincture from the Body)

1729, Abel Boyer, Le Grand théâtre de l'honneur et de noblesse [assisted by John Innes?] (overall work in French and English), page 77:

About the year 1446, he carried, as by our old books of blazons, quarterly, first and fourth Marr; second and third Lyle, as above blazoned; for crest, a cock or, crested and barbed gules: motto, An I may; supported by two[…]

1804, Alexander Nisbet, A system of heraldry, speculative and practical: with the true art of Blazon ... Illustrated with suitable examples of armorial figures, and achievements of the most considerable surnames and families in Scotland ..., page 216:

Having gills or wattles (as a bird); wattled.

PLANT (?Plantagenet). Arg. a rose gu. seeded or barbed vert.

1874, John Woody Papworth, An Alphabetical Dictionary of Coats of Arms Belonging to Families in Great Britain and Ireland, page 859:

Having sepals or leaves between the petals (on a rose, etc).


baron and femme

[see title]

1719, Baron and Femme: A Treatise of the Common Law Concerning Husbands and Wives …:

[see title]

1816, Tapping Reeve, The Law of Baron and Femme, of Parent and Child, of Guardian and Ward, of Master and Servant, and of the Powers of Courts of Chancery:

When the coats of arms of a married couple, descended of distinct families, are to be marshalled on an escocheon, the field of their respective arms is conjoined pale-ways, and blazoned thus: parted per pale, baron and femme; first the baron's arms are to be described, then the femme's.

1821, Alexander Jamieson, Universal Science Or the Cabinet of Nature and Art, Comprising Above One Thousand Entertaining and Instructive Facts and Experiments, page 304:

(heraldry) The arms of a man and his wife, marshalled together.


batune

From Anglo-Norman bastun, itself from mainland Old French baston.


baston

From Middle English baston, from Old French baston. Doublet of baton.


belled

Or, three falcons close proper, belled gules, a mullet for difference.

1910, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, Armorial Families: A Directory of Gentlemen of Coat-armour, page 539:

(heraldry) Having bells (especially around the neck of an animal).


bend sinister

(heraldry) A diagonal band on a coat of arms going from the sinister chief (the viewer's top right) to the dexter base, sometimes erroneously held to indicate bastardy.

barra

diagonal band on coat of arms going from top right to bottom left


in bend

(heraldry) Of figures: placed in a slanting direction from the dexter chief to the sinister base.


bendlet

(heraldry) A diminutive of the bend, of the same shape, but only half the width of the bend.


smother

en-verb

smother (third-person singular simple present smothers, present participle smothering, simple past and past participle smothered)

smothers (present singular third-person)
smothering (participle present)
smothered (participle past)
smothered (past)
smoother (alternative)

From Middle English smothren, smortheren, alteration (due to smother, smorther (“a suffocating vapour, dense smoke”, noun)) of Middle English smoren (“to smother”), from Old English smorian (“to smother, suffocate, choke”), from Proto-Germanic *smurōną (“to suffocate, strangle”), probably related to *smallijan (“to burn”) or Old English smoca (“smoke”).
Cognate with Middle Low German smoren, smurten (“to choke, suffocate”), West Flemish smoren (“to smoke, reek”), Dutch smoren (“to suffocate, smother", also "to stew, simmer”), German schmoren (“to stew, simmer, braise”).

cog

(boxing) To prevent the development of an opponent's attack by one's arm positioning.


syndic

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-syndic.wav

Borrowed from French syndic (“delegated representative; a chief magistrate of Geneva; a censor; critic (obsolete)”), from Late Latin syndicus (“representative of a corporation or town, syndic”), from Ancient Greek σύνδικος (súndikos, “advocate of a defendant”), from σῠν- (sŭn-, prefix meaning ‘together, with’) + δῐ́κη (dĭ́kē, “law, order; right; judgment; justice; lawsuit; trial”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *deyḱ- (“to point out”)) + -ος (-os, suffix forming nouns).

ref

From the collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

der

The Bailiffes and Syndicks of Merindoll appeare the ſecond time.

1610 October, John Foxe, “A Notable History of the Persecution and Destruction of the People of Merindol and Cabriers in the Country of Prouince: […]”, in The Second Volume of the Ecclesiasticall Historie, Containing the Acts and Monuments of Martyrs, […], 6th edition, volume II, London: […] [Humphrey Lownes] for the Company of Stationers, →OCLC, book VII, marginal note, page 867, column 2:

[T]he two Syndicks and the reſt of the Magiſtrates of that City began to pry more narrowly into their ſtay, and more neerely into their actions; […]

1640, John Reynolds, “History XVII”, in The Triumphs of Gods Revenge against the Crying and Execrable Sinne of (Wilfull and Premeditated) Murther. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Edward Griffin for William Lee, […], →OCLC, book IV, page 269:

This City is govern'd by a Syndick and Twenty Five Senators, who meet every Day to conſult about the Affairs of the Commonwealth, and to decide all Cauſes, whether Criminal or Civil.

1694, [Giovanni Paolo Marana], “Letter I. To Hamet, Reis Effendi, Principal Secretary of the Ottoman Empire.”, in [Daniel Saltmarsh], transl., The Eighth and Last Volume of Letters Writ by a Turkish Spy, Who Liv’d Five and Forty Years Undiscover’d at Paris: […], volume VIII, London: […] J. R. for J. Hindmarsh and R. Sare, […], →OCLC, book IV, page 232:

A syndic shall be appointed for every canal not being administered by a corporation or other public body on behalf of any part of the community.

1905, Mauritius, Sir Francis Taylor Piggott, Louis Arthur Thibaud ·, Ordinances, page 819:

To-morrow, after the midday prayer, mount an ass and make for the Habbānīyah quarter and there inquire for the house of the syndic Barakah, known as Abū Shāmah.

1923, J[oseph] C[harles] Mardrus, “The Tale of the Christian Broker”, in [Edward] Powys Mathers, transl., The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night […], London: Routledge & Kegal Paul […], published 1956, →OCLC, page 253:

In 1760 one Intendant went so far as to dissolve the militia altogether and appointed syndics to carry on the local government.

1963, C.L.R. James, The Black Jacobins, 2nd Revised edition, Vintage Books, published 2023, →ISBN, page 35:

(government) A government official having different duties depending on the country; also, a magistrate, especially one of the Chief Magistrates of Geneva, Switzerland.


process server

process servers (plural)
process-server (alternative)

The process server could not effect service of process because the defendant was nowhere to be found.

The bailiff does not like to see himself as the brutal oppressor of the poor or as the agent of malicious creditors... This distinction between warrant officer and process server is not at all dissimilar to the gulf that divides the law officer and the peace officer in the police force... Warrant officers execute warrants whilst process servers distribute court summonses and cajole debtors.

1973, Paul Rock, Making People Pay, page 162:

(law enforcement) A deliverer of processes or summonses, the formal announcements of the beginning of a legal action; a huissier de justice or other equivalent position in other legal systems.


sisterhood

en-noun

sisterhood (countable and uncountable, plural sisterhoods)

From Middle English susterhede; equivalent to sister + -hood (with a modification in the suffix).

What does the rallying cry of sisterhood and the concept of feminism mean when last year, the majority of white, female voters chose whiteness as a political identity over womanhood?

2017 September 23, Kaitlyn Greenidge, “‘Sisterhood’ Felt Meaningless. So My Sisters and I Got in the Car.”, in The New York Times:

(feminism) The idea of universal experience amongst women, regardless of other traits or factors. (Considered obsolete in third-wave feminism.)

sororidade

feminism: the idea of universal experience amongst women


CSP

CSP (countable and uncountable, plural CSPs)

CSPs (plural)
C.S.P. (alternative)
C. S. P. (alternative)
C S P (alternative)

chief superintendent
chief superintendent#English

(law enforcement) Initialism of chief superintendent (a police rank).


ground forces

(military) The military units operating on the ground, including tanks, soldiers, artillery, etc.

陸軍 /陆军

all military units operating on the ground


narco

(law enforcement) Acronym of narcotics control officer (“a police officer specializing in drug crimes”).


limber

For the obsolete limmer, from Old Norse limar (“branches”), plural of lim.

An' when the smoke 'ad cleared away, before the limber wheels, / There lay the Driver's Brother with 'is 'ead between 'is 'eels.

1892, Rudyard Kipling, “Snarleyow”, in Barrack-Room Ballads and Other Verses, 3rd edition, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 37:

As the limber gunners went to the rear, his horse trod in a rabbit-hole and came down, throwing him into a depression of the ground.

1895–1897, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, “At the Window”, in The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, published 1898, →OCLC, book I (The Coming of the Martians), page 83:

we covered the rutted, rattling, dusty pot-holed roads of coastal Victoria, six big Walers in front, the cannon at the rear, and that unsprung cart they called a ‘limber’ in the middle.

1985, Peter Carey, Illywhacker, Faber and Faber, published 2003, page 29:

(military) A two-wheeled vehicle to which a wheeled artillery piece or caisson may be attached for transport.


impregnable

en-adj

impregnable (comparative more impregnable, superlative most impregnable)

more impregnable (comparative)
most impregnable (superlative)

From Late Middle English imprenable, impregnable (“impossible to capture, impregnable”), from Old French imprenable (modern French imprenable (“impregnable”)), from im- (a variant of in- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + prenable (“(military) of a building, position, etc.: takable”) (from prendre (“to take”) + -able (suffix meaning ‘creating an effect or influence’)). Prendre is derived from Latin prēndere, present active infinitive of prēndō, a variant of prehendō (“to catch, lay hold of; to grasp; to grab, snatch; to seize, take”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʰed- (“to find; to hold; to seize, take”). The intrusive g in the English word was modelled after words like deign and reign.

der

Unerringly impelling this dead, impregnable, uninjurable wall, and this most buoyant thing within; there swims behind it all a mass of tremendous life, only to be adequately estimated as piled wood is—by the cord; and all obedient to one volition, as the smallest insect.

1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “The Battering-ram”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC, page 376:

Jurgis got up, wild with rage; but the door was shut and the great castle was dark and impregnable.

1905 April–October, Upton Sinclair, chapter XXV, in The Jungle, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1906 February 26, →OCLC, page 292:

(military) Of a fortress or other fortified place: able to withstand all attacks; impenetrable, inconquerable, unvanquishable.

непревзимаем

of a fortress or other fortified place: able to withstand all attacks — see also impenetrable, inconquerable, unvanquishable


State of the Union

(US politics) The State of the Union address, an annual event in which a president of the United States reports the status of the country, normally to a joint session of the United States Congress.

خُطْبَة حَالَةِ الاِتِّحَاد

annual address given by the US president

一般教書演説

いっぱんきょうしょえんぜつ


go ahead

en-verb

go ahead (third-person singular simple present goes ahead, present participle going ahead, simple past went ahead, past participle gone ahead)

goes ahead (present singular third-person)
going ahead (participle present)
went ahead (past)
gone ahead (participle past)

/ˌɡəʊ əˈhɛd/

/ˌɡoʊ əˈhɛd/

/ˌɡəʉ əˈhɛd/

/ˌɡɐʉ əˈhɛd/

Bravo Six Actual, this is Bravo Six Four. Go ahead, over.

(procedure word, military) To send communication over the radio.


Campbell

* As a Scottish surname, from Scottish Gaelic Caimbeul, from cam (“crooked”) + beul (“mouth”). Compare Cameron, from Scottish Gaelic cam (“crooked”) + sròn (“nose”).
* As an Irish surname, from Mac Cathmhaoil (“son of Cathmhaol”), see Caulfield, Cowell.
* As an English surname, variant of Camel, probably influenced by the above.
* (duck breed): Developed by Adele Campbell.

(US, law, copyright law, US politics, informal, uncountable) Ellipsis of Campbell v. Acuff-Rose Music, Inc., a 1994 U.S. Supreme Court case that held that commercial parodies can be subject to fair use.


AWB

(US, politics, initialism) Federal Assault Weapons Ban.


entente

Unadapted borrowing from French entente (“understanding”). Doublet of intent.

ubor

(politics) An informal alliance or friendly understanding between two states.


thermostatic

Most importantly, Wlezien's results revealed thermostatic responsiveness. That is, when spending increases (decreases), the public's support for more spending decreases (increases), other things being equal.

2017 September 22, Justin Fisher, Edward Fieldhouse, Mark N. Franklin, Rachel Gibson, Marta Cantijoch, Christopher Wlezien, The Routledge Handbook of Elections, Voting Behavior and Public Opinion, Routledge, →ISBN:

(chiefly politics) Reacting to change by attempting to move in the opposite direction.


pluralism

en-noun

pluralism (countable and uncountable, plural pluralisms)

(politics) The belief that there should be diverse and competing centers of power in society.

(politics) The acknowledgement of a diversity of political systems.


poliorcetics

/ˌpəʊlɪɔːˈsɛtɪks/

Partly:
* borrowed from Late Latin poliorcetica (“siege engines”) + English -s (suffix forming pluralia tantum) (poliorcetica is derived from Koine Greek πολιορκητικά (poliorkētiká, “things related to sieges”), the neuter plural of πολιορκητικός (poliorkētikós, “relating to poliorcetics, poliorcetic”), from Ancient Greek πολῐορκέω (polĭorkéō, “to besiege, blockade”) (from πόλις (pólis, “city”) + ἕρκος (hérkos, “enclosure; fence”)) + -τῐκός (-tĭkós, suffix forming adjectives meaning ‘of or relating to’)); and
* from poliorcetic (“relating to poliorcetics”) + -s (suffix forming pluralia tantum).

der

πολιορκητικά

suffix

The grand battles of the Archaic and early Classical periods were replaced by the new art of poliorcetics.

1992, Lars Karlsson, Fortification Towers and Masonry Techniques in the Hegemony of Syracuse, 405–211 B.C. (Skrifter Utgivna av Svenska Institutet i Rom [Publications of the Swedish Institute in Rome]; 49), Stockholm: Svenska Institutet i Rom [Swedish Institute in Rome], →ISBN, →ISSN, page 11, column 1:

(military) The art of siege warfare, namely, that of conducting or resisting a siege; siegecraft.


trains command

(military) A specific unit assigned to a division that is the headquarters for one or more trains.


renewal

en-noun

renewal (countable and uncountable, plural renewals)

(fencing) An offensive action made immediately after a parried one.


AOC

'I stopped for one night to see Ur and the Chaldees and for three days in Baghdad with the A.O.C., who happens to be an old friend of mine.'.

1934, Agatha Christie, chapter 8, in Murder on the Orient Express, London: HarperCollins, published 2017, page 128:

Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding#English

(military, UK) Initialism of Air Officer Commanding, a title used to refer to RAF officers holding certain command appointments.


AOC

But I’m fine with candidates like AOC (can we start abbreviating?) proposing the jobs guarantee, for a couple of reasons.

2018 July 5, Paul Krugman, “More on a Job Guarantee (Wonkish)”, in The New York Times:

“Time to walk the walk,” AOC, as the New York politician is known to supporters, wrote in a Tuesday night tweet.

2018 December 5, Chantal Da Silva, “‘Time to Walk the Walk’: Ocasio-Cortez Praised for 'Transparency' on Congressional Budget and Intern Pay”, in Newsweek:

As speaker, Pelosi will face challenges from the party's robust wing of liberal newcomers, including 29-year-old New Yorker Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has risen to such prominence she is already known around the Capitol – and on her prolific social media accounts – by the nickname “AOC.”

2019 January 3, Lisa Mascaro, “Nancy Pelosi elected speaker of the House, sees ‘new dawn’ for 116th Congress”, in Chicago Tribune, Associated Press:

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
w:Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

(US politics) Initialism of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.


straddle

en-verb

straddle (third-person singular simple present straddles, present participle straddling, simple past and past participle straddled)

straddles (present singular third-person)
straddling (participle present)
straddled (participle past)
straddled (past)

As a verb, attested since the 1560s. Most likely, an alteration of dialectal striddle. The noun is first attested in the 1610s.

(military) To fire successive artillery shots in front of and behind of a target, especially in order to determine its range (the term "bracket" is often used instead).

хващам във вилица

to fire shots in front and behind of a target


straddle

The first salvo fell short; the next was long; the third was a straddle.

(military) A pair or salvo of successive artillery shots falling both in front of and behind a target.


coupé

Unadapted borrowing from French coupé (an elliptical form of carosse coupé (“cut carriage”)), the past participle of couper (“to cut”).

[...] who was knighted : His Arms were Or, three Barrs Azure on a Canton Argent, a Lyon's Head coupé Gules;

1826, Sir Henry Chauncy, The Historical Antiquities of Hertforshire, page 314:

Grant of Arms and Crest from Hervy Clarenceux : Sablés, a chevron engrayled betwene three bezants, on a chief gold a rose gules between two flower de luces azure. Crest, a horsse head coupé golde pelletey betwene two winges barrey[…]

1863, John Gough Nichols, The Herald and Genealogist, page 82:

Fig. 34, Argent, a baton sinister, coupé, gules (the mark of illegitimate descent).

1898, Edward Singleton Holden, A Primer of Heraldry for Americans, page 117:


tale of the tape

(boxing) The pre-fight measurements taken of the combatants.


disintegrating link

en-noun

disintegrating link (plural disintegrating links)

(firearms) A pressed metal or plastic link, used to join cartridges for a machine gun, which is expelled when the cartridge is removed during loading.


suki

This gluing is "stoppage," and every stoppage means giving an advantage to the enemy, which is a suki.

1959, Daisetz Teitarō Suzuki, Zen and Japanese culture, page 143:

When you receive a strike, it is because there is a suki. Your opponent draws your attention to your weak spots, and you endeavor to ensure that you do not receive a strike in the same place again.

1997, Hiroshi Ozawa, Kendo: The Definitive Guide, →ISBN, page 20:

Often, though, a suki to the chest will cause the sword to become lodged between bone and cartilage making it very difficult to quickly remove.

2006, Kevin L. Seiler, Donald J. Seller, Karate-do, →ISBN, page 61:

(Japan, martial arts) An opening to the enemy; a weak spot that provides an advantage for one's opponent.


depending

Behind the shield are placed in saltire two batons representing that belonging to his office, and round the shield is placed a gold collar of SS, and a triple chain also of gold, and depending from it the proper badge of Lyon King of Arms.

1899, Arthur Charles Fox-Davies, Armorial Families – A Directory of Some Gentlemen of Coat-Armour, Showing which Arms in Use at the Moment are Borne by Legal Authority, 3rd edition, page 46:

(heraldry) Suspended or hanging from another element, such as a shield, helmet, crest, or a badge hanging from a chain.


left-winger

vasemmistolainen

person who belongs to the political left

(politics) A person who espouses left-wing political views.


nombril

(heraldry) A point halfway between the fess point (centre of the shield) and the middle base (bottom) point of an escutcheon.

tyvipiste

heraldry: point midway between bottom and centre of the shield


policy wonk

Mondale's passionate attachment to the issue reflects his thralldom to the policy wonks and wise men of the Washington establishment.

Kirk O'Donnell, 42, who recently joined the campaign staff, is a unique combination of Boston pol and "policy wonk" who is best known in Washington as Tip O'Neill's former right-hand man, the guy who sold the speaker's program to the congressional troops.

1988 July 25, Joe Klein, “'President Dukakis': what the First Hundred Days Could be Like”, in New York Magazine, volume 21, number 29, page 27:

Clinton and Gore . . . . both are new-ideas moderates with a policy wonk's love of the intricacies of complex issues.

1992 July 20, Walter Shapiro, “Gore A Hard-Won Sense of Ease”, in Time:

But access to ministers is not the only reason right-of-centre policy wonks are excited.

(politics, government) A person who studies or develops strategies and policies, especially one who has a keen interest in and aptitude for technical details.


under the gun

(obsolete, military) Too close to be subject to artillery fire.


hellfire

hellfire (countable and uncountable, plural hellfires)

hellfires (plural)
Hellfire (alternative)
hell-fire (alternative)
Hell-fire (alternative)
fires (alternative)
hell (alternative)
hell-fire (alternative)

/ˈhɛlˌfaɪəɹ/

From Middle English helle fire, helever, from Old English hellefȳr, equivalent to hell + fire. Cognate with West Frisian helfjoer (“hellfire”), Dutch hellevuur (“hellfire”), German Höllenfeuer (“hellfire”).

(countable, military) Ellipsis of AGM-114 Hellfire.


hold-up

→ Cebuano: holdap

→ French: hold-up

→ Tagalog: holdap

And to the left is a portable gamma counter that tells us the holdup of plutonium recovery facilities.

1978, United States. Congress. House. Committee on Armed Services. Intelligence and Military Application of Nuclear Energy Subcommittee, Hearings on H.R. 11036 (H.R. 11686) (page 361)

During process operations and temporary shutdown, the holdup within the facility is also known as the in-process inventory.

1989, Energy Research Abstracts, page 2046:

(military) The inventory of nuclear material within a separation plant.


bird dog

en-verb

bird dog (third-person singular simple present bird dogs, present participle bird dogging, simple past and past participle bird dogged)

bird dogs (present singular third-person)
bird dogging (participle present)
bird dogged (participle past)
bird dogged (past)
bird-dog (alternative)
birddog (alternative)

United States Department of Defense Air Land Sea Application Center

(aviation, military, slang) A multiservice tactical brevity code requesting configuration of sensors.


swingy

en-adj

swingy (comparative swingier, superlative swingiest)

swingier (comparative)
swingiest (superlative)

[…] redrawing the congressional maps to add at least slightly more Republican votes to the potentially swingy districts of freshmen […]

2013, Larry J. Sabato, Barack Obama and the New America:

The more than 2 million ballots that remained uncounted on election night are down to 6,037 votes in Lake County, a small but swingy region north of the San Francisco Bay area.

2018 July 6, David Weigel, “The votes from California’s primary are finally in. Here’s what we learned.”, in The Washington Post:

(informal, politics) Having many swing voters.


generalship

/ˈdʒɛn(ə)ɹəlʃɪp/

(military) The position or office of a general.


headless

From Middle English heedles, hevedles, from Old English hēafodlēas (“headless”), equivalent to head + -less. Cognate with Dutch hoofdloos (“headless”), Danish hovedløs (“headless”), Swedish huvudlös (“headless”), Icelandic höfuðlaus (“headless”).

A headless shell doesn't have a flange.

(obsolete, firearms) Rimless, not having a cartridge case rim (flange).


synchronization

en-noun

synchronization (countable and uncountable, plural synchronizations)

synchronizations (plural)
synchronisation (alternative)

(military) The arrangement of military actions in time, space, and purpose to produce maximum relative combat power at a decisive place and time.


lockstep

lockstep (usually uncountable, plural locksteps)

locksteps (plural)
lock-step (alternative)
lock step (alternative)

(military) A step whereby the toe of one man is brought very close to the heel of the man in front.

but see Gleichschritt

not necessarily very close but in unison


linkage

linkage (countable and uncountable, plural linkages)

Genetic linkage
Linkage (linguistics)
Linkage (mechanical)
Linkage (policy)
linkage

(US, politics, historical) A United States foreign policy, during the 1970s détente in the Cold War, of persuading the Soviet Union to co-operate in restraining revolutions in the Third World in return for nuclear and economic concessions.


redshirt

/ˈɹɛd.ʃəː(ɹ)t/

Redshirt (college sports)
Star Trek: The Original Series
Starfleet
redshirt (stock character)

Calque of Italian camicia rossa, equivalent to red + shirt. In later senses with reference to the uniforms or outfits worn by such people. The fandom slang sense emerged from the tendency of red-uniformed Starfleet officers to die in episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series.

(US, military) A person responsible for loading and unloading weapons, artillery, and equipment from aircraft.


chickenhawk

/ˈt͡ʃɪkɪnˌhɔk/

From chicken + hawk. The political sense is derived from figurative meanings of "chicken" (coward) and "hawk" (militarist).

(US politics, derogatory) A draft dodger, especially in the Vietnam War, who nonetheless currently supports United States overseas military engagements.

knapenschenner

adult man who seeks out boys as his sexual partners


preponderance

preponderance (countable and uncountable, plural preponderances)

preponderances (plural)
praeponderance (alternative)
præponderance (alternative)

(specifically, weaponry, historical) The excess of weight of that part of a cannon behind the trunnions over that in front of them.


MDT

MDT (countable and uncountable, plural MDTs)

(healthcare) Initialism of multidrug therapy.


MDT

w:Mutual Defense Treaty (United States-Philippines)

(US, Philippines, military, politics) Initialism of Mutual Defense Treaty (United States-Philippines).


PPP

And Congress made that lifeline even stronger with two big tax breaks: Forgiven PPP loans will not be subject to federal income tax and small business owners may deduct business expenses paid for with their PPP money.

2021 February 23, Jeanne Sahadi, “So you got a PPP loan? Here’s what that means for your state taxes”, in CNN Business:

(US politics, employment, COVID-19) Initialism of paycheck protection program A U.S. federal government business loan program to allow businesses to continue to pay fixed costs and employees, for those business adversely impacted by COVID-19.


RAP

(US, law enforcement) Acronym of record of arrest and prosecution.


backscratch

en-verb

backscratch (third-person singular simple present backscratches, present participle backscratching, simple past and past participle backscratched)

backscratches (present singular third-person)
backscratching (participle present)
backscratched (participle past)
backscratched (past)

It was backscratched into existence, cost nearly a billion pounds, and now they are wondering why they let it happen.

2003, Ralph Steadman, Doodaaa: The Balletic Art of Gavin Twinge, page 105:

The fount of social problems, he argues, is that human morality grew out of the natural principles of tit-for-tat and mutual backscratching.

2008, Nicholas Fearn, The Latest Answers to the Oldest Questions:

Whether referred to as bargaining, logrolling, or backscratching, the effect is the same: "you support me, I'll support you."

2007, Jeffrey M. Elliot, The Presidential-Congressional Political Dictionary, page 178:

(business, politics, slang) To engage in a reciprocal beneficial action.


hank

From Middle English hank, of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse hǫnk (compare haki (“something bent”)), related to Proto-Germanic *hakô (“hook”). Akin to Old English hangian (“to hang”). First known use: 14th century.

(wrestling) A throw in which a wrestler turns his left side to his opponent, twines his left leg about his opponent's right leg from the inside, and throws him backward.


ack-ack

en-noun

ack-ack (countable and uncountable, plural ack-acks)

From ack (“A”) + ack (“A”), RAF WWI signalese for AA (“anti-aircraft”). (In modern signalese it would be called alpha-alpha.)

The army fired upon us with ack-ack.

Ack-acks were set up in the square.

He had thought how down there on the ground, on enemy soil, there were probably hundreds of Ivys, nice Fräuleins with buck teeth and fiancés on U-boats, manning the German ack-ack, all united in an effort to kill him.

2015, Kate Atkinson, A God in Ruins, →ISBN, page 140:

(military slang) Antiaircraft artillery.

The bomber flew through heavy ack-ack.

(military slang, uncountable) Antiaircraft fire.


uncharged

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-uncharged.wav


base communications

(telecommunications, military, US) Communications services, such as the installation, operation, maintenance, augmentation, modification, and rehabilitation of communications networks, systems, facilities, and equipment, including off-post extensions, provided for the operation of a military post, camp, installation, station, or activity.


four by two

four by twos (plural)
four-by-two (alternative)

(UK, Australia, military) A cotton cloth 4 inches wide with lines two inches apart, conveniently torn into two inch lengths for cleaning a rifle barrel using a pull through.


dig in

en-verb

dig in (third-person singular simple present digs in, present participle digging in, simple past and past participle dug in)

digs in (present singular third-person)
digging in (participle present)
dug in (participle past)
dug in (past)

If Russia choses to dig in, then the military balance – which typically favours the defender on a 3-1 ratio – is reversed.

2022 April 4, Dan Sabbagh, “Routing of Russian forces from Kyiv area will be hard to repeat in eastern Ukraine”, in The Guardian:

(military, also figurative in sports) To dig trenches to resist an enemy attack.


double time

(military) A fast marching pace of 180 steps per minute, 36 inches in length for the Marine Corps and Navy, 30 inches in length for the Army. It is not really double the speed of quick time as quick time is 112-120 steps per minute.


dark horse

Originally an allusion to an unknown horse with a dark coat winning a race, as used in the 1831 novel The Young Duke by Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881).

That left Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, 69 — a quiet American dark horse who had, surprisingly, emerged in the evening’s vote — as a source of particular interest.

2025 May 11, Jason Horowitz, Emma Bubola, Elizabeth Dias, Patricia Mazzei, “How a Quiet American Cardinal Became Pope”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(idiomatic, politics) A candidate for an election who is nominated unexpectedly, without previously having been discussed or considered as a likely choice.


get over

get over (third-person singular simple present gets over, present participle getting over, simple past got over, past participle (UK) got over or (US) gotten over)

gets over (present singular third-person)
getting over (participle present)
got over (past)
got over (UK participle past)
gotten over (US participle past)

(professional wrestling slang) To establish a connection with the audience as a character or faction.


bridgehead

/ˈbɹɪd͡ʒhɛd/

Calque of French tête de pont, equivalent to bridge + head.

(military) A fortification around the end of a bridge.

He believed the invasion would happen elsewhere and it wasn't until late in the afternoon and long after the Allied forces had established a bridgehead that Hitler was convinced of the need to do something.

2021, Otto English, Fake History, page 243:

(military) An area of ground on the enemy's side of a river or other obstacle, especially one that needs to be taken and defended in order to secure an advance.

رَأْس جِسْر

area of ground on the enemy's side of an obstacle


confederacy

confederacies (plural)
confœderacy (alternative)

From Middle English confederacie, from Anglo-Norman confederacie, from Latin cōnfoederātiō. Doublet of confederation.

(politics) A state where the sovereign constituent units delegate their authority to the centre. As opposed to a federation, where the central and regional governments are each equal and sovereign in their own sphere.


nock

From Middle English nokke, attested since the 14th century, probably from a Scandinavian/North Germanic language (compare Swedish nock (“notch”), but compare Dutch nok, from Middle Dutch nocke (“tip, point”). Both could be related to nook (“corner, recess”).

He took his arrow by the nock.

[1611?], Homer, “(please specify |book=I to XXIV)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., The Iliads of Homer Prince of Poets. […], London: […] Nathaniell Butter, →OCLC; republished as The Iliads of Homer, Prince of Poets, […], new edition, volume (please specify the book number), London: Charles Knight and Co., […], 1843, →OCLC:

(archery) The notch at the rear of an arrow that fits on the bowstring.


nock

(archery) Fit the arrow to your bowstring.


earned media

(politics, advertising) Publicitiy for political campaigns gained through newspaper articles, TV news stories, web news, letters to the editor, op-ed pieces, and "fast polls" on TV and the Web.


sitrep

sitreps (plural)
SITREP (alternative)
SitRep (alternative)

Anyone in the barracks, I need a sitrep. Now!

2007 September 25, Bungie, Halo 3, spoken by Miranda Keyes (Justis Bolding), Microsoft Game Studios, Xbox 360, level/area: Crow's Nest:

(military) A situation report: a periodic report on the current military situation.


escalope

Borrowed from French escalope. Doublet of scallop.

(heraldry) A charge (depiction) of the scallop.


exfiltration

en-noun

exfiltration (countable and uncountable, plural exfiltrations)

(military) The process of exiting an area (usually behind enemy lines or in enemy territory).


floorgrip

(firearms) A device used to steady firing and counter the effects of recoil, resulting in far more accurate fire when shooting in full auto mode. It can be incorporated in some rifles as part of the Rail Integration System.


gendered knowledge

(feminism) According to feminist studies and gender studies, mainstream knowledge that is produced by men and privileges the masculine over the feminine.


closure

closure (countable and uncountable, plural closures)

From Middle English closure, from Old French closure, from Late Latin clausura, from Latin claudere (“to close”); see clausure and cloture (etymological doublets) and close.

(politics) A method of ending a parliamentary debate and securing an immediate vote upon a measure before a legislative body.

klosuuri

politics: method of ending a parliamentary debate and securing an immediate vote


closure

en-verb

closure (third-person singular simple present closures, present participle closuring, simple past and past participle closured)

closures (present singular third-person)
closuring (participle present)
closured (participle past)
closured (past)

At any time they could have stopped discussion by closuring amendments and by closuring the clause under discussion.

1893, The New Review, volume 9, page 119:

(transitive, politics) To end the parliamentary debate on (an issue) by closure.


duffel bag

duffel bags (plural)
duffle bag (alternative)

After the Belgian town of Duffel, which produced the thick cloth from which early duffel bags were made.

(US, Australia, often military) A large, cylindrical, duffel cloth bag used to carry personal gear, especially by soldiers.

õlapaun

large duffel cloth bag used to carry personal gear


GSU

(US, military) Initialism of geographically separated unit: a military unit not at the same physical location or base as its parent unit.


overbore

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-overbore.wav

(firearms) Such that the capacity of the burning cartridge powder is greater than the volume within the barrel.


overbore

overbore (third-person singular simple present overbores, present participle overboring, simple past and past participle overbored)

overbores (present singular third-person)
overboring (participle present)
overbored (participle past)
overbored (past)

(firearms, transitive) To modify so that the capacity of the burning cartridge powder is greater than the volume within the barrel.


DH

(military, nautical) Initialism of heavy destroyer, a variant of the destroyer type of warship.


incident report

en-noun

incident report (plural incident reports)

(law enforcement) A commonly used description for law enforcement or help desk events.


thumper

thumper (countable and uncountable, plural thumpers)

(US, military, slang) The Vietnam-era M79 grenade launcher (due to its distinctive report).


RSN

Republic of Singapore Navy
w:Republic of Singapore Navy

(Singapore, military, nautical) Initialism of Republic of Singapore Navy.


sunshine agenda

sunshine agenda (plural sunshine agendas)

(US, government, law) An agenda on which an item has been placed for which the decision-making body will not entertain discussion or commentary.

(US, government, law) A public agenda on which an item for decision has been placed for which the decision-making body will not entertain commentary, discussion or influence during a certain defined time-frame prior to the decision, in order to give the body "a period of repose" in which to make decisions.


cousins

From cousin + -s (suffix forming pluralia tantum, regular plurals of nouns, and the third-person singular indicative present tense forms of verbs).
The plural noun sense 1 (“American or British intelligence services”) was popularized in the works of the English author John le Carré (David John Moore Cornwell; 1930–2020).

suffix

[T]he grounded fieldmen, the trainers and the case officers who made their own murmured caucus always – they saw the question solely in operational terms. […] They saw the shotgun marriage with the Cousins as just another skilful bit of tradecraft in a long and delicate poker game.

1977, John le Carré [pseudonym; David John Moore Cornwell], chapter I, in The Honourable Schoolboy, London: Hodder and Stoughton, →ISBN, page 16:

(espionage, slang) The American intelligence services (from a British perspective) or the British intelligence services (from an American perspective).


pound-for-pound

Sugar Ray Robinson is pound for pound the best boxer ever.

Oakland native Ward is now unbeaten in 25 fights and can now claim to be one of the top few pound-for-pound fighters on the planet after a technically dazzling display.

2011 December 18, Ben Dirs, “Carl Froch outclassed by dazzling Andre Ward”, in BBC Sport:

(sports, boxing) A comparison of fighters' (usually boxers) skill levels, regardless of what weight class they are in.


SSP

senior superintendent
senior superintendent#English

(law enforcement) Abbreviation of senior superintendent, a police rank.


gentlewoman

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-gentlewoman.wav

From Middle English gentilwoman, modelled after gentilman (“gentleman”), equivalent to gentle + -woman.

'The gentlewoman from California.' Or 'the gentlewoman from Texas.' Gentlewoman?

1998 December 11, “GENTLEWOMEN AND GENTLEMEN DON'T SAY 'LADY'”, in Daily Press:

House of Representatives
House of Representatives

(US, politics) A female member of a legislature, especially a female member of a House of Representatives.


outlying field

outlying fields (plural)
OLF (alternative)

(military, chiefly US) An airfield outside of the homebase.


tripping

en-adj

tripping (comparative more tripping, superlative most tripping)

more tripping (comparative)
most tripping (superlative)

a buck tripping

Robinson, [...] vert, on a chev. betw. three bucks, tripping, or, as many cinquefoils gu.—Crest, a buck, tripping, or.

1828, William Berry, Encyclopaedia Heraldica, Or Complete Dictionary of Heraldry:

[A] buck tripping proper (of its natural colour), is borne by the name of Williams; Argent, a buck tripping proper, attired and unguled (horned and hoofed) or, by the name of Holme, in Scotland. The same arms are borne by the[…]

1846, William Newton, A Display of Heraldry, page 97:

Ar. three stags tripping ppr.

1894, Notes and Queries, Historical, Biographical and Genealogical, Relating Chiefly to Interior Pennsylvania, page 53:

(heraldry, not comparable) Having the right forefoot lifted, the others remaining on the ground, as if trotting; trippant.


DIS

Defense Investigative Service
w:Defense Investigative Service

(military, US) Initialism of Defense Investigative Service, now the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency


caboshed

caboched (alternative)
cabossed (alternative)

From French caboché, past participle of cabocher, from caboche (“head”) (compare cabbage). See -ed.

(heraldry, of an animal) Shown face-on, showing the full face, but cut off immediately behind the ears and hence showing nothing of the neck.


prone out

en-verb

prone out (third-person singular simple present prones out, present participle proning out, simple past and past participle proned out)

prones out (present singular third-person)
proning out (participle present)
proned out (participle past)
proned out (past)

(transitive, law enforcement) To order or cause a person to lie prone on the ground, usually at gunpoint and to effect a high-risk arrest.


cream puff

cream puffs (plural)
creampuff (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-cream puff.wav

(military slang, obsolete) An exploding shell.


legionary

From legion + -ary. From Latin legiōnārius. Doublet of legionnaire.

Suddenly, [...] he saw all this as romantic — the last legionary, his aloneness, the lost cause really lost — and instinctively he pulled in his paunch, stroked down his hair to cover the naked part of the scalp, and wiped the sweat off his cheeks.

1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 425:

(military, Ancient Rome) A soldier belonging to a legion; a professional soldier of the ancient Roman army.


REMF

Back at the PXs, the REMFs (rear-echelon motherfuckers) […] were indulging in black-market schemes and pleasures while Stone and his buddies out humping the boonies did the fighting, putting their lives on the line.

2004, Martin Torgoff, “Next Stop is Vietnam”, in Can’t Find My Way Home: America in the Great Stoned Age, 1945–2000, New York, N.Y.: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 175:

(slang, US, UK, military) Initialism of rear-echelon motherfucker, a soldier assigned or stationed far from the front line, especially during the Vietnam War.


tori

Borrowed from Japanese 取り, from 取る (toru, “take, pick up”).

(judo, martial arts) One who executes a technique against the training partner, or uke.


bruised

or, a cross between four squirrels sejant, gules . . . argent, a lion rampant, gules, bruised with a bendlet, or, Branch. […] On the summit is the quartered shield of Stewart, consisting of 23 coats of arms: […] 2, the same with an escotcheon of pretence, argent, a lion rampant gules, bruised by a staff ragulée in bend, or, Steward; […]

1807, Francis Blomefield, An Essay Towards a Topographical History of the County of Norfolk: Gallow and Brothercross. Blofield. Clackclose, page 381:


squared circle

(sports, boxing, wrestling, professional wrestling) The boxing or wrestling ring.


undervote

undervote (third-person singular simple present undervotes, present participle undervoting, simple past and past participle undervoted)

undervotes (present singular third-person)
undervoting (participle present)
undervoted (participle past)
undervoted (past)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-undervote.wav

(politics) To spoil a ballot by marking it for fewer choices than mandated by the rules.


dedans

(court tennis) A division, at one end of a tennis court, for spectators.


obs

But I now knew I was under obs by the Gardai as well as by GMP.

2017, Jimmy Donnelly, Jimmy The Weed: Inside the Quality Street Gang:

Had you under obs for three weeks.

2018, Paige Elizabeth Turner, Clock Face of Ills:

(law enforcement, slang) Police observation.


home in

home in (third-person singular simple present homes in, present participle homing in, simple past and past participle homed in)

homes in (present singular third-person)
homing in (participle present)
homed in (participle past)
homed in (past)
hone in (alternative)

The phrase originates in military use in the early 20th century, apparently by analogy with the older term homing pigeon. From the 1960s it is also found in the mistaken variant hone in. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone+in

(military, of an aircraft or guided missile, often with 'on') To draw close to a destination, especially using radar; to move towards a target.


shafted

en-adj

shafted (comparative more shafted, superlative most shafted)

more shafted (comparative)
most shafted (superlative)

Arms Azure, a hart's head cabossed and attired or, between the attires a dirk ppr. shafted gules, point downwards.

1907, The "Old Northwest" Genealogical Quarterly, page 169:

[…] a dexter cubit arm, in armour, ppr., garnished or, gules, cinctured with a bracelet, sa., holding a Danish battle-axe, proper, shafted gules, garnished or, for WOLRICH.

1852, Bernard Burke, A genealogical and heraldic dictionary of the landed gentry of Great Britain & Ireland for 1852, page 1287:

(heraldry, of a spear, axe, dagger, etc) Having a shaft (or handle) of a specified tincture, typically different from the head.


MEF

(military) Initialism of Marine Expeditionary Force, one of the major subdivisions of the United States Marine Corps.


approaches

/əˈpɹəʊt͡ʃiz/

(military) The covered roads, trenches, or other works made by besiegers or soldiers in their advances toward a place such as a fortress or military post.


Jody

Jodies (plural)
Jodi (alternative)
Jodie (alternative)

From a blend of Jo or Joe with Jody or Judy. Doublet of Ivanka, Jan, Janelle, Janet, Janey, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeannette, Jeannine, Jen, Jenna, Jenny, Jessie, Jo, Juanita, Shanae, Sinead, and Vanna in relation to most derivations of Jo as a female name.

doublet

Even today in the Marine Corps or the Army, one calls a jody, not a marching chant. For the trainee, Jody is the clever civilian who brutally divorces the soldier from the civilian world by appropriating all his possessions and loved ones.
Ain't no use in callin home. Jody's on your telephone.
Ain't no use in lookin' back.
Jody's got your Cadillac.
Ain't no use in goin' home.
Jody's got your girl and gone.
Ain't no use in feelin' blue.
Jody's got your sister too.

2004, Carol Burke, Camp all-American, Hanoi Jane, and the high-and-tight, page 31:

“What is Jody? a Jody is the guy back home with your wife or your girlfriend. That is what a Jody is,” Harris explained.

2008, Richard Engel, War Journal: My Five Years in Iraq, page 298:

(US, military and prison slang) The man who seduces a soldier or inmate's wife or girlfriend during his absence.


recce

en-noun

recce (countable and uncountable, plural recces)

recces (plural)
recco (alternative)
reccy (alternative)

1953, J. (Julian) Maclaren-Ross, The Weeping and the Laughter: A Chapter of Autobiography
Visiting the town on what in the more recent war we called a recce, she arranged a tennis-match with Dolly, guessing that the girl would be a bad loser.

As he climbed into the car, his recce of the space behind the seats was still a little too obvious despite best efforts at subtlety.

2006, Vincent Tuckwood, Karaoke Criminals:

I'm afraid you two will have to go on a bit of a recce sometime soon.

He'd be over at Christmas to do a proper sort-through of Velerie's things, but in the meantime could Shannon have a quiet recce and make sure everything was secure?

2016, Laurence Fearnley, The Quiet Spectacular, →ISBN, page 92:

Rona disappeared into the little kitchenette and Nicol made a recce of the room.

2022, Liam McIlvanney, The Heretic, page 279:

1946, United States. Congress. American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic Monuments in War Areas, Hearings Before the Joint Committee on the Investigation of the Pearl Harbor Attack
There appears a captured photograph showing cruiser or battleship recovery of an old Jap float recce plane.

These record imagery from all three recce sensors - IR, EO and SAR.

2006, Tony Holmes, US Marine Corps And RAAF Hornet Units of Operation Iraqi Freedom:

Reconnaissance (recce) patrols were the most effective solution that the British and Indian Army designed to identify Japanese units and their intentions, as these could move through the jungle without alerting the enemy to their presence.

2006, Hew Strachan, Big Wars And Small Wars: The British Army and the Lessons of War in the 20th Century:

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, military slang) Reconnaissance.


recce

en-verb

recce (third-person singular simple present recces, present participle recceing, simple past and past participle recced or recce'd or recceed)

recces (present singular third-person)
recceing (participle present)
recced (participle past)
recced (past)
recce'd (participle past)
recce'd (past)
recceed (participle past)
recceed (past)
recco (alternative)
reccy (alternative)

→ Malay: riki

I told the boys to stock up with all they could, and went back to the village to recce for someone to pay as per orders.

1961, John Sibly, You'll Walk to Mandalay: A Novel:

Take him down there with Entry Two and recce first. If he can't confirm it, we pull out.

(UK, Ireland, Commonwealth, military slang) Reconnoitre.


recon

en-noun

recon (countable and uncountable, plural recons)

During a scan of the Phoenix system asteroid field, you detected an odd energy reading that Tali determined was quarian in nature. She led a recon team into the asteroid field, where she discovered an abandoned freighter.

2008, BioWare, Mass Effect (Science Fiction), Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Carbonaceous Asteroid, Phoenix:

(chiefly US, military slang) reconnaissance.


recon

en-verb

recon (third-person singular simple present recons, present participle reconning, simple past and past participle reconned)

recons (present singular third-person)
reconning (participle present)
reconned (participle past)
reconned (past)

(chiefly US, military slang) reconnoiter.


naturalism

en-noun

naturalism (countable and uncountable, plural naturalisms)

From natural + -ism. Compare French naturalisme.

(politics, law) The belief in natural law.


spark plug

spark plugs (plural)
sparkplug (alternative)
sparking plug (alternative)

thermonuclear weapon
thermonuclear weapon

(military) A rod (for cylindrical secondaries) or sphere (for spherical secondaries) of fissile material at the center of the secondary of a multistage thermonuclear weapon, which undergoes nuclear fission when compressed to supercriticality by the imploding secondary, helping to raise the secondary to the pressures and temperatures necessary to ignite nuclear fusion in the secondary's fusion fuel.


representative democracy

representative democracy (countable and uncountable, plural representative democracies)

(politics) A policy under the rule of people acting on the behalf of and, to a lesser extent, in the interests of the voting blocks by which they were elected.


cruse

cruses (plural)
cruise (alternative)
cruze (alternative rare)

From Middle English crouse, from Old English crūse (“jar, cruse”), from Proto-West Germanic *krūsā, from Proto-Germanic *krūsǭ, *krūsaz (“jar, pot, collar, jug”). Cognate with German Krause (“pot with a lid”), Icelandic krús (“jar, jug”). Merged with Middle English croo (“pot, pitcher”), from Old English crōg (“crock, pitcher, vessel”). More at crock.

inh

With a thought I tooke for Maudline
& a cruse of cockle pottage.
with a thing thus tall, skie blesse you all:
I befell into this dotage.

c. 1620, anonymous, “Tom o’ Bedlam’s Song” in Giles Earle his Booke (British Museum, Additional MSS. 24, 665)

He had dipped ungenerously into a generous mother’s purse; basely and recklessly spilt her little cruse.

1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 21, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:

(religion, heraldry or obsolete) A small jar used to hold liquid, such as oil or water.


BDU

(US, military) Initialism of battle dress uniform.


CSU

Borrowed from German CSU. Also an initialism of Christian Social Union.

The ever-present two dominant parties of German politics, the Christian Democrats (CDU) and Christian Social Union (CSU), unofficially known as the Union, make up one grouping. The Social Democrats, or SPD, form another.
Given the German system of proportional representation, the government tends to be formed in a coalition, usually headed by the CDU/CSU or the SPD.

2024 December 16, Sebastian Shukla, Nadine Schmidt and Claudia Otto, “Germany’s Scholz has lost a confidence vote. Here’s what comes next”, in CNN:

(German politics) The Bavarian Christian Social Union (Christlich-Soziale Union), a major mainstream right-wing political party in Bavaria.


boneyard

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-boneyard.wav

(firefighting) An area scraped down to the mineral soil, so that smouldering material can be placed there without starting another fire.


task force

task forces (plural)
taskforce (alternative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-task force.wav

The CEO's task force developed a thoroughgoing marketing strategy for the new product line.

(business, government, military) A group of people working towards a particular task, project, or activity, especially assigned in a particular capacity.


tag-team

en-verb

tag-team (third-person singular simple present tag-teams, present participle tag-teaming, simple past and past participle tag-teamed)

tag-teams (present singular third-person)
tag-teaming (participle present)
tag-teamed (participle past)
tag-teamed (past)

We haven't tag-teamed in the ring for quite a while.

2010, Hulk Hogan, My Life Outside the Ring, →ISBN:

I suggested, to no avail, that WWF (nature) should sponsor a fluffy black-and-white wrestler called the Panda, tag-teamed with the Game Warden.

2012, Paul Spencer Sochaczewski, An Inordinate Fondness for Beetles, →ISBN, page 171:

Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling David Shoemaker. He had some success, ... He tag-teamed with Tony Atlas (known variously as "Black Superman" and "Mr. USA") and, later, Andre the Giant, to some success.

2013, David Shoemaker, The Squared Circle: Life, Death, and Professional Wrestling, →ISBN, page 127:

(professional wrestling) To wrestle as part of a tag team (sense 1).


tag team

Probably from tag (“children’s chasing game in which one player (known as ‘it’) attempts to touch another, who then becomes ‘it’; (baseball) instance of touching the baserunner with the ball or the ball in a gloved hand to rule him ‘out’”) + team.

compound

(professional wrestling) A group of wrestlers who work together as a team. Only one is in the ring at any given time, and they change places by "tagging" each other with a gesture like a high five.


saltire

From Middle English sawtoure, from Old French sautoir (“stile, saltire”) (compare French sautoir (“saltire”)), from sauter (“to jump, to leap”) + -oir (subject forming nouns denoting physical objects from verbs), from Latin saltāre (“to dance, to jump”) + -orium, -oria.

(heraldry) An ordinary (geometric design) in the shape of an X. It usually occupies the entire field in which it is placed.


suicide pact

(politics) An arrangement or system of rules that is followed despite restricting the ability to deal with critical issues.


piss lily

(South Africa, army slang, vulgar) A funnel in the shape of a lily stuck into the ground and used as a urinal.


bullseye

bullseyes (plural)
bull's-eye (alternative)
bull's eye (alternative)

→ German: Bullauge (calque)

→ Esperanto: bovokulo (calque)

From bull's + eye. May have come from the practice of English archers shooting an arrow through the eye socket of a bull's skull as a test of skill. The connection to philately comes from the shape of the key plate or vignette.

(military, firearms) The centre of a target, inside the inner and magpie.

འབེན་མིག ('ben mig, literally “target-eye”)

(military, by extension) A commonly-known reference point used when indicating the location or direction of something.


Miranda

Named after Ernesto Miranda. From the case Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966), from the Romance (Spanish, Portuguese, Italian habitational surname) Miranda.


entanglement

en-noun

entanglement (countable and uncountable, plural entanglements)

pletka

that which entangles; intricacy; perplexity

That which entangles; an involvement, a complication; an intricacy; a perplexity.

(military) An obstruction placed in front or on the flank of a fortification, to impede an enemy's approach.


M1 (countable and uncountable, plural M1s)

(firearms) A semi-automatic rifle that was the service rifle of the U.S. Army during World War II and the Korean War.


originalist

In any event, this professorial detonation, especially coming as it does from hardline Federalist Society constitutional originalists, has set the cat among the Republican pigeons.

2023 September 2, Simon Schama, “The real Rino”, in FT Weekend, Life & Arts, page 2:

“Barrett’s critique of originalism definitely signals what seems to be a growing rift among the originalists on the court about the proper way to use history,” said Tom Wolf, a constitutional law expert with the liberal-leaning Brennan Center for Justice at New York University’s law school.

2024 June 19, Devan Cole and John Fritze, “The Supreme Court’s approach on ‘history and tradition’ is irking Amy Coney Barrett”, in CNN:

Second, the author also presents a fairly detailed analysis of modern originalist scholarship. He accurately describes the views of McGinnis and Rappaport, Randy Barnett, and Adrien Vermeule.

2025 June 22, Josh Blackman, “Grading The Controversial Florida Seminar Paper”, in Reason:

One who aims to discover how the writers of a document intended it to be interpreted, and to interpret it in that way.

(US politics) Specifically, one who aims to discover how the writers of the Constitution of the United States intended it to be interpreted, and to interpret it in that way.