lawnmower survey
n.— «Over a 20-hour mission the team surveys 5km x 4km sections by running the AUV up and down, building up about 15 overlapping swaths of sonar data in a process known as a lawnmower survey. The multi-beam sonar produces 111 beams of sound at right angles to the AUV’s path, each taking a depth measurement, which are put together to build up a picture of the ocean floor.» —“Drop in the ocean” The Engineer (London, United Kingdom) Sept. 16, 2008. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
It’s hard to imagine now, but there was a time when people disagreed over the best word to use when answering the phone. Alexander Graham Bell suggested answering with ahoy! but Thomas Edison was partial to hello! A fascinating new book about...
“What has a head like a cat, feet like a cat, a tail like a cat, but isn’t a cat?” Answer: a kitten! A 1948 children’s joke book has lots of these to share with kids. Plus: an easy explanation for the difference between...