lily pad
n.— «Mr. Secretary, can you tell us, do you envision the force of Marines as the vanguard in the battle against terrorism in Afghanistan? Do you see them being used to seek out and destroy al Qaeda networks, or are they setting up a lily pad of sorts, for other units that will follow on?» —“DoD news briefing” M2 Presswire Nov. 27, 2001. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
There are eight major planets, but more than a million minor ones, including asteroids. If you discover one, you get the honor of naming it. The Dictionary of Minor Planet Names includes minor planets named for rock bands, jazz musicians, poets, and...
One of the celestial bodies listed in The Dictionary of Minor Planet Names(Amazon) is called Sumaura. It’s the name of the oldest private elementary school in Kobe, Japan, and was suggested by the discoverer’s son. This is part of a...