flotsamist n.— «Where and when something reaches shore depends mainly on weight, wind, and currents. Experts can study flotsam—driftwood, in particular—that help them understand ocean currents and weather patterns. Nature also provides...
SO n.— «These men live in this house because, for better or for worse, they have been cast out by society. The nature of their crimes guarantees that they will be identified as sex offenders—or, as they sometimes call themselves, “S.O...
drag and brag n.— «He wanted to give his students, whatever age and background, an experience they would not forget and one that was tied to the environment around them. He was not a naturalist who would drag a group through the woods...
cherry-stem v. to extend a spur of unprotected non-wilderness land, especially a dead-end road or trail, through a protected wilderness area. Also as a noun and as the form cherrystem. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
cat bond n.— «His name was John Seo, he was 39 years old and he ran a hedge fund in Westport, Conn., whose chief purpose was to persuade investors to think about catastrophe in the same peculiar way that he did. He had invested nearly a...
rock doc n.— «Then it will travel through another pipe 100 more miles to land, where it will be further processed and readied for distribution. That is, if the “rock docs” (the geologists) are right and there is a natural-gas...