vom
n.— «The stage at Le Rêve is a 27-foot-deep circular pool of water. At three points on its circumference—the 12 o’clock, 4 o’clock, and 8 o’clock positions—are vomitory lifts (not vomitory as in “a place where you puke” but vomitory as in the tunnels that admitted ancient Romans into the Coliseum). The voms are water-filled tunnels that lead backstage so scenery and performers can move into the pool.» —“On Las Vegas Stages, Daring Feats of Engineering Steal the Show” by Adam Rogers Wired May 22, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
Jacuzzi and silhouette are eponyms — that is, they derive from the names of people. An Italian immigrant to California invented the bubbly hot tub called a jacuzzi. And the word silhouette commemorates a penny-pinching treasury secretary who lasted...
Barbara Kingsolver’s book Demon Copperhead is a retelling of Charles Dickens’ David Copperfield set in today’s Appalachia. Martha shares memories of a long-ago visit to Kingsolver’s family farm in Virginia, where they...