Word of the Day archive

Every word we have featured, most recent first.

• 27 June 2026collector shoeA current collector on an electric train or locomotive which is in contact with the live rail.
• 26 June 2026grab ironA metal bar attached to the side of locomotives and railroad cars for use as a handhold.
• 25 June 2026hot topIn casting, a live open riser with a hot ceramic liner, designed to counteract the formation of harmful...
• 24 June 2026kick wheelA wheel or disc used to throw pots, turned by kicking or pushing a heavy stone or concrete base with the foot.
• 23 June 2026nostepinneA tool used to wind yarn into a ball for use in knitting, crocheting, or weaving.
• 22 June 2026lazy KateIn spinning, a device used to hold one or more spools or bobbins in place while the yarn on them is...
• 21 June 2026accumulatorA container which stores hydraulic power for release, in the form of a pressurized fluid (often suspended...
• 20 June 2026angel gearThe neutral gear when used while a vehicle is moving, especially when it is used to freewheel so as to save...
• 19 June 2026swage blockA perforated iron block with grooved sides and variously-sized holes in its face, used to hold in hot metal...
• 18 June 2026takt timeOn a production line, the average production time per unit that is necessary to meet customer demand.
• 17 June 2026bubble cara single-car multiple unit
• 16 June 2026jacked upDescribes a 4x4 automobile that has a "lift kit", raising the body and/or frame higher than stock.
• 15 June 2026bakeheadA fireman (person who keeps the fire going underneath a steam boiler on a railroad locomotive).
• 14 June 2026weldlessMade or done without welding.
• 13 June 2026girthweldA circumferential weld that joins two cylindrical sections, such as pipes or pressure vessels, by welding...
• 12 June 2026firedHeated in a furnace, kiln, etc., to become permanently hardened.
• 11 June 2026blowoffThe removal of excess foam and carbon dioxide from the fermentation vessel during the active fermentation...
• 10 June 2026spruce tipThe new spring growth at the ends of spruce branches. For some species of spruce, these are edible and a...
• 9 June 2026bifoldA door, window, shutter, or divider consisting of two equal panels hinged together so that it opens by...
• 8 June 2026upsetterA kind of forging machine that moves horizontally.
• 7 June 2026boneyardAn area scraped down to the mineral soil, so that smouldering material can be placed there without starting...
• 6 June 2026deadmanA long object, often a timber or log, buried to serve as an anchor for a wall or for stays.
• 5 June 2026snozzleA reinforced firefighting nozzle used to pierce the exterior skin of an aircraft and spray water or...
• 4 June 2026point presserAn object with a free-standing point for use in ironing collars, corners and facings.
• 3 June 2026presser footThe part of a sewing machine which rests on the fabric and presses it down upon the table of the machine and...
• 2 June 2026foot stickA bevelled piece of furniture placed against the foot of the page, to hold the type in place.
• 1 June 2026departureThe difference in easting between the two ends of a line or curve.
• 31 May 2026resectionA method of determining a position by using a map and compass bearings for two additional points.
• 30 May 2026topsideThe structure and assembly of modules on the deck of any floating installation.
• 29 May 2026apron flashingA flashing located at the juncture of the top of a sloped roof and a vertical wall, chimney or steeper-sloped...