Scientists Say
A weekly word defined, in a sentence and in context. Click here to find the alphabetized list.
- Animals
Scientists Say: Amphisbaenian
Little is known about these elusive soil-dwellers that resemble both worms and snakes.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Alloy
These metallic mergers support our tallest buildings and our finest jewelry.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Fjord
These dramatic, steep-sided sea inlets form when glaciers carve deep channels from the terrain.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Subsidence
This word describes land that sinks after water, minerals, oil or other materials are removed below ground.
- Space
Scientists Say: Event horizon
Past this boundary, nothing that enters a black hole can ever leave — not even light.
- Agriculture
Scientists Say: Corn Sweat
Cornfields release moisture into the air — or “sweat” — a couple of ways. One is evaporation. The other is transpiration.
- Chemistry
Scientists Say: Fluoride
This electrically charged form of fluorine boasts powerful tooth-strengthening abilities.
- Earth
Scientists Say: Snow line
On Earth, this line marks the edge of snow-covered ground. In space, it marks a spot where a certain molecule might freeze.
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- Brain
Scientists Say: Synesthesia
This is a trait in which one kind of sensory input, such as sound, can trigger another sense, such as sight.
- Plants
Scientists Say: Superbloom
These massive wildflower blooms create colorful carpets over desert landscapes during unusually rainy years.
- Materials Science
Scientists Say: Metal-Organic Framework
Special pockets in these molecular structures make them useful in medicine, climate science and more.
