Each week, we scan the latest headlines to spot words in action. From major news stories to pop culture buzz, this list highlights language as it’s unfolding. Stories about protests, AI, and animal welfare all contributed words to this list of vocabulary from the week’s news.
abrogate
verb: to abolish by formal or official means; annul by an authoritative act; repeal
From the headlines: A new policy abrogates the right of people from twelve countries to travel to the United States, and severely limits travelers from seven others. Citizens of Chad, Myanmar, Haiti, and Somalia, among others, are no longer allowed to enter the U.S. The White House said that revoking their right to enter the country will protect national security.
arboreal
adjective: of or relating to trees; treelike
From the headlines: A new law in Nevada requires cities and towns to develop plans to mitigate dangerous heat — and planting trees will play a big role. ThisÌýarboreal approach to lowering temperatures means adding shade trees in neighborhoods that lack this leafy-green protection. Research shows that trees can lower nearby temperatures by ten degrees, and that poor neighborhoods have less tree cover than wealthy ones.
dehornÌý
verb: to remove the horns of
From the headlines: Animal welfare groups in South Africa have increasingly turned to dehorning rhinoceroses to protect them from poachers. A new study found that regularly trimming rhinos’ horns can reduce poaching incidents by nearly eighty percent. Conservationists emphasize that dehorning is painless for the animals and eliminates the primary motivations for poachers, such as obtaining the valuable horns for use in traditional medicines or as trophies.
flotilla
noun: a group of small naval vessels, especially a naval unit containing two or more squadrons
From the headlines: The Israeli navy detained Greta Thunberg and other activists from the Freedom Flotilla Coalition who were en route to Gaza. Thunberg and three others were deported, while eight activists refused voluntary deportation. The protesters’ ship, Madleen, was carrying aid for Gazans. The coalition has existed since 2010 and is named for its initial fleet of four ships that tried to reach Gaza by boat that year. Though Thunberg’s group had just one ship, it is part of the larger flotilla.
infringement
noun: a breach or infraction, as of a law, right, or obligation; violation; transgression
From the headlines: Getty Images has filed a lawsuit against Stability AI, accusing the company of brazen infringement for using its photo library without permission. A British High Court will decide whether Stability AI’s image-generation tool unlawfully violated copyright protections. Getty contends that using its catalog to train the AI without authorization or compensation constitutes an infringement of intellectual property rights.
loggerhead turtleÌý
noun: a sea turtle,ÌýCaretta caretta,Ìýhaving a large head: now greatly reduced in number
From the headlines: A 160-pound loggerhead turtle, affectionately named Dilly Dally, has been released back into the Atlantic after receiving veterinary care for serious injuries. Found on a Florida beach with critical damage from a predator attack, the adolescent turtle underwent surgery to amputate a front flipper. Though now missing a limb, Dilly DallyÌýproved strong enough to walk and swim, earning her a second chance in the wild.
maestro
noun: an eminent composer, teacher, or conductor of music
From the headlines: Italy’s most renowned opera house will have its first-ever Asian maestro when the current musical director’s contract expires next year. South Korean conductor and pianist Myung-Whun Chung will also be the second non-Italian maestro of Teatro alla Scala. Chung has guest-conducted 84 opera productions and 141 concerts for La Scala, and led both the Opéra Bastille in Paris and the Seoul Philharmonic.
restraining order
noun: a judicial order to forbid a particular act until a decision is reached on an application for an injunction
From the headlines: Taylor Swift filed for a restraining order from a California court against a man she says has been stalking her. If a judge approves her request, the document will make it illegal for Brian Wagner, age forty-five, to approach Swift or come near her home, workplace, or car. Swift said that Wagner had been regularly showing up at her Los Angeles home for almost a year, claiming to live there and to be in a relationship with the pop star.
roil
verb: to disturb or disquiet; irritate; vex
From the headlines: Protests roiled Los Angeles this week in response to raids carried out by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Though largely peaceful, some protests turned violent, with reports of property damage and looting. The White House’s decision to deploy the National Guard and 700 marines drew sharp criticism from California officials, with Governor Gavin Newsom warning that the action could further inflame an already tense situation.
vestige
noun: a mark, trace, or visible evidence of something that is no longer present or in existence
From the headlines: Archaeologists in northern Michigan have uncovered vestiges of large-scale Native American agriculture that significantly predate European colonization. With the help of drone imaging and laser technology, researchers identified remnants of parallel rows of raised planting beds. The findings reveal that Indigenous peoples were cultivating beans, squash, and corn in extensive, organized fields long before settlers arrived.
