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 wildfires, geckos, and a new tickle lab all contributed words to this list of vocabulary from the week’s news.
compunction
noun: a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; remorse
From the headlines: After Gukesh Dommaraju beat chess grandmaster Magnus Carlsen in a surprise upset at a Norway Chess 2025 event, Carlsen slammed the table and yelled in frustration. He later expressed his compunction, saying he was sorry and patting the nineteen-year-old reigning champion on the back. Dommaraju accepted the apology and said, “I’ve also banged a lot of tables in my career.”
conflagration
noun: a destructive fire, usually an extensive one
From the headlines: Thousands of Canadians were evacuated from three provinces as more than twenty conflagrations burned across Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta, with several remaining completely uncontained for days. Smoke from the wildfires affected the air quality in parts of Canada and the northern U.S., where residents were advised to stay indoors with windows closed. At least 25,000 people were displaced by the blazes.
ebullient
adjective: overflowing with fervor, enthusiasm, or excitement; high-spirited
From the headlines: After a ten‑pound mini dachshund named Valerie disappeared in the Australian bush during a camping trip, her owners, Georgia Gardner and Josh Fishlock, searched for months before resigning themselves to the worst. Astonishingly, 529 days later she was found alive, leading to an ebullient reunion with her overjoyed owners.
expatriate
verb: to withdraw (oneself ) voluntarily from residence in one’s native country
From the headlines: A survey revealed that thirty-four percent of U.S. citizens would move abroad if given the chance. Those considering expatriating cited several motives: roughly half decried the nation’s divisive politics, and sixty percent deemed the United States too conservative. Portugal, Spain, and Mexico ranked highest among the ideal expatriation destinations for these Americans.
herpetology
noun: the branch of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians
From the headlines: In a triumph for herpetology, two South African researchers from the Endangered Wildlife Trust have rediscovered the Blyde River flat gecko — a creature so elusive that many had deemed it extinct or even imaginary. First recorded in 1991 and never seen again, the species was found when two reptile experts were flown by helicopter into the remote gorge where it was originally reported. There, they spotted more than thirty of the rare lizards and photographed seven.
libel
noun: the act or crime of publishing or broadcasting a defamatory statement
From the headlines: Former Sinn  Féin leader Gerry Adams has won his libel battle with the BBC. A Dublin jury ruled that a 2016 Spotlight documentary and related article defamed him by falsely linking him to IRA membership and a 2006 murder. Adams was awarded €100,000 ($113,000) in damages, vindicating his claim that the broadcaster’s reporting smeared his reputation.
neuroscience
noun: the field of study encompassing the various scientific disciplines dealing with the structure, development, function, chemistry, pharmacology, and pathology of the nervous system
From the headlines: The Netherlands has opened a “tickle lab” dedicated to researching the mysterious tickle reflex. By tracking how the nervous system processes another person’s touch — and why self‑tickling doesn’t work — they aim to gain insights in both children and adults that could lead to further development in other areas of neuroscience.
reparation
noun: monetary or other compensation payable by a country to an individual for a historical wrong
From the headlines: A new trust will pay more than $100 million inÌý°ù±ð±è²¹°ù²¹³Ù¾±´Ç²Ô²õÌýto benefit those affected by the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre. More than a century after a white mob destroyed the city’s prosperous Black community of Greenwood and killed as many as 300 people, the north Tulsa neighborhood is still disproportionately poor. Tulsa’s mayor, Monroe Nichols, said the trust will compensate the community and descendants, paying for homes, cultural preservation, scholarships, and more.
salmonellaÌý
noun: Bacteriology. a type of rod-shaped bacteria that can enter the digestive system through contaminated food and cause stomach pain and severe diarrhea
From the headlines: At least forty-five people in eighteen states were sickened after being infected with salmonella. The outbreak was linked to cucumbers grown in Florida. About a dozen people were hospitalized with the bacterial disease, which affects the intestinal tract. Over the past month, several recalls have been issued for products containing cucumbers, including sushi, salads, and sandwiches.
tallow
noun: the harder fat of sheep, cattle, etc., separated by melting from the fibrous and membranous matter naturally mixed with it, and used to make products such as candles and soap
From the headlines: Growing numbers of beauty influencers recommend beefÌýtallowÌýas a natural cure for acne, but dermatologists are warning against it. Using the solid animal fat on your face, they say, can clog pores and make breakouts worse. ThoughÌýtallowÌýhas been used as a cosmetic for thousands of years, today it’s more often a cooking ingredient.
