sanguivorous [sang-gwiv-er-uhs]

adjective:
feeding on blood, as a bat or insect

Examples:

There are no more than three species of bats known as vampire bats that prefer the taste of blood. Such bloodthirsty vampire bats are known as sanguivorous bats, but don’t worry, these vampire bats mostly feed on the blood of animals like cows, ( Read more... )

animalcule [an-uh-mal-kyool]

adjective:
1 a microscopic or minute organism, such as an amoeba or paramecium, usually considered to be an animal.
2 (archaic) a tiny animal, such as a mosquito.

Examples:

Rotifers are also known as 'wheel animalcules,' thanks to the Latin root of their name which relates to a rotating 'wheel' of tiny hairs at ( Read more... )

iceblink [ahys-blingk]

noun:
a bright reflection of sunlight, esp. in polar regions, on the bottom of a low cloud, caused by ice on a distant expanse of water or land

Examples:

"When other means of reconnaissance are not available, travelers in the polar seas can use water sky and iceblink to get a rough idea of ice conditions at a distance ( Read more... )

cryptobiosis [krip-toh-bahy-oh-sis]

noun:
the reversible cessation of metabolism under extreme environmental conditions (as low temperature)

Examples:

"If you pour water on someone who has just died from dehydration, they will not sit up. But if you pour water on a dried-out tardigrade, in a matter of minutes it becomes a moving, feeding, ( Read more... )

lacuna [luh-kyoo-nuh]

noun:
1 a gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series, or logical argument; hiatus.
2 (Anatomy) one of the numerous minute cavities in the substance of bone, supposed to contain nucleate cells.
3 (Botany) an air space in the cellular tissue of plants.

Examples:

Following a doctrine of necessity invoked by the ( Read more... )

nomenclature [noh-muhn-kley-cher, noh-men-kluh-cher, -choor ]
noun:
1 Name, designation.

2 the act or process or an instance of naming

3 a a system or set of terms or symbols especially in a particular science, discipline, or art ( Read more... )

More z-words are always good, right? ;)
~~
Zootrophic, adj.:

(physiology) Of or pertaining to the nourishment of animals.

Etymology:

zoo, from Ancient Greek ζῷον (zôion, “animal”) + trophic, from Ancient Greek τροφικός (trophikós, “pertaining to food or nourishment”), from τροφή (trophḗ, “food”).

(thanks to duathir for pointing me to this word!)

A spinthariscope is a device for observing individual nuclear disintegrations caused by the interaction of ionizing radiation with a phosphor (see radioluminescence) or scintillator.


( Read more... )

man·du·ca·tion [ˈmændjʊˌkeɪʃən]:
origin: (early 1600's) Latin; mandūcāre= to chew.

noun (adjective, manducatory)
1. Obsolete word for eating (feel free to make it relevant again).

2. Religious term for receiving communion: deeper spiritual bonding through symbolic gestures like the consumption of holy wafers or blessed wine (a reminder of the ( Read more... )

an·dro·phi·li·a [ˈandrɔfi-lē-ə]:
origin: (1946) Latin; Greek; an= human + dro= male + philia= loving.

noun (adjective, androphilic)
1. A love of men; the sexual attraction to males (regardless of one's own gender). May also be called "androsexuality".

2. In animals, towards humans, in a scientific capacity -- such as a pet preferring the company ( Read more... )