Each week, we scan the latest headlines to spot words in action. From major news stories to pop culture buzz, this feature highlights language as it’s unfolding. Stories about brazen burglars, gargantuan gourds, and a rigorous regimen all contributed to the vocabulary from this week’s news.
brazen
adjective: shameless or impudent
From the headlines: Brazen thieves made off with jewels valued at over $100 million from the Louvre on October 19. Four masked individuals broke into the Paris museum in broad daylight, entering through a second-floor window of the Apollo Gallery using an electric ladder. They cut through glass display cases with a chainsaw and stole eight pieces of royal jewelry, including tiaras and necklaces. The group was later seen fleeing on scooters. The brazen daylight heist has sparked renewed scrutiny of the museum’s security measures.
contravene
verb: to violate, infringe, or transgress
From the headlines: Satellite trackers say some SpaceX satellites are sending transmissions in a way that contravenes standards set by the International Telecommunication Union. The satellites, part of the classified Starshield network, are using frequencies meant to send signals away from Earth to do the reverse, sending signals from the satellites back to Earth. This violates rules meant to avoid interference with scientific satellites.
infrastructure
noun: the basic, underlying framework or features of a system or organization
From the headlines: Improvements in bicycle infrastructure, as well as bikes that are easier to ride, are inspiring parents around the country to transport their kids using cargo bikes. These two-wheeled vehicles are larger and heavier than traditional bicycles, with space to carry groceries, children, or other cargo. They’re gaining popularity in the U.S. as more and more cities add miles of protected bike lanes, clearer signs, and safer intersections.
landscape
noun: a picture representing natural inland or coastal scenery
From the headlines: American Public Television is auctioning off 30 of Bob Ross’s landscapes to raise money for public stations affected by funding cuts. Before his death in 1995, Ross became famous for his good cheer and calming voice as he painted mountains, valleys, forests, and other scenes of natural beauty on his PBS show The Joy of Painting. His oil paintings often featured vibrant colors that could be easily captured on a TV screen as well as his trademark “happy trees.”
plummet
verb: to plunge
From the headlines: A study shows that when parents began following new advice to feed babies small quantities of peanuts, food allergies plummeted in children under the age of three. The rate of severe peanut allergies dropped by 43 percent between 2012 and 2020, and overall food allergies fell 36 percent. The old guidelines had advised withholding common allergens from infants.
quintessential
adjective: of the pure and essential essence of something
From the headlines: At Massachusetts’ annual Topsfield Fair — often called “the Super Bowl” of giant pumpkin growing — competitors showcased massive gourds, many tipping the scales at over a thousand pounds. In quintessential New England autumn fashion, the event celebrated the season’s harvest spirit. The top honor went to Alex Noel of Abington, Connecticut, whose colossal pumpkin set a new record at 2,507 pounds.
regimen
noun: a regulated course, as of diet, exercise, or manner of living, intended to preserve or restore health or to attain some result
From the headlines: At 80 years old, Natalie Grabow became the oldest woman ever to finish the Ironman World Championship. Completing the grueling 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run in nearly 17 hours, she credited her achievement to a disciplined training regimen. Her weekly routine includes 18 miles of running, daily strength and flexibility sessions, and four days devoted to swimming and cycling.
retina
noun: the innermost coat of the posterior part of the eyeball that receives the image produced by the lens
From the headlines: For the first time ever, people with macular degeneration had some vision restored, thanks to a retinal implant. The device gave 27 out of 32 study participants the ability to see well enough to read. About a million Americans have the common condition, which causes cells in the retina to die and a black spot to appear in the center of their vision. With the prosthetic retina, people who had assumed their blindness was permanent gained an average of five lines on an eye chart.
soothsayer
noun: a person who professes to foretell events
From the headlines: Two Pennsylvania soothsayers were arrested on charges including corrupt organization, conspiracy, and theft. Fortunetelling itself is a crime in the state, and the suspects are accused of bilking one woman of $600,000 by claiming she had been cursed with unhappiness and only they could remove the “black magic.” The self-described oracles worked at Jenkintown Psychic Visions.
Fun (and ironic) fact: soothsayer derives from an Old English root meaning “truth.”
traffic
verb: to trade or deal in a specific commodity or service, often of an illegal nature
From the headlines: A California man was arrested for trafficking stolen Lego sets after police discovered tens of thousands of the collectible pieces in his home. Officers found bins brimming with bricks and headless figurines, rows of neatly sorted Lego heads, and stacks of unopened sets. He was charged with purchasing stolen merchandise and reselling it at inflated prices.
