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 Picasso, PSLs, and a final pas de deux all contributed to the vocabulary from this week’s news.
artisanal
adjective: (of a product, food, or drink) made by hand
From the headlines: A new mill on Oregon’s Umatilla Indian Reservation will produce craft flour for bakers. With the new facility, Washington-based Cairnspring Mills will increase its output, create jobs for at least twenty people, and create a market for local wheat. The company makes traditionally stone-milled specialty flours that are used by bakeries and home bakers to make artisanal loaves.
catastrophic
adjective: extremely harmful; bringing ruin; calamitous
From the headlines: On October 28, Hurricane Melissa made landfall near New Hope on Jamaica’s southwest coast. The catastrophic Category 5 storm brought winds of 185 mph and torrential rainfall, causing mudslides, power loss, property damage, and dozens of fatalities reported so far. Recovery efforts are now underway, and communities are working to restore essential services.
contingency
noun: a possible event or occurrence or result
From the headlines: Food assistance advocates are calling on the U.S. Department of Agriculture to tap its contingency reserves, estimated at $5 billion, to keep the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program running during the government shutdown. Without drawing on these emergency funds, millions of SNAP recipients could miss their November benefits. The anti-hunger program provides food support to low-income families and individuals across the country.
demise
noun: the death or end of someone or something
From the headlines: Scientists using DNA evidence have determined what contributed to the demise of Napoleon’s army during its disastrous 1812 retreat from Russia. Hundreds of thousands of French soldiers perished that winter from starvation and freezing temperatures. The new findings show that widespread bacterial infections also played a major role in their demise, identifying two types of disease-causing bacteria among the remains.
diplomacy
noun: negotiation between nations
From the headlines: Rare golden monkeys from China are joining the animals at French and Belgian zoos. The furry orange primates, which have distinctive blue faces, are on loan for ten years. The golden monkey exchange is described by political experts as a variation on “panda diplomacy.” The Chinese government group that coordinated moving the monkeys to European zoos has also organized panda exchanges meant to foster collaboration, scientific cooperation, and goodwill between China and Europe.
deploy
verb: place troops or weapons in battle formation
From the headlines: The United States is set to deploy an aircraft carrier to South America, increasing its military presence in the region. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the USS Gerald R. Ford, a massive Navy vessel capable of carrying up to ninety aircraft, into the waters off Venezuela’s coast. The carrier was previously deployed to support NATO operations in the Mediterranean.
germinate
verb: sprout; produce buds or branches
From the headlines: For 25 years, a British botanical garden has worked to safeguard seeds from extinction. The Millennium Seed Bank now houses more than two billion seeds representing 40,000 plant species, collected by volunteers in 100 countries. Scientists at the facility have refined techniques to preserve and later germinate the seeds, ensuring they can one day sprout, grow, and thrive again in the wild.
muse
noun: the source of an artist’s inspiration
From the headlines: A Picasso portrait of his frequent model and muse Dora Maar sold at auction for $37 million. The vivid painting, Bust of a Woman with a Flowered Hat (Dora Maar), hadn’t been viewed by the public in 80 years. Maar, a French painter and photographer, was Picasso’s romantic partner and artistic inspiration for about seven years.
pas de deux
noun: a dance for two people
From the headlines: Misty Copeland, the first Black female principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre, performed one last time before beginning her retirement. Copeland’s 25 years with the company are often described as trailblazing and inspirational. For her farewell performance, she danced the role of Juliet in a pas de deux with Calvin Royal III as her Romeo, and performed two additional duets.
ubiquitous
adjective: being present everywhere at once
From the headlines: Pumpkin spice lattes have arrived in some European cities. This American invention, a sweet, pumpkin pie-flavored drink that’s ubiquitous in U.S. coffee shops from August to December, hasn’t yet reached this kind of pervasiveness in Europe. While it’s not everywhere yet, most European Starbucks locations offer PSLs, and they’re especially easy to find in Brussels, Amsterdam, and Warsaw.
