Speedog's definitions

harpago

Noun (ancient Roman naval terminology): a catapult-launched grappling hook, invented in the 1st century BCE by Marcus Agrippa, and successfully employed by himself (as commander of Roman naval forces) during the Battle of Actium, against the forces of Egyptian Queen Cleopatra VII, and her ally, the Roman triumvir Marcus Antonius (a.k.a. Mark Anthony).

"When Antony's larger Egyptian ships had penetrated the Roman line, Agrippa's smaller galleys successfully reeled them in for close marine combat by using the harpago."

by speedog June 10, 2010

cashier

Verb: to terminate a person from a position of employment; an action usually carried out by whatever person is in immediate authority.

Due to Karen's repeated tardiness over more than 60 days, her supervisor Beth had no alternative but to cashier her.

by speedog July 18, 2010

getgone

Noun: an automobile or other motor vehicle, particularly (but not exclusively) one with the capability for high road speed.

"We'll use my getgone later to drive over to Jen's house."

by Speedog September 5, 2009

liquidate

Verb (American slang): to kill another human being.

After the protection money was not delivered, Capone ordered Frank Nitti to liquidate the malefactor.

by speedog June 23, 2010

contact

Aviation term: a verbal queue expressed by the pilot of a propeller-driven aircraft lacking a starter to a mechanic positioned forward of the engine, indicating that the pilot has connected the main electrical circuit of the aircraft via a switch in the cockpit, and that the mechanic should manually rotate the propeller in order to start the engine.

"When Lt. Rickenbacker engaged the main switch of his S.P.A.D. fighter, he shouted 'Contact!' to his mechanic to crank the propeller."

by speedog May 23, 2010

Lunarize

Verb - to entirely destroy and obliterate, especially via aerial and/or surface bombardment, a specific geographic area or zone, in such manner as that the resultant topography resembles the surface of the Earth’s moon.

“. . . subsequent to the R.A.F. operation of 25 April 1945, the Nazi enclosure on the Obersalzberg was shown to have been almost completely lunarized.”

by Speedog September 26, 2009

causality

Noun (physics terminology): the natural sequential relation between any cause and its subsequent effect in the known universe, in which any effect is invariably preceded by the cause of that effect, and never the reverse.

"Newton's Third Law of Motion is essentially a confirmation of the principle of causality."

by speedog April 30, 2010