Speedog's definitions
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
Get the harpago mug.Noun (astrophysics term): the small, highly-dense stellar body remaining after the nova detonation of a "main sequence" star, typically Earth-sized in overall dimension, but displacing a gravitational mass equivalent to that of the Earth's Sun.
Astrophysicists now calculate that white dwarf stars may account for as much as 6% of all the known stars in our quadrant of the Milky Way galaxy.
by speedog July 13, 2010
Get the white dwarf mug.Noun: an albino male sperm whale known to inhabit the Pacific Ocean near Mocha Island in the early 19th century, credited with sinking several whaling ships which were in pursuit of members of his pod. Considered the inspiration for Herman Melville's novel "Moby-Dick, or The Whale", published in 1851.
As the harpoon boats approached, Mocha Dick played dead, evidently to lure them in closer, until he could counter-attack.
by speedog June 13, 2010
Get the Mocha Dick mug.A television series produced by Jack Webb Productions, debuting on September 21, 1968 on the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) television network, set in the Los Angeles, CA metropolitan area, featuring actors Martin Milner as LAPD Officer Peter Malloy, and Kent McCord as his partner, LAPD Officer James Reed. Series terminated in 1975.
by speedog May 3, 2010
Get the Adam 12 mug.Verb (high fashion slang): To walk barefoot on the ball of one's feet (or foot) with the heel elevated, as though one is wearing heeled shoes, most usually in the event that one or both shoes are lost during a fashion show; the object being to maintain balance and poise as best possible.
'When Karolina Kurkova lost her shoe during the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, she had to air-heel it down the runway and back"
by Speedog December 1, 2009
Get the air-heel mug.Phrase (WW II Japanese military): code phrase authorizing the activation of "Operation Z", the Japanese attack on U.S. naval forces based at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Once Emperor Hirohito had given his assent to Operation Z, the code phrase "Climb Mount Nitaka" was transmitted to Admiral Yamamoto.
by speedog July 7, 2010
Get the Climb Mount Nitaka mug.Noun (spaceflight terminology): to instantly activate the engine(s) of a terrestrial-situated spacecraft at 100% power, with no consideration of standard sequential gradation of thrust, in an attempt to immediately escape from an emergency situation.
"When Commander Leonov observed the escape tower separating from the Soyuz vehicle, he instantly engaged the crash-launch procedure, and saved his entire crew."
by speedog May 2, 2010
Get the crash-launch mug.