Science Slang, Jargon, and New Words from Double-Tongued Dictionary

Science, research, scientific disciplines. You can also see entries assigned to this category.

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spinon n. Just as the body and wheels of a car are thought to be intrinsic parts of a whole, incapable of separate and independent actions, i.e., the body goes right while the wheels go left, so, too, are electrical charge and spin intrinsic components of an electron. Except, according to theory, in one-dimensional solids, where the collective excitation of a system of electrons can lead to the emergence of two new particles called “spinons” and “holons.” A spinon carries information about an electron’s spin and a holon carries information about its charge, and they do so as separate and independent entities. Numerous experiments have tried to confirm the creation of spinons and holons, referred to as spin-charge separation [English Science New or Nonce] [full cite] (Jul. 19, 2006)

squint n. Booth allows her to participate in all facets of a murder investigation, not just the forensic research, the only duties with which “squints,” as he dubs scientists, are usually entrusted. “We’re Scully and Mulder,” he tells her. [English Science] [full cite] (Sep. 22, 2005)

starquake n. While it is looking at a star, COROT will also be able to detect “starquakes,” acoustic waves generated deep inside a star that send ripples across its surface, altering its brightness. The exact nature of the ripples allows astronomers to calculate the star’s precise mass, age and chemical composition. [English Science] [full cite] (Jan. 1, 2007)

stemness n. Yet the cells retain the critical feature of what regenerative biologists have taken to calling a cell’s “stemness”—the ability to keep replenishing its own ranks. [English Medical Science] [full cite] (Feb. 11, 2005)

stigmergy n. La coordination des tâches, la régulation des constructions ne dépendent pas directement des ouvriers, mais des constructions elles-mêmes. L’ouvrier ne dirige pas son travail, il est guidé par lui. C’est à cette stimulation d’un type particulier que nous donnons le nom de stigmergie (stigma: piqûre, ergon : travail, oeuvre = oeuvre stimulante. [English Science Jargon] [full cite] (Apr. 26, 2004)

stigmergy n. His hypothesis of “stigmergy” is that building behavior is at first uncoordinated…when the construction at any one point reaches a certain critical density it attracts other termites topochemically. These focuses of the building material determine where the new pellets of earth used in the building are to be deposited. The constructions built thus act as new determinant stimuli for further construction. [English Animals, Insects, & Birds Science Jargon] [full cite] (May. 10, 2004)

stigmergy n. The World-Wide Web is human stigmergy. The web and its ability to let anyone read anything and also to write back to that environment allows stigmeric communication between humans. Some of the most powerful forces on the web today, Google and weblogs are fundamentally driven by stigmeric communication and their behaviour follows similar natural systems like Ant Trails and Nest Building that are accomplished using stigmergy. [English Animals, Insects, & Birds Science Jargon] [full cite] (May. 10, 2004)

sting jet n. Research by the Met Office and Prof Keith Browning, of the University of Reading, discovered the phenomenon and coined the phrase. Sting jets occur in cyclones when there is a dramatic fall in the barometric pressure. [English Science Jargon] [full cite] (Jan. 13, 2005)

stoping n. Plutons have long been assumed to form commonly from large accumulations of magma that rise from the lower crust by a process known as stoping. In this process, chunks of a magma chamber’s roof break off and fall to the floor, and thus magma rises to take their place. This paper shows that stoping fails many tests of its viability as a significant process in the ascent of magma. [English Science Jargon] [full cite] (Aug. 31, 2006)

strangelet n. But Wagner and Sancho’s court papers raise theoretical scenarios in which the LHC could create particles that gobble up the Earth, such as “killer strangelets.” Strangelets are hypothetical blobs of matter containing “strange” quarks, as well as the usual “up” and “down” types that make up ordinary matter. [English Science Jargon] [full cite] (Apr. 26, 2008)

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