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 conservation, billionaires, and a global tea shortage all contributed to the vocabulary from this week’s news.
aerial
adjective: existing, living, growing, or operating in the air
From the headlines: On June 29, Russia launched its largest aerial assault of the war in Ukraine, firing more missiles than in any previous attack since the beginning of the war in 2022. The strikes hit multiple Ukrainian cities, injuring at least a dozen people and damaging key infrastructure.
autonomous
adjective: existing as an independent entity
From the headlines: Robots competed in a fully autonomous soccer tournament in Beijing, with four teams of three humanoid robots each operating solely under AI control. Although the idea was innovative, the robots had trouble with basic actions like kicking and staying balanced. Tsinghua University’s THU Robotics team clinched the championship by scoring five goals in the final round.
driftwoodÌý
noun: pieces of trees that are floating on a body of water or have been washed ashore
From the headlines: In rural Alaska, residents of some villages and small towns are continuing a long tradition by using driftwood for fuel and as energy-efficient siding for their homes. The pieces of wood, worn smooth by ocean waves or currents in rivers and streams, have been used this way by Indigenous Alaskans for thousands of years. Communities save money and protect the environment by reusing old trees or boards found floating in the water instead of buying lumber and logs.
estuary
noun: the part of the mouth or lower course of a river in which the river’s current meets the sea’s tide
From the headlines: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that will ban oil drilling on the Apalachicola River. The river’s estuary is home to many endangered plants and animals, including the world’s largest stand of tupelo trees. The inlet is also the most important site in the state’s oyster industry. Environmentalists and fishermen supported the bill and pushed DeSantis to sign it.
Fun fact: A Latin word meaning “boiling of the sea” is the root of estuary.
linchpin
noun: something that holds the various elements of a complicated structure together
From the headlines: The Department of Defense will stop supplying meteorologists with satellite data, which experts describe as a linchpin of storm modeling. Forecasts for hurricanes rely heavily on this military satellite feed to track storm paths and determine when people should evacuate.
matcha
noun: finely ground tea leaf powder used to make tea or as a flavoring, or the tea made from it
From the headlines: The worldwide demand for matcha is causing severe shortages and higher prices. The bright green, grassy-flavored, powdered tea has a long history in Japan, but its popularity in other countries has exploded in recent years. Drinks and baked goods made with matcha have become wildly popular, causing Japanese tea growers to struggle to keep up with the demand.
nuptials
noun: a marriage ceremony, or a social event accompanying one
From the headlines: Protesters took to the streets in Venice as Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez held their nuptials on a Venetian island, complete with 200 guests and three days of extravagant celebrations. Locals expressed outrage, saying the event placed additional strain on a city already struggling with overtourism and environmental fragility.
offering
noun: something presented to a deity as a symbol of devotion
From the headlines: Archaeologists discovered about 2,000 pottery offerings on the Greek island of Kythnos. Historians said the clay figures, which represent children, women, and animals, had been left by devoted worshippers over the centuries. Two ancient temples once stood on the site, as well as a pit where the objects given as gifts to the gods were eventually thrown away to make room for new offerings.
philanthropist
noun: someone who makes charitable donations
From the headlines: Warren Buffett said he would donate $6 billion to five charitable foundations. The businessman and philanthropist, whose net worth is approximately $145 billion, has previously given more than $50 billion to the aforementioned foundations.ÌýWhile Buffet’s children will decide how to give away the rest of his fortune after his death, he said that more than 99 percent of it will have to be used philanthropically.
adjective: pertaining to compounds formed through a chemical process by human agency, as opposed to those of natural origin
From the headlines: The J.M. Smucker Company has announced it will phase out synthetic dyes from its jams and other offerings. While many of its products are already made without artificial colors, some, including sugar-free jams and Hostess snacks like Twinkies and Snoballs, still rely on them. The company intends to use naturally sourced dyes by 2027.
