Here are the meanings of the least-found words, and how they were used in recent Times articles:
1. lacteal — relating to, or consisting of, milk:
The standard of identity for milk states right off the bat that milk is “the lacteal secretion, practically free from colostrum, obtained by the complete milking of one or more healthy cows.” — The Fake Meat War (July 25, 2019)
2. nacelle — a streamlined enclosure containing an engine or other machinery:
In early February, the union produced a draft of a bill that would ask developers like Equinor to buy their wind equipment from manufacturers in New York State “to the maximum extent feasible” — not just towers but other components, like blades and nacelles, which house the mechanical guts of a turbine. — For Clean Energy, Buy American or Buy It Quick and Cheap? (May 11, 2021)
3. acetal — a type of chemical compound:
One recent study from Yale and Duke identified chemicals called acetals in some Juul e-cigarette liquids. Those chemicals, the researchers said, may be especially irritating to the lungs and can cause damage when inhaled. — Dozens of Young People Hospitalized for Breathing and Lung Problems After Vaping (Aug. 14, 2019)
4. nuncio — a top diplomat for the Pope, similar to an ambassador:
Viganò, who is notorious for having called for Francis to resign, is not a U.S. bishop but an Italian-born priest who was Pope Benedict XVI’s nuncio to the United States. — Is the American Catholic Church Fueling the Far Right? (March 13, 2023)
5. cinquain — a five-line poem or stanza, often with a specific pattern:
Although she died of tuberculosis at age 36, Adelaide Crapsey (1878-1914) spent her brief life ardently pursuing her art. With her invention of the cinquain, she created an American form similar to the Japanese tanka and haiku, forms that she relied on in her work. — Poetry Pairing | ‘The Properly Scholarly Attitude’ (Sept. 4, 2014)
6. lollop — to move in a bounding or ungainly way:
They flap and lollop and squawk and scavenge. They hold the future of the realm, some say, in their fearsome beaks. — A Raven Queen Vanishes, and Britain Checks a Prophecy (Jan. 14, 2021)
7. cetacean — an aquatic mammal, such as whales, dolphins and porpoises:
On the other hand, cetaceans — a group that includes dolphins and whales — have a notably small number of olfactory receptor genes, which makes sense given their watery habitats. — From Alpacas to Yaks, Mammal DNA Yields Its Secrets (April 27, 2023)
8. geotag — a location added to a digital photo or file:
Aside from coffee and a modest spread of doughnuts, the photographers at Sutton Tower received no compensation for their time. They all understood that they were allowed to keep any images they shot, but they were expected to post at least a handful to their social media channels, with hashtags and geotags that identified the building. — How Real Estate Developers Are Teaming Up With Social Media Influencers (Jan. 24, 2023)
9. gavage — forcing an animal or human to eat, typically through a tube:
The farmers have argued that the force-feeding technique that produces foie gras, called gavage, does not amount to animal cruelty, though they changed the methods they used in 2017 to make the process more humane, switching out the metal tubes they once placed inside duck’s throats with plastic ones. — New York City Banned Foie Gras in 2019. Tell That to the Ducks. (Jan. 27, 2023)
10. catalpa — a type of flowering tree or plant:
The natural world provides a cast of characters: the catalpa tree, which had giant leaves she often wanted to hide her shy face behind. The peacock she drew in class, earning the irritation of her teacher because it was not an “American” animal. — A Book About Nature That Is So Much More (Sept. 11, 2020)
And the list of the week’s easiest words:
Eve Washington, Josh Katz and Tom Giratikanon
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