Science Diction is a bite-sized podcast about words—and the science stories behind them. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts, and sign up for our newsletter. Our English word zero comes from the ...

They're known as man's best friends, fur babies, pooches. But the most widely used word for these beloved animals — "dog" — is also a great linguistic mystery. "The most everyday, commonplace words ...

The word deadline is in a lot of the news these days - tariff negotiations, ceasefire talks, budget deals. Sports teams face trade deadlines. And, of course, every day, we face personal deadlines to ...

It can compliment, or dismiss. It sometimes conveys strong emotions, or no emotion at all. And that's "nice" -- a tidy, sturdy word that's remarkably adaptable. Hundreds of years ago, it meant someone ...

A new book exploring the origins of common food terms — from bialy to lima bean to bibimbap — is a fascinating history of how we eat and cook. By Kim Severson Used judiciously, the snappy tidbits of ...