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A.Word.A.Day--pod

pod (pod) noun

1. Botany. A dehiscent fruit of a leguminous plant such as the pea. A dry, several-seeded, dehiscent fruit. Also called seedpod.

2. Zoology. A protective covering that encases the eggs of some insects and fish.

3. A casing or housing forming part of a vehicle, as: A streamlined external housing that encloses engines, machine guns, or fuel. Aerospace. A detachable compartment on a spacecraft for carrying personnel or instrumentation.

4. Something resembling a pod, as in compactness.

verb intr.

1. To bear or produce pods.

2. To expand or swell like a pod.

verb tr.

To remove (seeds) from a pod.

noun

A school of marine mammals, such as seals, whales, or dolphins.

noun

1. The lengthwise groove in certain boring tools such as augers.

2. The socket for holding the bit in a boring tool.

[Origin unknown.]

"Being a male, it's very possible he would have difficulty in trying to get back into a group of whales, or a pod of whales, out in the wild." Keiko the Whale to be Sent to Better Digs in Oregon, Morning Edition (NPR), 3 Jan 1996.

This week's theme: collective nouns for birds and animals.

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