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Retrophisch

The word for today...

...is retromingent. Courtesy of Anu's free A.W.A.D. service: retromingent (re-tro-MIN-jent)

adjective: Urinating backwards.

noun: An animal that passes urine backwards, e.g. raccoon.

[From Latin retro- (back) + mingent, stem of mingens, past participle of mingere (to urinate).]

"When my turn came, I discovered that the bathrooms had been designed for a retromingent. The rest of the flight? Rather uneventful." --Jeffrey Levine; The Concorde, Firsthand: Built for Speed, Not for Comfort; The Washington Post ; Dec 17, 1989.

"I can verify that camels are, indeed, retromingent." --Sally Bixby Defty; Just Deserts Midnight at the Oasis Sing Your Camel to Bed; St. Louis Post-Dispatch; May 16, 1993. Sorry, but had to pass on another retro- word. You're welcome for the enlightenment. (And subscribe to A.W.A.D.!)