Word: ploot
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Scientists have a cute name for it: "ploot." But plutonium, a man-made element created by bombarding uranium 238 with neutrons, has awesome properties. On the plus side, fast-breeder nuclear reactors, which are generally fueled with plutonium and U-238, can not only generate electricity but also produce more plutonium fuel than they consume. On the other hand, plutonium, even in tiny quantities, is searingly radioactive and ranks with botulin toxin as one of the world's most poisonous substances. Moreover, with as little as 12 Ibs. of plutonium, the right equipment and expertise in handling the stuff...
...processing plants to fabricating plants (where it is made into fuel rods that are unusable for weapons), to nuclear installations, and then back again for reprocessing. In addition, the AEC's highly touted "breeders," a new generation of reactors that produce considerable amounts of plutonium, will increase the "ploot" supply. According to some estimates, by the year 2000 the annual production of plutonium in the U.S. will be 600,000 Ibs.-and most of this will be in commercial rather than Government hands...
...Acta makes a mistake in not noticing the fact that our word mucker applies only to persons not in college. The collegiate rowdy is known as a scrub, which I think is another word originated here, though undoubtedly drawn from English sources. At Columbia a scrub is dubbed a ploot, a prune, or a plum. At Yale a peculiarly suggestive phrase, slum, is general...
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