A scientist or technical expert with power in politics or industry.

In 1919 W. H. Smyth coined the term *technocracy* to mean basically “management of society by technical experts.” Technocracy grew into a movement during the Great Depression of the 1930s, when politicians and financial institutions were being blamed for the economic disaster, and fans of technocracy claimed that letting technical experts manage the country would be a great improvement. (They also suggested that dollars could be replaced by “energy certificates” representing energy units called *ergs*.) Today *technocrat* and *technocratic* are still popular words for experts with a highly rational and scientific approach to public policy issues. But these experts aren't always the best politicians, and when a terrific technological solution to a problem is opposed by a powerful group or industry, lawmakers find it easier to just ignore it.

One who fears or dislikes advanced technology or complex devices and especially computers.

The condition known as *technophobia* got its name around 1965 (though its synonym *Luddite* had been around for a long time), and since then we've been flooded with electronic gadgetry. But even today few people actually understand any electrical technology more complicated than a lightbulb, so there's still plenty of technophobia around. And it isn't limited to computer users. The explosion of the atomic bomb made technophobes out of millions of people; and since human-caused climate change has been a result of technology, it's not surprising that it too has produced a *technophobic* response. But if technology turns out to be part of a solution, maybe that will change.

One who loves technology.

The word *technophile* came along soon after *technophobe*, which seemed to need an antonym. Its own synonyms include *geek, gearhead*, and *propeller- head* (for the characters in 1950s comic books who wore propeller beanies to indicate that they were sci-fi fans). Even before American inventors began amazing the world with their “Yankee ingenuity” in the 19th century, most Americans could be described as technology lovers. Today, American *technophilia* may be seen most vividly when a new version of a popular video game sells millions of copies to young buyers on the day of its release.

Of or relating to fireworks.

You've read about funeral *pyres*, and you may even have survived a *pyromaniac* (“insane fire-starting”) stage in your youth, so you might have guessed that *pyr* means “fire” in Greek. *Pyrotechnic* refers literally to fireworks, but always seems to be used for something else—something just as exciting, explosive, dazzling, sparkling, or brilliant. The performances of sports stars and dancers are often described as pyrotechnic, and a critic may describe the *pyrotechnics* of a rock guitarist's licks or a film's camerawork. A pyrotechnic performance is always impressive, but the word occasionally suggests something more like “flashy” or “flamboyant.”

Distance measured by degrees or time east or west from the prime meridian.

The imaginary (but very important) lines of longitude run from the North Pole to the South Pole. Each is identified by the number of degrees it lies east or west of the so-called prime meridian in Greenwich, England (part of London). A circle is divided into 360° ; so, for example, the longitude of the Egyptian city of Cairo is about 31°E—that is, about 31° east of London. The “long” sense of the root may be easier to see in some uses of the adjective *longitudinal*: A longitudinal study is a research study that follows its subjects over many long years, and a longitudinal engine is one that drives a crankshaft that runs lengthwise under a vehicle (as in rear-wheel-drive cars) rather than crosswise.

(1) To extend the length of; stretch. (2) To grow in length.

*Elongate* is often found in scientific writing, but the adjective *elongated* is more common, and frequently used to describe body parts in discussions of anatomy. This was even the case when the superhero Elongated Man made his appearance back in 1960. But some other characters with the same powers —Plastic Man, Elastic Lad, and Mr. Fantastic—ended up having longer careers.

A dull and boring portion, as of a book.

*Longueur* comes straight from French, a language based on Latin. When we borrow a foreign word, it's usually because English doesn't have a really good synonym, which is the case here. *Longueur* is used mostly when talking about books, but also when describing lectures and speeches. Like certain other French words, *longueur* tends to be used mainly by critics and professors—but lots of us who aren't either could find plenty of use for it too.

Longer in one direction than in the other.

*Oblong* is a general but useful term for describing the shape of things such as leaves. There's no such thing as an oblong circle, since a stretched circle has to be called an oval, and any rectangle that isn't square is oblong, at least if it's lying on its side (such rectangles can actually be called *oblongs*). Pills are generally oblong rather than round, to slide down the throat more easily. An oblong table will often fit a living space better than a square or round one with the same area. And people are always buried in oblong boxes.