…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.!)
posted on May 14, 2003 12:20 PM