This week’s theme
Idioms & metaphors

This week’s words
lace-curtain
stile
millstone
lightning rod
moral compass

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(LYT-ning rod)

MEANING:

noun:
1. A grounded metal rod placed at the top of a structure to protect it from lightning.
2. A person or thing that frequently attracts criticism.
3. Someone who diverts criticism from another.

ETYMOLOGY:

From lightning (a flash of light) and rod (a stick or pole), from Old English leoht and rodd. Earliest documented use: 1770.

NOTES:

Benjamin Franklin’s invention of the lightning rod saved buildings and monuments, but also sparked new ideas in fashion and conducted them far and wide. The 18th century soon turned safety into style. People began adding tiny lightning rods to their hats and umbrellas, complete with a dainty metal chain trailing along the ground. You could call this lightning rod fashion an early (and slightly shocking) instance of wearable tech.

USAGE:

“[Theron Randolph had] become a lightning rod for criticism from peers, who accused him of relying too heavily on patient testimonials and unconventional testing methods.”
Lexi Pandell; The Chemical Cassandra; Wired (San Francisco, California); Sep/Oct 2025.

See more usage examples of lightning rod in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: