This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for September 19–September 25, 2026

Researchers found an armadillo in Ohio for the first time. The small, leathery mammals, whose bodies are covered in hard, protective plates, originated in South and Central America. They entered the American Southwest in the late 1800s and have been migrating farther and farther north ever since. Scientists say armadillos appear in a new state every decade or so; they were newly found in Illinois in 2017. The Latin root of armadillo means "(defensive) weapons."

Amid a trend of cafes and restaurants closing in rural France, the mayor of a small town stepped in to help save its last bistro. After their only boulangerie (bakery) shut its doors a few years ago, villagers in Saint-Martin-sur-Ouanne relied even more on their small cafe, Au Bon Accueil. When it, too, struggled financially, the mayor used public funds to keep the bistro's doors open. The origin of bistro is unknown, but it was once slang for "little wineshop."

According to health ministry data, there are over 100,000 centenarians in Japan, setting a new record. Women make up 88 percent of the 107,677 Japanese citizens who are at least 100 years old, including Kyoto resident Fuyo Kishimoto, who, at 114, is officially the country's oldest resident. Experts say Japan's long average life expectancy is due to its affordable healthcare, healthy diets, and active lifestyles. The Latin root of centenarian is centum, "hundred."

Three Harvard University students won the James Dyson Award for an invention that can accurately evaluate young athletes for concussions in under three minutes. The device, an affordable headset that tracks eye movements, expedites the screening process for brain injury after sports mishaps. Using a quick visual test, it efficiently detects neurological impairment, leading to a faster diagnosis. The Latin root of expedite literally means "free the feet from fetters."

For the first time in over a century, scientists discovered a new wildcat species, a striped feline that's only found in Bolivia's Yungas cloud forest. Leopardus tilcayo, which is a distinct species within the category of South America's "tiger cats," is smaller than the average house cat, weighing about three pounds. The word feline is derived from the Latin feles, "cat."

This year's Fat Bear Week features 16 rotund contenders, up from last year's 12. The annual contest pits the chubbiest bears in Alaska's Katmai National Park and Preserve against each other, with fans voting online for their favorites. The bears are naturally bulking up this time of year as they prepare their bodies for hibernation. The hefty contestants include last year's winner, 1,200-pound Chunk. The Latin root of rotund is rotundus, "round like a wheel."

The Turkish government warned that a national practice of stashing gold at home is damaging the country's economy. Gold is traditionally given as a gift, particularly to celebrate weddings and births, and Turks customarily secrete it, along with any foreign currency they have, in mattresses or other hiding places. While the habit keeps wealth out of banks and the wider economy, many say it's a logical reaction to Turkey's chronically high inflation rate and history of banking crises.

A new deal between the United States and Denmark recognizes the sovereignty of Greenland and Denmark while allowing the U.S. to increase its military presence in Greenland. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said the agreement upholds the "right of self-determination" for both Denmark and its semi-autonomous territory, Greenland. Sovereignty, "holding supreme power," is from a Latin root meaning "super."

British officials ordered the owners of a once-stately estate featured in dozens of music videos and films to complete a list of repairs and professional bat surveys. Built in the 1850s, Mentmore Towers was a luxurious mansion considered among the most impressive of the Victorian era, but it fell into disrepair after being sold in 1999. While the estate is still imposing, its decline over the years has left it with cracked walls and broken windows, and covered in bat droppings.

Florida citrus growers hope that a new gene-editing technique will help them plant trees that are resistant to a virulent illness that's destroyed millions of citrus trees. Insects spread citrus greening disease, which attacks the trees' immune systems and eventually kills them, in some cases wiping out entire farms. The new technology uses CRISPR gene-editing to create trees whose immune systems can stave off greening. Virulent is from the Latin virus, "disease."