Ripped from the Headlines: February 2026: This Week in Words: Current Events Vocab for February 7–February 14, 2026

Six Canadian fishermen were participating in a study of Atlantic halibut migration patterns when they reeled in an unusually large specimen of the distinctively flat fish. In fact, the halibut they pulled through a hole in the ice covering Quebec's Saguenay River broke all regional records, weighing 244 pounds and measuring over six feet long. The roots of halibut mean "holy flatfish," from the Christian tradition of eating fish on holy days.

San Francisco teachers are on strike for the first time since 1979, a move widely seen as a harbinger for schools around the state. After a year of negotiation, the union and district couldn't reach an agreement on healthcare costs and raises. Teachers around California have been asking their own districts for higher pay, and many see the San Francisco strike as a sign of things to come. Harbinger, first "one sent ahead to find lodging," is from a root meaning "inn."

Dozens of people had to be rescued in New York's Adirondacks after the ski gondolas in which they were riding became inoperable. A mechanical failure caused the lifts to break down, leaving 67 skiers and snowboarders stranded in the air above the Gore Mountain ski resort for almost three hours. Rescuers climbed the lift towers and rappelled down to the defective gondolas before lowering each person to the snow below using ropes.

In Derbyshire, England, a suspected thief was captured after eight llamas surrounded him in a field. The man, who is accused of stealing tobacco from a nearby home, was observed running toward neighboring property. He then climbed a fence only to find himself encircled by the long-necked, woolly animals, which began emitting loud warning cries. The llamas kept the man pinned in a corner of the field until the police arrived.

In an attempt to return the A to being an elevated grade, reserved for work of "extraordinary distinction," Harvard may cap the number it gives out. Once a lofty grade, distinguishing the best scholarship from average efforts, A's are now the norm at Harvard, with the high mark awarded for two-thirds of course grades. The new rule would reserve A's for the top 20 percent of grades, with no limits on the A-minus. Lofty, "of high rank," is from an Old Norse root meaning "sky."

A group of Buddhist monks finished their 2,300-mile "peace walk" from Texas to Washington, D.C., on February 10. A dozen ordained practitioners of Theravada Buddhism made the journey, along with an adopted dog named Aloka, or "light" in Sanskrit. The monks traveled on foot for 108 days, through eight states, during an unusually cold and snowy winter. Along the way, they encouraged observers to seek inner peace and compassion at a time of worldwide conflict.

On February 8, the Seattle Seahawks dominated the New England Patriots and ultimately prevailed in Super Bowl LX. The Seahawks won the trophy with a powerful defense that kept the Patriots from scoring until the fourth quarter and sacked quarterback Drake Maye six times. It was only the second Super Bowl triumph for the Seahawks, whose last win was 12 years ago. The Latin root of prevail is praevalere, "have greater power."

After the men's figure skating short program at the Olympics, Ilia Malinin took the lead in the quest for gold. In his short program, Malinin wowed the crowd with a backflip, but it's Malinin's ability to land a quadruple axel — a jump that requires four and a half revolutions in the air — that sets him apart from his competitors. Malinin is the only skater to have ever landed the incredibly difficult jump in competition. Quadruple has the Latin root quadru, "four."

People living in the Eastern United States finally got a respite from the bitterly cold weather they've experienced since mid-January. Windchills in parts of New England dipped to negative 30 early this week, but by February 11, temperatures had climbed as high as 40 degrees. A break from frigid conditions was an enormous relief after weeks of record-breaking cold. Respite derives from the Latin respectus, "refuge."

Iran's crackdown on political dissent has widened to include people in the reformist movement. These activists support changing the country's theocracy from the inside and have called for 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to resign. Despite their goal of maintaining a government led by Muslim clerics who act on behalf of God, at least four prominent reformists have been arrested. The Greek root of theocracy is theokratia, "the rule of God."