The author earned his Ph.D. degree in Botany from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and an MLS degree from the University of Oregon. He has taught biology courses at two universities, but for most of his career he was a science librarian at Penn State, and then at the State University of New York at Binghamton until retiring. He has published several botanical papers and a book on the theories of biology. His interest in terminology and the language of science led to the present essay.