diff --git a/src/deck/components/EntityDetail.vue b/src/deck/components/EntityDetail.vue
index e9f7523..48b21b2 100644
--- a/src/deck/components/EntityDetail.vue
+++ b/src/deck/components/EntityDetail.vue
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 import SlideFrame from './SlideFrame.vue'
 import Icon from './Icon.vue'
 import PlaceholderBadge from './PlaceholderBadge.vue'
+import GlossedText from './GlossedText.vue'
 import { accentText, accentRing, accentDot, type Entity } from '../data'
 
 const props = defineProps<{ entity: Entity }>()
@@ -21,7 +22,7 @@ const a = props.entity.accent
       <span v-if="entity.example" class="text-sm text-fg-muted">e.g. {{ entity.example }}</span>
       <PlaceholderBadge label="name" />
     </div>
-    <p class="mt-4 max-w-2xl text-lg text-fg-muted">{{ entity.blurb }}</p>
+    <p class="mt-4 max-w-2xl text-lg text-fg-muted"><GlossedText :text="entity.blurb" /></p>
 
     <div class="mt-8 grid gap-6 lg:grid-cols-3">
       <!-- unique traits -->
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ const a = props.entity.accent
             <span class="mt-0.5 grid size-5 shrink-0 place-items-center rounded-full" :class="accentRing[a]">
               <Icon name="Check" class="size-3" :class="accentText[a]" />
             </span>
-            {{ t }}
+            <GlossedText :text="t" />
           </li>
         </ul>
       </div>
@@ -49,7 +50,7 @@ const a = props.entity.accent
             class="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-lg bg-surface px-3 py-2 text-sm text-fg"
           >
             <span class="size-1.5 rounded-full" :class="accentDot[a]" />
-            {{ s }}
+            <GlossedText :text="s" />
           </div>
         </div>
       </div>
@@ -69,7 +70,7 @@ const a = props.entity.accent
         </div>
         <div class="flex items-center gap-2 rounded-2xl border border-line bg-surface px-4 py-3 text-xs text-fg-muted">
           <Icon name="Layers" class="size-4 text-amber" />
-          Runs on Lab 484 — same membership, kiosk &amp; app as every node.
+          <GlossedText text="Runs on Lab 484 — same membership, kiosk & app as every node." />
         </div>
       </div>
     </div>
diff --git a/src/deck/components/GlossaryTerm.vue b/src/deck/components/GlossaryTerm.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55fc99b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/deck/components/GlossaryTerm.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,96 @@
+<script setup lang="ts">
+/**
+ * An inline glossary term: dotted-underline trigger that reveals a one-line
+ * definition (and an optional "learn more" link) on hover or tap.
+ *
+ * Deliberately dependency-free — the deck stage uses transforms + overflow, so
+ * a portaled popover would escape the themed `.dark` tree and lose its tokens.
+ * We render the card inline instead and let it float just below the term.
+ */
+import { ref, onBeforeUnmount } from 'vue'
+import { ExternalLink } from '@lucide/vue'
+import type { GlossaryEntry } from '../data'
+
+defineProps<{ entry: GlossaryEntry }>()
+
+const open = ref(false)
+const root = ref<HTMLElement | null>(null)
+let hoverTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined
+
+function show() {
+  clearTimeout(hoverTimer)
+  open.value = true
+}
+function hideSoon() {
+  // small grace period so the reader can travel from term to card
+  hoverTimer = setTimeout(() => (open.value = false), 120)
+}
+function toggle() {
+  open.value = !open.value
+}
+function onKey(e: KeyboardEvent) {
+  if (e.key === 'Escape') open.value = false
+}
+
+// close when tapping elsewhere (mobile has no hover-out)
+function onDocPointer(e: PointerEvent) {
+  if (open.value && root.value && !root.value.contains(e.target as Node)) open.value = false
+}
+if (typeof document !== 'undefined') document.addEventListener('pointerdown', onDocPointer)
+onBeforeUnmount(() => {
+  clearTimeout(hoverTimer)
+  if (typeof document !== 'undefined') document.removeEventListener('pointerdown', onDocPointer)
+})
+</script>
+
+<template>
+  <span ref="root" class="relative inline-block" @mouseenter="show" @mouseleave="hideSoon">
+    <button
+      type="button"
+      class="cursor-help font-medium text-fg underline decoration-amber-400/70 decoration-dotted underline-offset-4 transition hover:decoration-amber-400"
+      :aria-expanded="open"
+      @click="toggle"
+      @keydown="onKey"
+    >
+      <slot>{{ entry.term }}</slot>
+    </button>
+
+    <Transition name="gloss">
+      <span
+        v-if="open"
+        class="absolute left-1/2 top-full z-30 mt-2 block w-64 -translate-x-1/2 cursor-auto rounded-xl border border-line-2 bg-surface-2 p-3 text-left text-sm font-normal normal-case leading-relaxed text-fg-muted shadow-xl"
+        @mouseenter="show"
+        @mouseleave="hideSoon"
+      >
+        <span class="mb-1 block font-display text-xs font-semibold uppercase tracking-wider text-amber">
+          {{ entry.term }}
+        </span>
+        {{ entry.short }}
+        <a
+          v-if="entry.more"
+          :href="entry.more.href"
+          target="_blank"
+          rel="noopener noreferrer"
+          class="mt-2 inline-flex items-center gap-1 text-xs font-medium text-indigo transition hover:text-indigo-300"
+        >
+          {{ entry.more.label }}
+          <ExternalLink class="size-3" />
+        </a>
+      </span>
+    </Transition>
+  </span>
+</template>
+
+<style scoped>
+.gloss-enter-active,
+.gloss-leave-active {
+  transition:
+    opacity 0.15s ease,
+    transform 0.15s ease;
+}
+.gloss-enter-from,
+.gloss-leave-to {
+  opacity: 0;
+  transform: translate(-50%, -4px);
+}
+</style>
diff --git a/src/deck/components/GlossedText.vue b/src/deck/components/GlossedText.vue
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cc79d07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/deck/components/GlossedText.vue
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+<script setup lang="ts">
+/**
+ * Renders a string with any glossary terms turned into inline tooltips.
+ * Drop-in for plain interpolation: `<GlossedText :text="subtitle" />`.
+ */
+import GlossaryTerm from './GlossaryTerm.vue'
+import { glossedParts } from '../data'
+
+defineProps<{ text: string }>()
+</script>
+
+<template>
+  <span
+    ><template v-for="p in glossedParts(text)" :key="p.id"
+      ><GlossaryTerm v-if="p.entry" :entry="p.entry">{{ p.text }}</GlossaryTerm
+      ><template v-else>{{ p.text }}</template></template
+    ></span
+  >
+</template>
diff --git a/src/deck/components/Icon.vue b/src/deck/components/Icon.vue
index e46ad45..a4edda9 100644
--- a/src/deck/components/Icon.vue
+++ b/src/deck/components/Icon.vue
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import {
   ChevronRight,
   Images,
   Expand,
+  Server,
   type LucideProps,
 } from '@lucide/vue'
 import type { FunctionalComponent } from 'vue'
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ const registry: Record<string, FunctionalComponent<LucideProps>> = {
   ChevronRight,
   Images,
   Expand,
+  Server,
 }
 
 const props = defineProps<{ name: string }>()
diff --git a/src/deck/components/SlideFrame.vue b/src/deck/components/SlideFrame.vue
index 57e4c21..37fe1b6 100644
--- a/src/deck/components/SlideFrame.vue
+++ b/src/deck/components/SlideFrame.vue
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 /** Shared slide chrome: consistent padding, kicker, title, subtitle + body slot. */
 import { brandCaseParts } from '../data'
+import GlossedText from './GlossedText.vue'
 
 defineProps<{
   kicker?: string
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ defineProps<{
       class="mt-4 max-w-2xl text-base text-fg-muted sm:text-lg"
       :class="center ? 'mx-auto' : ''"
     >
-      {{ subtitle }}
+      <GlossedText :text="subtitle" />
     </p>
     <div :class="[title || kicker ? 'mt-10' : '', 'w-full']">
       <slot />
diff --git a/src/deck/slides/EcosystemSlide.vue b/src/deck/slides/EcosystemSlide.vue
index b82e1f4..f7f9676 100644
--- a/src/deck/slides/EcosystemSlide.vue
+++ b/src/deck/slides/EcosystemSlide.vue
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import SlideFrame from '../components/SlideFrame.vue'
 import Icon from '../components/Icon.vue'
+import GlossedText from '../components/GlossedText.vue'
 import { userEcosystem, surfaceEntities as entities } from '../data'
 </script>
 
@@ -20,7 +21,7 @@ import { userEcosystem, surfaceEntities as entities } from '../data'
           <Icon :name="item.icon" class="size-5" />
         </span>
         <h3 class="mt-4 font-display text-lg font-semibold text-fg">{{ item.title }}</h3>
-        <p class="mt-1.5 text-sm leading-relaxed text-fg-muted">{{ item.body }}</p>
+        <p class="mt-1.5 text-sm leading-relaxed text-fg-muted"><GlossedText :text="item.body" /></p>
       </div>
     </div>
 
diff --git a/src/deck/slides/TechSlide.vue b/src/deck/slides/TechSlide.vue
index 890cd19..ad044ea 100644
--- a/src/deck/slides/TechSlide.vue
+++ b/src/deck/slides/TechSlide.vue
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 <script setup lang="ts">
 import SlideFrame from '../components/SlideFrame.vue'
 import Icon from '../components/Icon.vue'
+import GlossedText from '../components/GlossedText.vue'
 import { tech } from '../data'
 </script>
 
@@ -8,7 +9,7 @@ import { tech } from '../data'
   <SlideFrame
     kicker="Lab 484 · the shared backbone"
     title="Open hardware, sovereign software"
-    subtitle="Lab 484 is the stack under every entity — owned by the network, documented to be rebuilt anywhere. Build it once; every place plugs in."
+    subtitle="Lab 484 is the stack under every entity — the shared hardware + software every location runs on, owned by the network and documented to be rebuilt anywhere. Build the stack once; every place plugs in."
   >
     <div class="grid gap-4 sm:grid-cols-2 lg:grid-cols-3">
       <div
@@ -20,8 +21,17 @@ import { tech } from '../data'
           <Icon :name="t.icon" class="size-5" />
         </span>
         <h3 class="mt-4 font-display text-lg font-semibold text-fg">{{ t.title }}</h3>
-        <p class="mt-1.5 text-sm leading-relaxed text-fg-muted">{{ t.body }}</p>
+        <p class="mt-1.5 text-sm leading-relaxed text-fg-muted"><GlossedText :text="t.body" /></p>
       </div>
     </div>
+
+    <!-- self-hosting: surfaced here (reviewer found this the clearest idea, buried on the building slide) -->
+    <div class="mt-5 flex items-start gap-3 rounded-2xl border border-pine-500/20 bg-pine-500/5 p-5 text-sm text-fg">
+      <Icon name="Server" class="mt-0.5 size-5 shrink-0 text-pine" />
+      <span>
+        Every node <span class="font-semibold text-pine">self-hosts</span> — the stack runs on-site,
+        on the network’s own hardware, not in someone else’s cloud.
+      </span>
+    </div>
   </SlideFrame>
 </template>