Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2017/August

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pukka adj

(originally South Asia) Genuine or authentic; hence of behaviour: correct, socially acceptable or proper. Superior or of high quality; first-class. (British, slang) Excellent, fantastic, great. The Government of India Act 1858 (21 & 22 Victoria, chapter 106) received royal assent on this day in 1858, ushering in the period of British rule in India known as the British Raj.

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aye-aye n

The lemur Daubentonia madagascariensis, a solitary nocturnal quadruped found in Madagascar and remarkable for its long fingers, sharp nails, and rodent-like incisor teeth. Twins Days, a festival celebrating multiple births, takes place annually in Twinsburg, Ohio, USA, during the first full weekend of August.

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gee-gee n

(colloquial, usually childish) A horse. Twins Days, a festival celebrating multiple births, takes place annually in Twinsburg, Ohio, USA, during the first full weekend of August.

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matchy-matchy adj

(fashion) Of clothes or upholstery: excessively color-coordinated. Twins Days, a festival celebrating multiple births, takes place annually in Twinsburg, Ohio, USA, during the first full weekend of August.

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nudge nudge wink wink interj

(idiomatic, humorous, also attributive) A phrase used to hint that the speaker is euphemistically referring to something else. Twins Days, a festival celebrating multiple births, takes place annually in Twinsburg, Ohio, USA, during the first full weekend of August.

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nene n

The Hawaiian goose, Branta sandvicensis, which was designated the state bird of Hawaii in 1957. Twins Days, a festival celebrating multiple births, takes place annually in Twinsburg, Ohio, USA, during the first full weekend of August.

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filch v

(transitive) To illegally take possession of (especially items of low value); to pilfer, to steal. The Great Train Robbery took place at Bridego Railway Bridge, in Ledburn, Buckinghamshire, England, UK, on this day in 1963. Most of the over £2.6 million in cash which was stolen has never been recovered.

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merlion n

An imaginary creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish. (specifically, Singapore) Often Merlion: such a creature which is one of the national symbols of Singapore; a depiction of this creature. […] (heraldry) A depiction of a bird similar to a house martin or swallow with stylized feet; a martlet. (rare) Alternative form of merlin (“a small falcon, Falco columbarius”). Today is Singapore’s National Day, which commemorates the nation’s independence from Malaysia in 1965.

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find oneself v

(idiomatic) To learn, or attempt to learn, what kind of person one is and what one wants in life. (idiomatic) To unexpectedly or unintentionally begin to do or experience something. (idiomatic) To be in a particular state of mind. (literally) To find (something) for oneself. (literally) To discover oneself to be in a particular place.

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gunmetal n

(historical) A type of bronze used for making cannons. An alloy of 88% copper, 10% tin and 2% zinc, originally used for making guns. (also attributive) A dark grey or bluish-grey colour; gunmetal grey. American gunmaker Eliphalet Remington, who founded the Remington Arms company and designed the Remington rifle, died on this day in 1861.

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rupee n

The common name for the monetary currencies used in modern India, Mauritius, Nepal, Pakistan, the Seychelles, or Sri Lanka, often abbreviated ₨. (historical) A silver coin circulating in India between the 16th and 20th centuries, weighing one tola (formerly 170–180 troy grains; from 1833, 180 troy grains). Today is the 70th Independence Day of Pakistan, and thus the 70th anniversary of the Partition of India. Pakistan and India are two of the countries that call their currency the rupee.

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pomerium n

(historical, Roman Empire) The tract of land denoting the formal, sacral ambit of a Roman city. Today is Ferragosto, a public holiday in Italy. The term derives from the Latin feriae Augusti (holidays of the Emperor Augustus), and is said to have been introduced by Augustus after his victory at the Battle of Actium in 31 bce.

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come together v

(intransitive) To assemble, to congregate. (intransitive, figurative) To harmonize socially; to come to an amicable agreement; to ally or band together. […]

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scabrous adj

Covered with scales or scabs; hence, very coarse or rough. (figurative) Disgusting, repellent, repulsive, vile. (figurative) Of music, writing, etc.: lacking refinement, harsh, rough; unmelodious, unmusical. (figurative) Difficult, thorny, troublesome. (figurative, chiefly US) Covered with a crust of dirt or grime.

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trickle truth n

(informal) Facts gradually and reluctantly admitted by one's significant other under questioning, especially about having been unfaithful.

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underbelly n

The underside of an animal. The underside of any thing. (figuratively) The side which is not normally seen, normally a dark, immoral place.

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occultation n

(astronomy) An astronomical event that occurs when one celestial object is hidden by another celestial object that passes between it and the observer when the nearer object appears larger and completely hides the more distant object. The state of being occult (“hidden, undetected”). (Shia Islam Islam) The disappearance of the messianic figure, or Mahdi, who will one day return to the world. On this day in 2017, a total solar eclipse is visible within a band across the contiguous United States, the first time since June 8, 1918.

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talking head n

(idiomatic, also attributive) A journalist or pundit, especially one on television, who presents or discusses issues of the day. Charles Francis Jenkins, one of the inventors of television, was born on this day in 1867.

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paean n

(Ancient Greece, historical) A chant or song, especially a hymn of thanksgiving for deliverance or victory, to Apollo or sometimes another god or goddess; hence any song sung to solicit victory in battle. Any loud and joyous song; a song of triumph. An enthusiastic expression of praise.

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steamer n

A device or object that works by the operation of steam. A vessel in which articles are subjected to the action of steam, as in washing and in various processes of manufacture. (cooking) A cooking appliance that cooks by steaming. (obsolete) A steam fire engine, that is, a steam boiler and engine driving a pump, which are all mounted on wheels. A mode of transportation propelled by steam. (rail transport) A steam-powered road locomotive; a traction engine. (nautical) A vessel propelled by steam; a steamboat or steamship. […] A babycino (frothy milk drink). A wetsuit with long sleeves and legs. The name of various animals. The soft-shell clam, sand gaper, or long-neck clam (Mya arenaria), an edible saltwater clam; specifically the clam when steamed for eating. A steamer duck: any of the four species of the duck genus Tachyeres which are all found in South America, three of which are flightless. […] (Australia, obsolete) A dish made by cooking diced meat very slowly in a tightly sealed pot with a minimum of flavourings, allowing it to steam in its own juices; specifically such a dish made with kangaroo meat. […]

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syndicate n

A group of individuals or companies formed to transact some specific business, or to promote a common interest; a self-coordinating group. (crime) A group of gangsters engaged in organized crime. (mass media) A group of media companies, or an agency, formed to acquire content such as articles, cartoons, etc., and to publish it in multiple outlets; a chain of newspapers or other media outlets managed by such an organization. The office or jurisdiction of a syndic; a body or council of syndics.

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Skynet proper n

A family of United Kingdom military communications satellites. (science fiction) A distributed artificial intelligence system that is aware of the physical world and acts autonomously through cyborgs and computer control systems. Today is the 20th anniversary of “Judgment Day”, the day in 1997 when Skynet is supposed to initiate a nuclear holocaust in the 1991 film Terminator 2: Judgment Day.

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janissary n

(historical) An infantry soldier, often Christian, in a former elite Turkish (Ottoman) guard (disbanded in 1826); by extension, any Turkish soldier, particularly one escorting a traveller. (figuratively) An elite, highly loyal supporter. Today is Zafer Bayramı (Victory Day) in Turkey, which commemorates the Battle of Dumlupınar in 1922 that ended the Turkish War of Independence.

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