Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2018/May

2018
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1

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prime cut n

A top-quality serving of meat. (by extension) Something that represents the best quality in its class. May is promoted by the cattle industry in the United States as National Beef Month.

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2

3

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en passant adv

In passing, by the way, incidentally. (chess) Of a player's pawn when it has moved forward two squares on its first move in the game: captured "in passing" by the other player's pawn, as if the first player's pawn had only moved forward one square. Georgian chess player Nona Gaprindashvili, who in 1978 became the first female Grandmaster, was born on this day in 1941.

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4

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padawan n

An apprentice or student Jedi. (by extension, humorous) Any apprentice or student. May the Fourth – oops, the Force – be with you! Today is observed as Star Wars Day by fans of the franchise.

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5

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tabulate v

(transitive) To arrange in tabular form; to arrange into a table. (transitive) To set out as a list; to enumerate, to list. (transitive, Scotland, obsolete) To enter into an official register or roll.

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6

7

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scrofulous adj

(pathology, dated) Of, related to, or suffering from scrofula (form of tuberculosis tending to cause enlarged lymph nodes and skin inflammation). (figuratively) Having an unkempt, unhealthy appearance. (figuratively) Morally degenerate; corrupt.

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8

9

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acrimonious adj

(archaic) Harsh and sharp, or bitter and not to the taste; acrid, pungent. (figuratively) Angry, acid, and sharp in delivering argumentative replies: bitter, mean-spirited, sharp in language or tone.

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10

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comminution n

(often mining, waste management) The breaking or grinding up of a material to form smaller particles. (traumatology) The fracture of a bone site in multiple pieces (technically, at least three); crumbling.

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11

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Feynman diagram n

(physics) A pictorial representation of the interactions of subatomic particles, showing their paths in space and time as lines, and their interactions as points where lines meet. American theoretical physicist Richard Feynman, who invented the diagram, was born on this day a hundred years ago in 1918.

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12

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runcible adj

(humorous) A nonce word used for humorous effect, and perhaps originally to maintain the number of syllables in lines of poems. English artist and poet Edward Lear, who coined the word in his nonsense poem The Owl and the Pussy-cat, was born in 1812 either on this date or on 13 May.

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13

14

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reseda n

(botany) Any of various plants of the genus Reseda, having small, pale grayish green flowers such as dyer's rocket (Reseda luteola) and mignonette (Reseda odorata). (botany, horticulture, specifically) Mignonette (Reseda odorata). A pale greyish-green colour like the flowers of a reseda plant; mignonette. reseda adj Having a pale greyish-green colour like the flowers of a reseda plant; mignonette.

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15

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familial adj

Of or pertaining to a human family. Of or pertaining to any grouping of things referred to as a family. (pathology) Inherited. Today is designated by the United Nations as the International Day of Families to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the social, economic and demographic processes affecting families.

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16

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vermiculation n

(obsolete, rare) The process of being turned into a worm. The state of being infested or consumed by worms. A pattern of irregular wavy lines resembling worms or their casts or tracks, found on the plumage of birds, used to decorate artworks and buildings, etc. (medicine, dated) Peristalsis (“wave-like contraction of the digestive tract, resembling the movement of a worm”).

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17

18

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Bauhaus proper n

(architecture, design, also attributively) A modernist style characterized by the absence of ornamentation and by harmony between the function of a building or an object and its design. German architect Walter Gropius, who founded the Bauhaus art school in 1919, was born on this day 135 years ago in 1883.

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19

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nuptials n

A wedding ceremony. The wedding of Prince Henry of Wales of the British royal family, known familiarly as Prince Harry, and American actress Meghan Markle takes place today in 2018.

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20

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creed n

That which is believed; accepted doctrine, especially religious doctrine; a particular set of beliefs; any summary of principles or opinions professed or adhered to. (specifically, religion) A reading or statement of belief that summarizes the faith it represents; a confession of faith for public use, especially one which is brief and comprehensive. (rare) The fact of believing; belief, faith. The First Council of Nicaea began on this day in 325 C.E. The Council prepared the earliest version of the Nicene Creed, which states the basic tenets of the Christian faith.

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21

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fret v

(transitive, obsolete or poetic) Especially when describing animals: to consume, devour, or eat. (transitive) To chafe or irritate; to worry. (transitive) To make rough, to agitate or disturb; to cause to ripple. (transitive) In the form fret out: to squander, to waste. (ambitransitive) To gnaw; to consume, to eat away. (ambitransitive) To be chafed or irritated; to be angry or vexed; to utter peevish expressions through irritation or worry. (intransitive) To be worn away; to chafe; to fray. (intransitive) To be anxious, to worry. (intransitive) To be agitated; to rankle; to be in violent commotion. (intransitive, brewing, oenology) To have secondary fermentation (fermentation occurring after the conversion of sugar to alcohol in beers and wine) take place.

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22

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food web n

(ecology) A diagram showing the organisms that eat other organisms in a particular ecosystem, predators being higher in the web than their prey. Today is the International Day for Biological Diversity (also known as World Biodiversity Day), which is recognized by the United Nations for the promotion of biodiversity issues.

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23

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veisalgia n

(medicine) The unpleasant after-effects of the consumption of alcohol; a hangover. The Hangover Part III, the final instalment of the Hangover series of films, was released in the United States on this day five years ago in 2013.

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24

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dodman n

(British, dialectal) A land-based snail. (British, dialectal) A snail's shell. (British, dialectal) Any shellfish which casts its shell, such as a lobster. (British, dialectal) A surveyor. Today is marked by some people as National Escargot Day in the USA, to celebrate escargot or cooked land snails.

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25

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overthrow v

(transitive) To bring about the downfall of (a government, etc.), especially by force. (transitive, now rare) To throw down to the ground, to overturn.

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26

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pike n

(military, historical) A very long spear used two-handed by infantry soldiers for thrusting (not throwing), both for attacks on enemy foot soldiers and as a countermeasure against cavalry assaults. A sharp point, such as that of the weapon. A large haycock (“conical stack of hay left in a field to dry before adding to a haystack”). Any carnivorous freshwater fish of the genus Esox, especially the northern pike, Esox lucius. (diving, gymnastics) A position with the knees straight and a tight bend at the hips with the torso folded over the legs, usually part of a jack-knife. (fashion, dated) A pointy extrusion at the toe of a shoe. (chiefly Northern England) Especially in place names: a hill or mountain, particularly one with a sharp peak or summit. […]

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27

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faxlore n

A kind of folklore comprising humorous material and urban legends that are shared by fax machine. On this day 175 years ago in 1843, Scottish inventor Alexander Bain received a British patent for his “electric printing telegraph”, a precursor of the fax machine.

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28

29

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wheelhorse n

(US, dated) One of a team of horses which is nearest to the wheels of a carriage, as opposed to a leader or forward horse. (US, figuratively) A person who labors heavily for a particular cause, without being concerned about recognition. (obsolete or historical) A foot-propelled vehicle; a bicycle.

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30

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geofence n

(computing) A virtual perimeter around a geographic area, typically enforced by monitoring the positions of trackable mobile devices inside or outside the area, and determining if they cross the "fence".

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31

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lysergic adj

(not comparable, organic chemistry) Used in the designation of lysergic acid and lysergic acid diethylamide: produced by hydrolysis from ergot. (comparable) Psychedelic, trippy. American psychologist and writer Timothy Leary, who advocated exploring the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs such as lysergic acid diethylamide (LSD) under controlled conditions, died on this day in 1996.

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