Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2019/November

2019
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1

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cherub n

(biblical) A winged creature attending on God, described by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (c. 5th–6th century) as the second highest order of angels, ranked above thrones and below seraphim; similar to a lamassu in the pre-exilic texts of the Hebrew Bible, more humanoid in later texts. An artistic depiction of such a being, typically in the form of a winged child or a child's head with wings but no body. (figuratively) A person, especially a child, seen as being particularly angelic or innocent. Today is All Saints’ Day in Western Christianity.

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2

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amaranth n

(dated, poetic) An imaginary flower that does not wither. Any of various herbs of the genus Amaranthus. The characteristic purplish-red colour of the flowers or leaves of these plants. amaranth:   (chemistry) A red to purple azo dye used as a biological stain, and in some countries in cosmetics and as a food colouring. (cooking) The seed of these plants, used as a cereal.

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3

4

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othering n

(philosophy, politics) gerund of other: the process of perceiving or portraying someone or something as essentially alien or different.

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5

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swole adj

(chiefly African-American Vernacular, slang) Having large, well-developed muscles; muscular. (slang) Of the penis: erect; of a person: with an erection of the penis; aroused, hard. (slang) Followed by up: upset; experiencing strong negative emotion.

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6

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Hansard n

(historical, also attributively) A member of a Hanse (“merchant guild”), or a resident of a Hanse towns. […] (chiefly British, Commonwealth) The official report of debates and other proceedings in the British and some Commonwealth parliaments. The English printer Thomas Curson Hansard, who printed reports of debates and proceedings in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, was born on this day in 1776.

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7

8

9

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trounce v

(transitive) To beat severely; to thrash. (transitive) To beat thoroughly, to defeat heavily; especially (games, sports) to win against (someone) by a wide margin. (transitive) To chastise or punish physically or verbally; to scold with abusive language. (transitive, British, regional) To punish by bringing a lawsuit against; to sue. [...] (intransitive, British, dialectal) To walk heavily or with some difficulty; to tramp, to trudge. (intransitive, British, dialectal) To pass across or over; to traverse. (intransitive) To travel quickly over a long distance.

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10

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sumac n

Any of various shrubs or small trees of the genus Rhus and other genera in Anacardiaceae, particularly the elm-leaved sumac, Sicilian sumac, or tanner's sumac (Rhus coriaria). Dried and chopped-up leaves and stems of a plant of the genus Rhus, particularly the tanner's sumac (see sense 1), used for dyeing and tanning leather or for medicinal purposes. A sour spice popular in the Eastern Mediterranean, made from the berries of tanner's sumac.

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11

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war-weary adj

Weary or tired of war. Tired from fighting in a war. Today, the date in 1918 when hostilities in World War I ceased, is observed as Remembrance Day in many countries to remember armed forces members who have died in the line of duty.

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12

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fichu n

(chiefly historical) A woman's lightweight triangular scarf worn over the shoulders and tied in front, or tucked into a bodice to cover the exposed part of the neck and chest.

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13

14

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pandect n

(Ancient Rome, law, historical) Usually in the plural form Pandects: a compendium or digest of writings on Roman law divided in 50 books, compiled in the 6th century C.E. by order of the Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I (c. 482–565). (by extension, rare) Also in the plural form pandects: a comprehensive collection of laws; specifically, the whole body of law of a country; a legal code. (by extension, also figuratively) A treatise or similar work that is comprehensive as to a particular topic; specifically (Christianity) a manuscript of the entire Bible. The Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I, who ordered the compilation of the Pandects (sense 1), died on this day in 565.

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15

16

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circuitry n

(countable) A specific system of electrical circuits in a particular device; (uncountable) the design of such a system. (uncountable) Electrical (or, by extension, other) circuits considered as a group. (uncountable, figuratively) The brain's neural network.

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17

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ulp interj

The sound of a person gulping in fear. [...] ulp n (computer science, mathematics) The value that the least significant digit of a floating-point number represents, used as a measure of accuracy in numeric calculations.

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18

19

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ordure n

Dung, excrement. (by extension) Dirt, filth. (by extension) Something regarded as contaminating or perverting the morals; obscene material. Today is designated by the United Nations as World Toilet Day to draw attention to inadequate sanitation facilities in countries around the world.

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20

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Nuremberg defense n (American spelling)

(ethics, international law, idiomatic) An explanation offered as an excuse for behaving in a criminal or wrongful manner, claiming that acted in this way because one was ordered by others (particularly superiors) to do so. (US law, by extension) An explanation offered as a defense to criminal or wrongful behavior, claiming that one is justified in not obeying a governmental order or a domestic law because the order or law is itself unlawful. The trials of major war criminals by the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg, Bavaria, Germany, after World War II began on this day in 1945, lasting till 1 October 1946.

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21

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well-boat n

(nautical) a fishing vessel designed to carry live fish in a tank or well. Today is World Fisheries Day, which was established by the World Fisheries Forum to advocate sustainable fishing practices and policies.

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22

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grace note n

(music) A musical note, indicated on a score in smaller type with or without a slash through it, played to ornament the melody rather than as part of it. Its note value does not count as part of the total time value of the measure it appears in. (figuratively) Something that decorates, embellishes, or ornaments; a finishing touch. For some Christian churches, today is the feast day of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians.

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23

24

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slimeball n

(biology) A round lump made up of or coated with slime or a slime-like substance such as mucus. (helminthology, specifically) A mucus-coated lump containing the cercariae (“parasitic larvae”) of a liver fluke (of the phylum Platyhelminthes). (originally US, colloquial, derogatory) A person who is regarded as slimy (that is, sneaky or underhanded) or otherwise undesirable.

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25

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vinous adj

Pertaining to or having the characteristics of wine. Involving the use of wine. Having the colour of red wine; vinaceous. Tending to drink wine excessively. Affected by the drinking of wine. Induced by the drinking of wine.

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26

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double life n

An existence or life that has two aspects, particularly when one of them is regarded as embarrassing, immoral, or unlawful and thus kept hidden from a person's family, friends, and work colleagues. The hidden, or more unusual, aspect of a person's life.

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27

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potluck n (also attributively)

(dated) A meal, especially one offered to a guest, consisting of whatever food is available. (by extension) Whatever is available in a particular situation. (originally Canada, US) A shared meal consisting of whatever guests have brought (sometimes without prior arrangement); a potlatch; also, a dish of food brought to such a meal. (obsolete) The last draft or portion of an alcoholic beverage in a pot or other drinking vessel.

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28

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turducken n

(US, cooking) A dish, usually roasted, consisting of a deboned turkey stuffed with a deboned duck that has been stuffed with a small deboned chicken, and also containing stuffing. Happy Thanksgiving! Today, the fourth Thursday in November in 2019, is Thanksgiving Day in the United States and some other countries.

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29

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endow v

(transitive, archaic or obsolete) To provide with a dower (“the portion that a widow receives from her deceased husband's property”) or a dowry (“property given to a bride”). (transitive) To give property to (someone) as a gift; specifically, to provide (a person or institution) with support in the form of a permanent fund of money or other benefits. (transitive) Followed by with, or rarely by of: to enrich or furnish with some faculty or quality. (transitive) Usually in the passive: to naturally furnish (with something).

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30

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laird n

(chiefly Scotland) The owner of a Scottish estate; a member of the landed gentry, a landowner. (chiefly Scotland, historical) Often in the form Laird of, followed by a patronymic: a Scottish clan chief. laird v (transitive, Scotland) Chiefly as laird it over: to behave like a laird, particularly to act haughtily or to domineer; to lord (it over). Today is Saint Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day.

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