Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2020/June

2020
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1

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nursery n

(countable) A place where nursing (“breastfeeding”) or the raising of children is carried on. (by extension) Especially in European countries: a room or area in a household set apart for the care of children. A place where the pre-school children of working parents are supervised during the day; a crèche, a daycare centre. A nursery school (“a school where pre-school children learn and play at the same time”). (Philippines) The first year of pre-school. (countable, also figuratively) A place where anything is fostered and growth promoted. (agriculture, zoology) A place where animals breed, or where young animals are naturally or artificially reared (for example, on a farm). (horticulture) A place where young shrubs, trees, vines, etc., are cultivated for transplanting, or (more generally) made available for public sale, a garden centre; also (obsolete) a plantation of young trees. (sports) A club or team for developing the skills of young players. (countable) Something which educates and nurtures. (countable, billiards) Short for nursery cannon (“a carom shot involving balls that are very close together”). (countable, obsolete, rare) Someone or something that is nursed; a nursling. (uncountable, obsolete) The act of nursing or rearing. Today is the Global Day of Parents, which is recognized by the United Nations to honour the commitment of parents towards their children.

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2

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putto n

(art) A representation, especially in Renaissance or Baroque art, of a small, naked, often winged (usually male) child; a cherub. Today is Festa della Repubblica or Republic Day, Italy’s national day.

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3

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bodice ripper n

(informal) A romantic novel, usually in a historical setting, with frank depictions of sexual activity, especially one in which the female protagonist is seduced; (by extension) a film, television programme, etc., featuring such activity. American novelist Kathleen E. Woodiwiss, who wrote The Flame and the Flower (1972) which is regarded as the first modern bodice ripper, was born on this day in 1939.

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4

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sheathe v

(transitive) To put (something such as a knife or sword) into a sheath. (transitive) To encase (something) with a protective covering. (transitive) Of an animal: to draw back or retract (a body part) into the body, such as claws into a paw. (transitive, dated or literary, poetic, figuratively) To thrust (a sharp object like a sword, a claw, or a tusk) into something. (transitive, obsolete or rare, figuratively) To abandon or cease (animosity, etc.) (transitive, obsolete) To provide (a sword, etc.) with a sheath. (transitive, medicine, obsolete) To relieve the harsh or painful effect of (a drug, a poison, etc.).

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5

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manicole n

(Guyana) A palm tree of the genus Euterpe which is native to Central America, South America, and the West Indies; especially the açaí palm (Euterpe oleracea). (Guyana, chiefly attributively) The Guyana manicole palm or manacachilla (Prestoea tenuiramosa), a species of palm tree native to South America; also, the wood of this tree. Today is World Environment Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to promote worldwide awareness of the need and action to protect the environment.

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6

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barometz n

(mythology) A purported zoophyte, half-animal and half-plant, said to grow in the form of a sheep. The golden chicken fern or woolly fern (Cibotium barometz), the rhizomes of which are covered in furry brown hair; the legend (sense 1) is supposed to have arisen because, when inverted, the rhizomes with stalks growing out of them resemble lambs. Today is the 10th anniversary of UN Russian Language Day, one of six such days established by UNESCO in 2010 to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity and to promote the equal use of its working languages. The word barometz is thought to be a corruption of Russian баране́ц (baranéc, “a species of club moss (genus Lycopodium)”).

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7

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cook someone's goose v

(idiomatic, informal) To spoil one's plans or hope of success. Today is World Food Safety Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to raise awareness about and promote global food safety.

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8

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mediterranean sea n

(oceanography) A mostly enclosed sea that has limited exchange of deep water with outer oceans, and where the water circulation is dominated by salinity and temperature differences rather than winds. Today is World Oceans Day, a day recognized by the United Nations to highlight the importance of conserving and protecting the world’s oceans.

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9

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katogo n

(Uganda) A traditional breakfast dish consisting of a sauce containing legumes and offal to which a staple such as cassava or matoke (“mashed boiled bananas or plantains”) is added, all cooked in the same pot. Today is Heroes’ Day in Uganda.

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10

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fillip n

(archaic) The action of holding the tip of a finger against the thumb and then releasing it with a snap; a flick. A smart strike or tap made using this action, or (by extension) by other means. (by extension) Something unimportant, a trifle; also, the brief time it takes to flick one's finger (see noun sense 1); a jiffy. (by extension) Something that excites or stimulates. Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and the husband of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, was born on this day in 1921.

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11

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skew v

(transitive) To form or shape in an oblique way; to cause to take an oblique position. (statistics) To cause (a distribution) to be asymmetrical. (transitive) To bias or distort in a particular direction. (transitive, Northumbria, Yorkshire) To hurl or throw. (intransitive) To move obliquely; to move sideways, to sidle; to lie obliquely. (intransitive) To jump back or sideways in fear or surprise; to shy, as a horse. (intransitive) To look at obliquely; to squint; hence, to look slightingly or suspiciously.

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12

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14

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fugazi adj

(US, chiefly military, especially during the Vietnam War era, slang) Fucked up; broken, damaged beyond repair. [...] (US, slang) Fake. fugazi n (US, slang) A person or thing that is fake; a fake, a fraud.

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15

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Magna Carta proper n

(law, historical) A charter granted by King John to the barons at Runnymede in 1215, which is one of the bases of English constitutional tradition; a physical copy of this charter, or a later version. Magna Carta n (figuratively) A landmark document that sets out rights or important principles. King John of England granted the Great Charter on this day 805 years ago in 1215.

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16

17

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argumentative adj

Of or relating to argumentation; specifically, presenting a logical argument or line of reasoning; argumentive, discursive. Prone to argue or dispute.

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18

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bouillabaisse n

A type of fish soup or stew from Provence, France. (figuratively) A mixture. Today is designated as Sustainable Gastronomy Day by the United Nations to highlight the role that gastronomy can play in promoting sustainable development.

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19

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Juneteenth proper n

(US) Also more fully as Juneteenth Day: a holiday celebrated in many states of the United States of America on June 19, commemorating the end of slavery. On this day 155 years ago in 1865, Union Army General Gordon Granger read out General Order No. 3 in Galveston, Texas, stating that all previously enslaved people in Texas were now free.

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20

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jaw-dropping adj

(informal) Causing great awe or surprise. The movie Jaws premiered in the United States on this day 45 years ago in 1975.

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21

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earworm n

A tune that keeps replaying in one's head or that one keeps thinking about, especially if unwanted. (originally US) Short for corn earworm (“larva of the moths Helicoverpa zea (syn. Heliothis zea) and Helicoverpa armigera, which are agricultural pests”). (archaic) An earwig (“insect of the order Dermaptera”). The Fête de la Musique (also known as World Music Day), which originated in France in 1982 and is now celebrated around the world, takes place today.

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22

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aphotic adj

Having no light, especially no sunlight; specifically (biology, oceanography) describing that part of deep lakes and oceans where less than one per cent of sunlight penetrates and where photosynthesis is not possible.

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23

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rubbernecker n

(originally US) A person who rubbernecks; someone who cranes their neck as though it were made of rubber to see something (such as a tourist attraction) or to watch an event (such as an accident); a rubberneck.

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24

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constellationally adv

In the manner of a constellation (“(astrology) the configuration of planets at a given time (notably of birth), as used for determining a horoscope; (astronomy) a formation of stars perceived as a figure or pattern”).

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25

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shipshape adj (originally nautical)

Meticulously neat and tidy. shipshape adv Neatly and tidily to a meticulous extent. Today is the 10th anniversary of the Day of the Seafarer, which was established by the International Maritime Organization in 2010 and recognized by the United Nations to acknowledge the contributions made by seafarers to international seaborne trade, the world economy, and civil society.

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26

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muggle n

(uncountable, originally US, slang, dated, chiefly in the plural) Marijuana. (countable, originally US, slang, dated) A marijuana cigarette; a joint. [...] Alternative letter-case form of Muggle A person who has no magical abilities. (by extension) A person who lacks a particular ability or skill; a non-specialist; also, a person who is not a member of a group; an outsider. (geocaching, specifically) A person not involved in the pastime of geocaching. muggle v (transitive, geocaching) To deface, destroy, or remove a geocache. [...] (intransitive, British, dialectal) Often followed by along: to live or work in an unorganized and unplanned way; to muddle along. The first book in the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published on this day in the United Kingdom in 1997.

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27

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bouncebackability n

(informal, often sports) The ability to bounce back or recover from bad circumstances. Today is marked as Helen Keller Day in the United States to honor the American author, lecturer and political activist Helen Keller, who was born on this day 140 years ago in 1880. Keller was the first deaf-blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree.

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28

29

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awara n

(Guyana, chiefly attributively) The palm tree Astrocaryum vulgare which is native to the Amazon Rainforest region. (Guyana) The oily edible fruit of this tree, which has a yellowish-orange skin and pulp, and a large black seed. Both the pulp and the seed yield oil. Today is the International Day of the Tropics, which is recognized by the United Nations to highlight the important role that countries in tropical areas of the world play in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and to raise awareness about the challenges faced by these areas.

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