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2022
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Word of the day
for March 3
okapi n
  1. A large ruminant mammal, Okapia johnstoni, found in the rainforests of the Congo, related to the giraffe but with a much shorter neck, a reddish-brown coat, and zebra-like stripes on its hindquarters.

Today is World Wildlife Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora.

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4

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Word of the day
for March 4
engineer n
  1. (military, also figuratively)
    1. A soldier engaged in designing or constructing military works for attack or defence, or other engineering works.
    2. (obsolete) A soldier in charge of operating a weapon; an artilleryman, a gunner.
  2. (by extension)
    1. A person professionally engaged in the technical design and construction of large-scale private and public works such as bridges, buildings, harbours, railways, roads, etc.; a civil engineer.
    2. Originally, a person engaged in designing, constructing, or maintaining engines or machinery; now (more generally), a person qualified or professionally engaged in any branch of engineering, or studying to do so.
    3. A person trained to operate an engine; an engineman.
      1. (chiefly historical) A person who operates a steam engine; specifically (nautical), a person employed to operate the steam engine in the engine room of a ship.
      2. (US, firefighting) A person who drives or operates a fire engine.
      3. (chiefly US, rail transport) A person who drives or operates a locomotive; a train driver.
    4. Preceded by a qualifying word: a person who uses abilities or knowledge to manipulate events or people.
    5. (often derogatory) A person who formulates plots or schemes; a plotter, a schemer.

engineer v

  1. (transitive)
    1. To employ one's abilities and knowledge as an engineer to design, construct, and/or maintain (something, such as a machine or a structure), usually for industrial or public use.
    2. (specifically) To use genetic engineering to alter or construct (a DNA sequence), or to alter (an organism).
    3. To plan or achieve (a goal) by contrivance or guile; to finagle, to wangle.
  2. (intransitive)
    1. To formulate plots or schemes; to plot, to scheme.
    2. (rare) To work as an engineer.

Today is the World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development, which is recognized by UNESCO to highlight the importance of engineering in advancing sustainable development and mitigating the impact of climate change.

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Word of the day
for March 8
founding mother n
  1. A woman who founded (established or started) something.

Today is International Women’s Day, which is commemorated by the United Nations to recognize women’s achievements and to promote their rights and participation in economic and political spheres.

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9

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Word of the day
for March 9
sneap v (transitive, archaic or British, dialectal)
  1. To bite, nip, or pinch (someone or something).
  2. (also figuratively) To check or abruptly reprove (someone); to chide, to rebuke, to reprimand. [...]

sneap n

  1. (obsolete) A rebuke; a reprimand.

Dear Wordle players, here’s a word you might encounter in the game (though we don’t guarantee it!).

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10

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Word of the day
for March 10
pique n
  1. (uncountable) Enmity, ill feeling; (countable) a feeling of animosity or a dispute.
  2. (uncountable) Irritation or resentment awakened by a social injury or slight; offence, especially taken in an emotional sense with little consideration or thought; (countable) especially in fit of pique: a transient feeling of wounded pride.
  3. (countable, obsolete) In pique of honour: a matter, a point.

Dear Wordle players, here’s a word you might encounter in the game (though we don’t guarantee it!).

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11

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Word of the day
for March 11
shred v
  1. (transitive)
    1. To cut or tear (something) into long, narrow pieces or strips.
    2. (specifically)
      1. To destroy (a document) by cutting or tearing into strips or small pieces that cannot easily be read, especially using a shredder.
      2. (cooking) To cut (fruit peel, a vegetable, etc.) into thin strips that curl.
    3. To separate (something) into small portions.
    4. (figuratively, chiefly slang)
      1. To reduce (something) by a large percentage; to slash.
      2. (music) Chiefly in rock and heavy metal: to play (a musical instrument (especially a guitar) or a piece of music) very fast.
      3. (snowboarding, surfing) To cut through (snow, water, etc.) swiftly with one's snowboard, surfboard, etc.; (by extension) to move or ride along (a road, track, etc.) aggressively and rapidly.
      4. (originally US) To convincingly defeat (someone); to thrash, to trounce.
    5. (archaic) To cut or sever (something) into two parts.
    6. (obsolete)
      1. To chop or cut (something) into pieces.
      2. To cut, lop, or strip (branches, etc.) off; also, to cut (a piece) from something.
      3. To prune or trim (a tree, a vineyard, etc.).
  2. (intransitive)
    1. To become separated into small portions.
    2. (bodybuilding) To reduce body weight due to fat and water before a competition.
    3. (snowboarding, surfing, etc.) To travel swiftly using a snowboard, surfboard, or vehicle. [...]

Dear Wordle players, here’s a word you might encounter in the game (though we don’t guarantee it!).

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12

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Word of the day
for March 12
fleak n
  1. (obsolete except British, dialectal) Synonym of flake
    1. A small, light piece that is only loosely joined to something else, and which has a tendency to detach.
    2. A thin piece that is chipped or peeled off from the surface of something else.
    3. A thin piece that the flesh of some animals (such as fish) tends to break into.

fleak v

  1. (transitive, obsolete, rare) Synonym of flake (“to remove (something) in fleaks or flakes (small chips or pieces)”) [...]

Dear Wordle players, here’s a word you might encounter in the game (though we don’t guarantee it!).

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13

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Word of the day
for March 13
ratty adj
  1. Resembling or characteristic of a rat; ratlike.
  2. Infested with rats.
  3. (figuratively, informal)
    1. In poor condition or repair.
    2. (Australia) Crazy, mad; ridiculous; slightly strange, eccentric; also (followed by about, on, or over), attracted to, infatuated with.
    3. (originally British) Annoyed, bad-tempered, irritable.

Dear Wordle players, here’s a word you might encounter in the game (though we don’t guarantee it!).

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14

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Word of the day
for March 14
churl n
  1. (feudalism, obsolete except historical)
    1. A free peasant (as opposed to a serf) of the lowest rank, below an earl and a thane; a freeman; also (more generally), a person without royal or noble status; a commoner.
    2. A bondman or serf.
  2. (by extension)
    1. (derogatory) A rough, surly, ill-bred person; a boor.
    2. (archaic) A countryman, a peasant, a rustic.
    3. (archaic) A person who is stingy, especially with money; a selfish miser, a niggard.
    4. (Theodism) A freedman, ranked below a thane but above a thrall.

Dear Wordle players, here’s a word you might encounter in the game (though we don’t guarantee it!).

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15

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Word of the day
for March 15
umbelap v
  1. (transitive, obsolete, chiefly in modern translations) To enshroud, to envelop; to surround.
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Word of the day
for March 18
jentacular adj
  1. (formal, chiefly archaic) Of or pertaining to breakfast; specifically, one taken early in the morning or immediately upon getting up.
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19

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Word of the day
for March 19
porte cochère n
  1. (historical) A gateway through which horse carriages pass, often into a courtyard.
  2. A porch, or roof without walls over a driveway, next to the entrance of a building which a vehicle can stop in or under to allow passengers to embark or disembark without being affected by bad weather.

Today is the eve of UN French Language Day, one of six such days established by UNESCO to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity and to promote the equal use of its working languages. The Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (International Organization of the French-speaking World) was founded on 20 March 1970.

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20

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Word of the day
for March 20
tooth fairy n
  1. A figure of modern myth said to give children a small amount of money (or sometimes a present) in exchange for a milk tooth when it falls out of a child's mouth.

Today is World Oral Health Day, an annual event organized by the FDI World Dental Federation to raise awareness about oral health.

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21

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Word of the day
for March 21
Muzak proper n
  1. (music, trademark) Recorded background music characterized by soft, soothing instrumental sounds which is transmitted by wire, radio, or recorded media (originally on a subscription basis) to doctors' offices, shops, and other business premises.

Muzak n (often derogatory)

  1. (music) Easy listening music, whether played live or recorded, especially if regarded as uninteresting.
  2. (figuratively) Something (such as speech) regarded as droning on and often boring, or soothing but undemanding.

Muzak v (transitive)

  1. To provide (premises, etc.) with Muzak.
  2. To adapt or reduce (a piece of music, etc.) to the status of Muzak.

The American inventor, scientist, and soldier George Owen Squier, who developed the original technical basis for the Muzak service and also coined its name, was born on this day in 1865.

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22

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Word of the day
for March 22
Earthling n
  1. An inhabitant of Earth, as opposed to one of heaven.
  2. (chiefly science fiction) An inhabitant of Earth, as opposed to one of another planet; specifically, a sentient member of any species native to Earth.
  3. (archaic) A person who is materialistic or worldly; a worldling.

The fictional character James Tiberius Kirk, captain of the starship USS Enterprise in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, was born on this day on Earth in Riverside, Iowa, USA, in 2233.

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23

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Word of the day
for March 23
welkin n (archaic except literary or poetic)
  1. (also Lancashire) The sky which appears to an observer on the Earth as a dome in which celestial bodies are visible; the firmament.
  2. The upper atmosphere occupied by clouds, flying birds, etc.
  3. (religion) The place above the Earth where God or other deities live; heaven.

Today is World Meteorological Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to highlight the contribution that national meteorological and hydrological services make to the safety and well-being of society.

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24

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Word of the day
for March 24
beyond the pale prepositional phrase
  1. (idiomatic) Of a person or their behaviour: outside the bounds of what is acceptable, or regarded as good judgment, morality, etc.
  2. Used other than as an idiom; generally followed by of: beyond the extent or limits.

Today is the International Day for the Right to the Truth Concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims, or Right to Truth Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to honour the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations, and to promote the right to truth and justice. It also commemorates people who protect human rights, and in particular Óscar Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador who spoke out against human rights violations in El Salvador and was murdered on this day in 1980.

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25

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Word of the day
for March 25
canvass v
  1. (transitive)
    1. (obsolete)
      1. To toss (someone) in a (canvas) sheet for fun or as a punishment; to blanket.
      2. (by extension) To batter, beat, or thrash (someone or something).
      3. (by extension) To assail or attack (someone or something).
      4. (by extension) To severely criticize (a person, a written work, etc.).
    2. (figuratively)
      1. To thoroughly examine or investigate (something) physically or by discussion; to debate, to gather opinion, to scrutinize.
      2. (by extension, politics, obsolete except US) To scrutinize (the ballot in an election or the votes cast) and reject irregular votes; also, to challenge or dispute (an election result).
      3. To seek or solicit donations, information, opinions, support, etc. from (people or a place).
      4. (specifically, politics) To seek the support of (voters or a constituency) in a forthcoming election or poll through personal solicitation or public addresses.
  2. (intransitive)
    1. To debate, to discuss.
    2. To seek or solicit donations, information, opinions, support, etc.; to conduct a survey.
    3. (specifically, politics) To seek the support of voters or a constituency in a forthcoming election or poll; to campaign.

canvass n

  1. (countable) A seeking or solicitation of donations, information, opinions, support, etc.
  2. (countable, specifically, politics) A seeking or solicitation, or determination, of support or favourable votes in a forthcoming election or poll.
  3. (countable, US, politics) A scrutiny of the votes cast in an election to reject irregular votes; also, a tally, audit, and certification of votes.
  4. (obsolete)
    1. (countable) A thorough discussion or investigation. (Possibly; the meaning is unclear.)
    2. (uncountable) Rejection (at an election, of a suit, etc.).
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26

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Word of the day
for March 26
sheltron n (military, historical)
  1. A compact body of troops holding their shields close together to form a roof and a shield wall; a testudo.
  2. (by extension) Any compact body of troops forming a battle array or phalanx, especially such a body of Scottish troops armed with pikes during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries.

The First War of Scottish Independence between the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England began on this day in 1296 and lasted for over 32 years.

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27

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Word of the day
for March 27
whiff v
  1. (transitive)
    1. To carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air; to blow, puff, or waft away.
    2. To say (something) with an exhalation of breath.
    3. To inhale or exhale (smoke from tobacco, etc.) from a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement; to smoke (a cigarette, pipe, etc.); to puff.
    4. To breathe in or sniff (an odour); to smell.
    5. (slang)
      1. (archaic or dated) To shoot (someone) with a firearm; hence, to assassinate or kill (someone).
      2. (US, baseball) Of a pitcher: to strike out (a batter); to fan.
    6. (obsolete) To consume (an alcoholic beverage).
  2. (intransitive)
    1. To move in a way that causes a light gust of air, or a whistling sound.
    2. To be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air; to waft.
    3. To smoke a cigarette, pipe, or other smoking implement.
    4. To smell; to sniff.
    5. (slang)
      1. To give off or have an unpleasant smell; to stink.
      2. (US, chiefly sports) Especially in baseball or golf: to completely miss hitting a ball; hence (baseball), of a batter: to strike out; to fan.
      3. (by extension) To fail spectacularly.
    6. (fishing) To catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat.
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28

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Word of the day
for March 28
gyration n
  1. (also figuratively) The act of turning or whirling, especially around a fixed axis or centre; a circular or spiral motion; rotation.
    1. (specifically, Euclidean geometry) A rotation around an axis which is not the centre of rotational symmetry; an eccentric or off-centre rotation.
  2. (conchology) One of the whorls of a spiral univalve shell.
  3. (neurology) The arrangement of convolutions of gyri in the cerebral cortex of the brain.
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29

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Word of the day
for March 29
arrant adj
  1. (chiefly with a negative connotation, dated) Complete; downright; utter.
  2. (by extension, dated) Very bad; despicable.
  3. Obsolete form of errant (“roving around; wandering”).
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30

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Word of the day
for March 30
an apple a day keeps the doctor away proverb
  1. Apples are healthy and stave off illnesses.
  2. Healthy eating prevents illness.

Today is National Doctors’ Day in the United States, which recognizes the service rendered by physicians.

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31

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Word of the day
for March 31
tryzub n
  1. A trident emblem representing Ukraine.

Ukraine was invaded by Russia five weeks ago on 24 February 2022.

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