Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2024/March

2024
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1

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barrel of monkeys n

(idiomatic, informal) Someone or something very amusing or funny, fun, mischievous, etc. World Wildlife Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora, is on 3 March. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted on that day in 1973.

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2

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up to eleven prepositional phrase

(idiomatic, informal, chiefly humorous) Up to or beyond the maximum possible threshold; to an extremely high or strong degree. up to eleven v (transitive, slang) To increase (something) to an extremely high or strong degree; to make (something) go over the top. The mockumentary This is Spinal Tap, from which the term is derived, premiered on this day 40 years ago in 1984.

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3

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black swan n

Cygnus atratus, a swan with black plumage and a red bill which is endemic to Australia. (figurative) Something believed impossible or not to exist, especially if an example is subsequently found; also, something extremely rare; a rara avis. (specifically, also attributive) A rare and hard-to-predict event with major consequences. 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. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted on this day in 1973.

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4

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snake in the grass n

(derogatory, informal) A hidden enemy. Yesterday was World Wildlife Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted on that day in 1973.

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5

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veepstakes n

(US politics, slang, humorous) The process by which candidates for the Presidency of the United States choose a running mate to become the Vice President if elected. Today is Super Tuesday for the 2024 United States presidential election, the day on which a large number of states hold their primary elections to nominate presidential candidates.

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6

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culture vulture n (informal)

(humorous) A person with a rapacious, sometimes inauthentic, interest in the arts. [...] World Wildlife Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to celebrate and raise awareness of the world’s wild fauna and flora, was on 3 March. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) was adopted on that day in 1973.

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7

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green fingers plural n

(idiomatic, informal) A seemingly natural gardening ability. The Royal Horticultural Society of the United Kingdom was founded on this day 220 years ago in 1804.

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8

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phugoid adj

(aeronautics, aviation) Of the motion of an aircraft, missile, or other flying object: continuously oscillating in a vertical plane due to the object pitching up and climbing, thus slowing down; then pitching down and descending, thus speeding up. phugoid n (aeronautics, aviation) The motion of an aircraft, missile, or other flying object continuously oscillating in a vertical plane due to the object pitching up and climbing, thus slowing down; then pitching down and descending, thus speeding up. Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared from radar over the South China Sea on this day ten years ago in 2014.

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9

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ma'am n

Chiefly used as a form of address: contraction of madam. (archaic) A woman addressed as "ma'am". A married woman other than one's wife. (US, education) A female schoolteacher; a schoolmarm. ma'am v (transitive, informal) To address (a woman) as "ma'am". Yesterday was 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. March 8 was declared a holiday in Russia in 1917 after a huge demonstration on that date led by the Russian feminist and politician Alexandra Kollontai culminated in the Russian Revolution and to women gaining the right to vote.

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10

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spring forward, fall back phrase

(US, mnemonic) Used to recall how clocks, watches, and other chronometers are adjusted for daylight saving time: local time goes forward in the spring (usually by one hour), and back in fall (autumn). Daylight Saving Time begins on this day, the second Sunday of March, in most parts of the United States.

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11

12

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fluster v

(transitive) To throw (someone) into a state of confusion or panic; to befuddle, to confuse. (dated) To make (someone) feel flushed and hot through drinking alcoholic beverages; also, to make (someone) slightly drunk or tipsy. (intransitive) To be agitated and confused; to bustle. (British, dialectal) To catch attention; to be showy or splendid. (obsolete) To boast or brag noisily; to bluster, to swagger. (obsolete) Of a seed: to produce a shoot quickly. fluster n A state of agitation or confusion; a flutter. (obsolete) A state of slight drunkenness or tipsiness; also, the excitement caused by this state. (uncertain) Showiness, splendour.

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13

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peccant adj (archaic)

Of a person, etc.: that commits or has committed an offence or a sin; blameworthy, culpable, offending, sinful, sinning. Of an action or thing: causing offence or sin; offensive, sinful. (pathology, historical, also figurative) Especially of humours of the body: diseased, unhealthy; also, causing disease. (obsolete) Offending a norm, a rule, etc.; defective, faulty, wrong. peccant n (obsolete) An offender; also, a sinner.

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14

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E=mc² n

(idiomatic, informal) A formulation or realization that captures a profound thought in simple terms. The German-born theoretical physicist Albert Einstein, known for developing the theory of relativity, was born on this day 145 years ago in 1879.

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15

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galamander n

(Maine, mining, historical) A customized horse- or ox-drawn stoneboat or wagon once used for hauling stone from quarries, with smaller front wheels and larger rear ones, and a derrick to lift blocks of stone on and off the vehicle. Today is Maine Statehood Day, which commemorates the day in 1820 when Maine was admitted as the 23rd state of the United States.

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16

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comely adj (chiefly literary or poetic)

(dated or archaic) Of a person: attractive or pleasing to look at; beautiful, handsome; also, attractive but not particularly beautiful or handsome. Of a person, an action, behaviour, etc.: meeting accepted moral or social norms; appropriate, becoming, proper. Of a thing: beautiful, elegant, well-composed; also, delicate, fine. (obsolete) Pleasing to the feelings or senses; agreeable, nice, pleasant. [...]

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17

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wet the shamrock v

(idiomatic, intransitive, Ireland, informal) To go for an alcoholic drink, especially as part of a victory celebration or on Saint Patrick's Day. Today is Saint Patrick’s Day, the feast day of the patron saint of Ireland.

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18

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brickbat n

A piece of brick, rock, etc., especially when used as a weapon (for example, thrown or placed in a sock or other receptacle and used as a club). (figurative) A piece of (sharp) criticism or a (highly) uncomplimentary remark. brickbat v (transitive, dated except South Asia) To attack (someone or something) by swinging or throwing brickbats (noun sense 1). (figurative) To assail (someone or something) with (sharp) criticism.

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19

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elucidate v (transitive)

(obsolete) To make (something) lucid (“bright, luminous; also, clear, transparent”). (figurative) To make (something) clear and understandable; to clarify, to illuminate, to shed light on. elucidate adj (obsolete) Clear, understandable.

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20

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anodontia n

(dentistry, teratology) The congenital absence of some or all primary or permanent teeth, caused by a rare genetic disorder. Today is World Oral Health Day, an annual event organized by the FDI World Dental Federation to raise awareness about oral health. The date (3/20) was chosen to reflect that, among other things, healthy adults should have 32 teeth and 0 dental cavities.

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21

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drift of the forest n

(British, law, historical) The act of driving or herding cattle in a forest to a particular place in order to determine who they belong to and whether the owners have a right to common or pasture them in the forest, and whether any fines should be paid by those without such a right. Today is commemorated by the United Nations as the International Day of Forests to raise awareness of the importance of forests, and trees outside forests, for the benefit of current and future generations.

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22

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mizzly adj

(British, chiefly dialectal) Raining in the form of mizzle (“misty rain; drizzle”); drizzly. Today is designated by the United Nations as World Water Day, which focuses on the importance of fresh water and the sustainable management of freshwater resources. It is also the eve of 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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23

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plum rains plural n

Also occasionally in the singular form plum rain: the East Asian rainy season from early summer to midsummer in the fourth and fifth lunar months (early June to early or mid-July); also, the rain which falls during this season. 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. The World Meteorological Organization was established on this day in 1950.

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24

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turn a blind eye v

(intransitive, idiomatic) To deliberately or knowingly ignore, overlook, or refuse to acknowledge something, especially when improper or unpleasant; to look the other way. Don’t turn a blind eye—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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pleroma n

(botany) A plant of the genus Pleroma. (archaic or obsolete, rare) Synonym of plerome (“the central portion of the apical meristem in a growing plant root or stem which, according to the histogen theory, gives rise to the endodermis and stele”) (Christianity) A state of perfect fullness, especially of God's being as incarnated in Jesus Christ. pleroma proper n (Gnosticism, historical) Often preceded by the: the spiritual universe seen as the totality of the essence and powers of God. As today is Εορτασμός της Ελληνικής Επανάστασης του 1821, the Celebration of the Greek Revolution of 1821, which marks the start of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire on this day in 1821 and is Greece’s Independence Day, we are featuring a word derived from Ancient Greek.

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26

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attitudinize v (American spelling, Oxford British English)

(transitive) To cause (someone or something) to assume an attitude or pose; to pose, to posture. To give the appearance of, or make a show of, (something) by assuming an affected or exaggerated attitude. (intransitive) To assume an attitude or pose, especially one which is affected, exaggerated, or unnatural; to posture, to posturize; also, to excessively practise adopting attitudes or poses. (figurative) To create art, speak, or write in a manner which assumes affected, exaggerated, or unnatural attitudes.

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27

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floater n

A person who floats. A person who physically floats in a gas or liquid. (law enforcement, slang) A corpse floating in a body of water. (figurative) A person without a fixed or lasting affiliation, position, or role. A person who frequently changes where they live; a drifter, a vagrant. A person who frequently changes employment. An employee of an organization who does not have fixed tasks to do but fills in wherever needed, usually when someone else is away; also, a short-term employee; a temporary, a temp. An "extra" (male) guest at a party who is asked by the host to entertain the other (often female) guests. (slang) A person who attaches themselves to a group of people, and who repeatedly shows up at group activities even though this is undesired by the group; a hanger-on. (politics) A voter who shifts their allegiance from one political party to another, especially (US) one whose vote can be illegally purchased. (US) A person who votes illegally in various electoral districts or polling places, either under a false voter registration or under the name of a properly registered voter who has not yet voted. (US) A person, such as a delegate to a convention or a member of a legislature, who represents an irregular constituency, such as one formed by a union of the voters of two counties neither of which has a number sufficient to be allowed one (or an extra) representative of its own. (sports) A player not affiliated with a team. [...]

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28

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lumpish adj

Having an ill-defined or rough form or shape like a lump; lumplike. (figurative) Awkward and ungainly in appearance or movement; clumsy, inelegant. Dull and slow in acting, thinking, etc.; without energy; cloddish, lethargic, slow-witted, sluggish. Of sound: dull, heavy. (obsolete) Full of lumps; lumpy. Of a thing: having a shape and/or weight which makes it inconvenient to move; cumbersome, unwieldy. (figurative) Miserable, sad.

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29

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misfield v (baseball, cricket, rugby)

(transitive) To field (“catch or intercept and play”) (a ball) clumsily or ineptly; in cricket this can result in the batsman scoring another run. (intransitive) To field a ball clumsily or ineptly. misfield n (baseball, cricket, rugby) A failure to field (“catch or intercept and play”) a ball properly. The American songwriter Albert Von Tilzer, who composed the music to the song “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” (1908)—the unofficial anthem of North American baseball—was born on this day in 1878. (The lyricist of the song, Jack Norworth, died 65 years ago on September 1, 1959.)

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30

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cyberchondriac n

(Internet, psychology) A hypochondriac (“person with an excessive preoccupation or worry about having a serious illness”) who researches their potential medical condition(s) on the Internet. 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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transgender adj

(loosely) Of a person: having a gender (identity) which is different from one's assigned sex; that is, the identity of a trans man, trans woman, or someone non-binary, for example, agender, bigender, or third-gender. (strictly) Of a person: having a gender (identity) which is opposite from the sex one was assigned at birth: being assigned male but having a female gender, or vice versa (that is, not including a non-binary identity). (loosely) Of a person: transgressing or not identifying with culturally conventional gender roles and categories of male or female. Of or pertaining to transgender people (sense 1), or their experiences or identity. Of a space: intended primarily for transgender people. Of a space: available for use by transgender people, rather than only non-transgender people. Synonym of crossgender (“across multiple genders”) [...] Today is the International Transgender Day of Visibility, which was created by the American transgender activist Rachel Crandall 15 years ago in 2009 and aims to celebrate transgender people and their contributions to society, and to raise awareness of discrimination faced by them worldwide.

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