Wiktionary:Word of the day/Recycled pages/February

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flare v

(transitive) To cause to burn. (transitive) To cause inflammation; to inflame. (transitive, intransitive) To open outward in shape. (transitive, intransitive, aviation) To (operate an aircraft to) transition from downward flight to level flight just before landing. (intransitive) To blaze brightly. (intransitive) To shine out with a sudden and unsteady light; to emit a dazzling or painfully bright light. (intransitive, figuratively) To shine out with gaudy colours; to be offensively bright or showy. (intransitive, figuratively) To suddenly happen or intensify. (intransitive, figuratively) To suddenly erupt in anger. (intransitive, obsolete) To be exposed to too much light.

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4

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carcinoma n (oncology)

(countable) An invasive malignant tumour derived from epithelial tissue that tends to metastasize to other areas of the body. (obsolete, countable) A form of cancer; (uncountable) cancer in general as a disease. Today is World Cancer Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.

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5

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who would have thunk it phrase

(colloquial, sometimes sarcastic) A rhetorical question used to express incredulity: who would have guessed it?; who would have thought that would happen?

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6

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koha n

(New Zealand) A Māori tradition of reciprocal giving of gifts. (New Zealand, by extension) A voluntary donation given for a service that has been provided. Today is Waitangi Day, the national day of New Zealand.

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7

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Dickensian adj

Of, pertaining to, or created by the English author Charles Dickens. Similar to Dickens' writing style, especially in commenting on society, or in using emotion, humour, or rich descriptions. Reminiscent of the environments and situations most commonly portrayed in Dickens' writings, such as poverty, social injustice, and other aspects of Victorian England. Dickensian n A person who admires or studies the works of Charles Dickens. Charles Dickens was born on this day in 1812.

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8

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pipe n

(music) A wind instrument consisting of a tube, often lined with holes to allow for adjustment in pitch, sounded by blowing into the tube. […] A rigid tube that transports water, steam, or other fluid, as used in plumbing and numerous other applications. […] (Australia, colloquial, now historical) An anonymous satire or essay, insulting and frequently libellous, written on a piece of paper which was rolled up and left somewhere public where it could be found and thus spread, to embarrass the author's enemies.

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9

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gassy adj

Having the nature of, or containing, gas. (specifically) Of a beverage: containing dissolved gas (usually carbon dioxide); fizzy. (specifically) Of a person: tending to burp; burpy. (specifically) Of a person: tending to release flatus; flatulent. Of food or drink: tending to cause flatulence. (figuratively, informal) Tending to be long-winded or wordy, especially in a boastful and vain manner.

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10

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pulse n

(uncountable) Annual leguminous plants (such as beans, lentils, and peas) yielding grains or seeds used as food for humans or animals; (countable) such a plant; a legume. (uncountable) Edible grains or seeds from leguminous plants, especially in a mature, dry condition; (countable) a specific kind of such a grain or seed. [...] (physiology) A normally regular beat felt when arteries near the skin (for example, at the neck or wrist) are depressed, caused by the heart pumping blood through them. The nature or rate of this beat as an indication of a person's health. (figuratively) A beat or throb; also, a repeated sequence of such beats or throbs. (figuratively) The focus of energy or vigour of an activity, place, or thing; also, the feeling of bustle, busyness, or energy in a place; the heartbeat. (chiefly biology, chemistry) An (increased) amount of a substance (such as a drug or an isotopic label) given over a short time. (cooking, chiefly attributively) A setting on a food processor which causes it to work in a series of short bursts rather than continuously, in order to break up ingredients without liquidizing them; also, a use of this setting. (music, prosody) The beat or tactus of a piece of music or verse; also, a repeated sequence of such beats. (physics) A brief burst of electromagnetic energy, such as light, radio waves, etc. Synonym of autosoliton (“a stable solitary localized structure that arises in nonlinear spatially extended dissipative systems due to mechanisms of self-organization”) (also electronics) A brief increase in the strength of an electrical signal; an impulse. pulse v (transitive, also figuratively) To emit or impel (something) in pulses or waves. (transitive, chiefly biology, chemistry) To give to (something, especially a cell culture) an (increased) amount of a substance, such as a drug or an isotopic label, over a short time. (transitive, cooking) To operate a food processor on (some ingredient) in short bursts, to break it up without liquidizing it. (transitive, electronics, physics) To apply an electric current or signal that varies in strength to (something). To manipulate (an electric current, electromagnetic wave, etc.) so that it is emitted in pulses. (intransitive, chiefly figuratively and literary) To expand and contract repeatedly, like an artery when blood is flowing though it, or the heart; to beat, to throb, to vibrate, to pulsate. (intransitive, figuratively) Of an activity, place, or thing: to bustle with energy and liveliness; to pulsate. Today is World Pulses Day, which was established by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations to recognize the importance of pulses as a global food.

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11

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radium n

The chemical element (symbol Ra) with an atomic number of 88. It is a soft, shiny and silvery radioactive alkaline earth metal. (textiles, dated) A type of cloth woven from silk or synthetic yarn, often with a shiny appearance. Today is designated by the United Nations as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science to recognize the critical role that women and girls play in science and technology communities. Radium was discovered by Marie Skłodowska Curie and her husband Pierre in 1898. In 1903 she became the first woman to be awarded a Nobel Prize; she, Pierre Curie, and Henri Becquerel received the Nobel Prize in Physics for their research into radiation.

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12

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Darwinian adj

Senses relating to Charles and Erasmus Darwin. Of or pertaining to the scientific views advanced by the English biologist, geologist, and naturalist Charles Darwin, especially his theory that living organisms evolve through the natural selection of inherited variations that increase organisms' ability to compete, survive, and reproduce. (by extension) Of or pertaining to Darwinism, which includes the theories of Charles Darwin and other scientists. (by extension) Competitive, especially in a ruthless manner. (by extension) Exhibiting an ability to adapt or develop in order to survive; adaptable. (chiefly historical) Of or pertaining to the philosophical and scientific views, or poetic style, of the natural philosopher, physiologist, and poet Erasmus Darwin. Of or pertaining to Darwin, the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Darwinian n Senses relating to Charles and Erasmus Darwin. An adherent of Charles Darwin's theory of the origin of species, or of Darwinism. (obsolete, rare) An adherent of the philosophical and scientific views, or poetic style, of Erasmus Darwin. A native or resident of Darwin in the Northern Territory, Australia. English biologist, geologist, and naturalist Charles Darwin, who is best known for his contributions towards the science of evolution, was born on this day in 1809.

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13

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shock stall n

(aviation) A stall (“sudden loss of efficiency”) caused when the airflow over an aircraft's wings is disturbed by shock waves that occurs at a specific Mach number when the aircraft is accelerating to transonic speeds. Former United States Air Force officer and test pilot Chuck Yeager, who on 14 October 1947 became the first pilot confirmed to have exceeded the speed of sound in level flight, was born on this day in 1923.

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14

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love interest n

Especially of a character in film or literature: one who is of interest as a (potential) partner in love. A romantic relationship; a romance. (film, literature, specifically) A romantic plot or subplot in a film or book. Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at the Wiktionary!

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15

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meet cute v

(intransitive, informal) Of characters in a story or people in real life: to meet each other in an adorable, amusing, or cute way.

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hobbyist n

A person who is interested in an activity or a subject as a hobby. Edward Stanley Gibbons, the British stamp dealer who founded the Stanley Gibbons company, died on this day in 1913.

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18

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husbandry n

The occupation or work of a husbandman or farmer; the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock; agriculture. The prudent management or conservation of resources. (now chiefly nautical) Administration or management of day-to-day matters. (obsolete) Agricultural or cultivated land. Today, the third Monday of February in 2019, is celebrated as Family Day in some parts of Canada.

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19

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rainmaker n

Someone or something that causes or attempts to cause rain to fall. An African or Native American medicine man who seeks to induce rain through performing rituals. A person who seeks to induce rainfall through scientific methods, such as cloud seeding. (originally Canada, US, figuratively, informal) A person having the ability to generate business, raise funds, or otherwise engineer success for a company, organization, etc. (baseball, informal) A batted ball that is hit very high into the air.

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20

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womannap v

(transitive, informal) To abduct or kidnap a woman. Patty Hearst, a granddaughter of the American publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst, was born on this day in 1954. In 1974 she was abducted by a left-wing terrorist group, the Symbionese Liberation Army, but later convicted of serious crimes committed with members of the group. She denied willingly participating in those activities, and was subsequently granted a presidential pardon.

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21

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matrilingual adj

(rare) Pertaining to one's mother tongue. Today is International Mother Language Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

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22

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vamp v

(transitive) To patch, repair, or refurbish. (transitive) Often as vamp up: to fabricate or put together (something) from existing material, or by adding new material to something existing. (transitive) To cobble together, to extemporize, to improvise. (transitive, intransitive, music, specifically) To perform a vamp (“a repeated, often improvised accompaniment, for example, under dialogue or while waiting for a soloist to be ready”). (transitive, shoemaking) To attach a vamp (to footwear). (transitive, intransitive, now dialectal) To travel by foot; to walk. (intransitive) To delay or stall for time, as for an audience. […] (transitive) To seduce or exploit someone.

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23

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navel-gazing n

Contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation. (derogatory) Excessive focus on oneself; self-indulgent introspection. (sometimes derogatory) (Disproportionate) concentration on a single issue.

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24

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histrionic adj

Of or relating to actors or acting. (by extension) Excessively dramatic or emotional, especially with the intention to draw attention. The 91st Academy Awards ceremony, which honours the best films of 2018, takes place on this day in 2019.

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25

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stance n

The manner, pose, or posture in which one stands. One's opinion or point of view. A place to stand; a position, a site, a station. (specifically, climbing) A foothold or ledge on which to set up a belay. (Scotland) A place for buses or taxis to await passengers; a bus stop, a taxi rank. (Scotland) A place where a fair or market is held; a location where a street trader can carry on business. (obsolete, rare) A stanza.

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26

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haul v

(transitive) To transport by drawing or pulling, as with horses or oxen, or a motor vehicle. (transitive) To draw or pull something heavy. (transitive) To carry or transport something, with a connotation that the item is heavy or otherwise difficult to move. (transitive, figuratively) To drag, to pull, to tug. (transitive, figuratively) Followed by up: to summon to be disciplined or held answerable for something. (intransitive) To pull apart, as oxen sometimes do when yoked. (transitive, intransitive, nautical) To steer (a vessel) closer to the wind. (intransitive, nautical) Of the wind: to shift fore (more towards the bow).

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27

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pronoia n

(philosophy, theology) Divine providence, foreknowledge, foresight. (historical, Byzantine Empire) An imperial grant to an individual of temporary fiscal rights in the form of land, incomes or taxes from land, fishing rights, etc., sometimes carrying with it an obligation of military service. […] (psychology) A belief (sometimes regarded as irrational) that people conspire to do one good.

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28

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carbonado n

(dated) Meat or fish that has been scored and broiled. […] A dark, non-transparent, impure form of polycrystalline diamond (also containing graphite and amorphous carbon) used in drilling. Today is Día de Andalucía, which commemorates the day in 1980 when a referendum led to Andalusia becoming an autonomous community of Spain.

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29

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leap day n

The extra day in a leap year, currently February 29th in countries that use the Gregorian calendar and February 24th in the few communities using the Julian calendar.

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