cstr/en-wiktionary-extracted-all huggingface dataset:
feel one's oats
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: feels one's oats
form: feeling one's oats
form: felt one's oats
form: felt one's oats
Etymology: Originally American English, an allusion to the behavior of a horse that has been well fed on oats.
Senses: examples: text: In fact, precisely as a rash, restive horse is said to feel his oats, so Turkey felt his coat.
ref: 1853 November–December, Herman Melville, “Bartleby”, in Billy Budd and Other Stories, London: John Lehmann, published 1951, →OCLC:
text: Next to the officer is a shabby-looking boy, whose seat is by the right jamb of the jail door. Of all boys just old enough to feel their oats, this boy is the most commonplace.
ref: 1865, George Alfred Townsend, The Life, Crime, and Capture of John Wilkes Booth:
text: The old man feeling his oats, as he leaned with his back against the bar, said to us with a noticeable degree of pride, "Lads, I'm proud of every one of you. Men who will fight to protect my interests has my purse at their command."
ref: 1906, Andy Adams [pseudonym], “The Double Trail”, in Cattle Brands:
text: Sometimes—and who could blame the surveyor?—when the pony was “feeling his oats,” he might step a little higher and farther, and in that case the beneficiary of the scrip might get a thousand or two more acres in his survey than the scrip called for.
ref: 1910, O. Henry [pseudonym; William Sydney Porter], “Georgia's Ruling”, in Whirligigs:
text: "Them hosses are feeling their oats," said McGuire. "Can't tell what they'd be up to the minute I turned my back on 'em. Might jump that old fence and be off, for all I know."
ref: 1922, Max Brand [pseudonym; Frederick Schiller Faust], Alcatraz:
text: “You’re feeling your oats,” said Gin. “It makes you expect too much of the world, feeling your oats. You can’t help thinking there must be something to do about it. There isn’t; because whatever you do about it, it’s not settled.”
ref: 1931, Emily Hahn, Beginners Luck:
text: The Nationals gave the Coalition its Senate majority and yesterday were feeling their oats.
ref: 2004 October 29, Michelle Grattan, “Change ahead in Senate's new dawn”, in The Age, Australia, retrieved 05 Nov 2008:
text: "It's a tough road because kids at that time are developmentally feeling their oats," Beverage said.
ref: 2006 November 16, Candace Rondeaux, “Forming Families, One Adoption at a Time”, in Washington Post, retrieved 05 Nov 2008:
glosses: To feel energetic or frisky; to behave in a vigorous or bold manner; to feel empowered and important.
Related terms: oatsy
sow one's wild oats
Vogel
Language: English
Part of speech: name
Forms: form: Vogels
Etymology: (crater): Named after German astrophysicist Hermann Carl Vogel (1841–1907).
Senses: examples: text: "It's almost too realistic, too digital and computery," complains Alexis Vogel, a veteran celebrity makeup artist who recently worked on "Stacked," a high-def show starring Pamela Anderson. […] High-def is, in essence, a medium peculiarly unsuited to dissembling. "It's harder to change people from their natural form," Vogel adds.
ref: 2005 June 12, Clive Thompson, “Not Ready for Their Close-Up”, in The New York Times Magazine, archived from the original on 09 Feb 2021:
glosses: A surname.
glosses: A lunar crater.
about-turn
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /əˈbaʊt tɚn/
Forms: form: about-turns
form: about turn
Etymology: From the imperative phrase used in the military.
Senses: topics: government
military
politics
war
glosses: A turn of 180 degrees, typically in a military formation .
examples: text: A sell-out crowd of 10,000 then observed perfectly a period of silence before the team revealed their black armbands, complete with stitched-in poppies, for the match. After Fifa’s about-turn, it must have been a frantic few days for the England kit manufacturer. The on-field challenge was altogether more straightforward.
ref: 2011 November 10, Jeremy Wilson, “England Under 21 5 Iceland Under 21 0: match report”, in Telegraph:
text: When Francis visited Chile in 2018, he dismissed the protesters and accused them of “calumny” in the full gaze of the world’s press. It caused the head of the Vatican’s own sex abuse commission to rebuke his boss publicly. Back in Rome, Francis responded by dispatching an envoy to look into the case. When his report came back siding with the protesters, Francis did a swift about-turn and described what he said on his visit to Chile as “the lowest moment” of his papacy.
ref: 2025 April 21, Peter Stanford, “Pope Francis obituary”, in The Guardian:
glosses: Total reversal of opinion or attitude .
about-turn
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /əˈbaʊt tɚn/
Forms: form: about-turns
form: about-turning
form: about-turned
form: about-turned
form: about turn
Etymology: From the imperative phrase used in the military.
Senses: glosses: To turn 180 degrees, typically in a military formation.
Synonyms: about-face
Related terms: turnabout
turn-about
180
Schlangen
Language: English
Part of speech: name
Forms: form: Schlangens
Etymology: Borrowed from German Schlangen.
Senses: glosses: A surname from German.
contraband
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈkɒn.tɹəˌbænd/
ipa: /ˈkɑn.tɹəˌbænd/
Forms: form: contrabands
Etymology: From Spanish contrabanda (modern spelling contrabando), from Italian contrabando (modern spelling contrabbando), from contra (“against”) + bando (“ban”), and reinforced by French contrebande.
Senses: glosses: Any goods which are illicit or illegal to possess.
glosses: Goods which are prohibited from being traded, smuggled goods.
examples: text: While some Yanks treated contrabands with a degree of equity or benevolence, the more typical response was indifference, contempt, or cruelty.
ref: 1988, James McPherson, Battle Cry of Freedom, Oxford, published 2003, page 497:
glosses: A black slave during the American Civil War who had escaped to, or been captured by, Union forces.
Derived terms: contrabander
contrabandism
contrabandist
contraband of war
noncontraband
contraband
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈkɒn.tɹəˌbænd/
ipa: /ˈkɑn.tɹəˌbænd/
Forms: form: more contraband
form: most contraband
Etymology: From Spanish contrabanda (modern spelling contrabando), from Italian contrabando (modern spelling contrabbando), from contra (“against”) + bando (“ban”), and reinforced by French contrebande.
Senses: examples: text: … when the seizure is made in connection with a violation involving a contraband article covered by section 1 (b) (1) of the said Act; …
ref: 1940, The Code of Federal Regulations of the United States of America: Having ... – Division of the Federal Register, the National Archives – Page 2191
text: The exclusion of mandatory payment of moieties for seizures of contraband controlled substances is accomplished through Section 17 of the bill, …
ref: 1953, United States, United States. President, United States. Congress – United States Code Congressional and Administrative News – Page 2039
text: 4. Contraband goods may be seized if found in a river before they are landed or offered for sale.
ref: 1899, Albert William Chaster, The Powers, Duties and Liabilities of Executive Officers as Between These ... – Stevens and Haynes – Page 55
glosses: Prohibited from being traded.
contraband
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈkɒn.tɹəˌbænd/
ipa: /ˈkɑn.tɹəˌbænd/
Forms: form: contrabands
form: contrabanding
form: contrabanded
form: contrabanded
Etymology: From Spanish contrabanda (modern spelling contrabando), from Italian contrabando (modern spelling contrabbando), from contra (“against”) + bando (“ban”), and reinforced by French contrebande.
Senses: examples: text: there are also searched for concealed Slaves, and goods contrabanded
ref: 1615, George Sandys, “The Second Booke”, in The Relation of a Iourney Begun An: Dom: 1610. […], London: […] [Richard Field] for W. Barrett, →OCLC, page 87:
glosses: To import illegally; to smuggle.
examples: text: The law severely contrabands / Our taking business off men's hands.
ref: 1662 (indicated as 1663), [Samuel Butler], “[The First Part of Hudibras]”, in Hudibras. The First and Second Parts. […], London: […] John Martyn and Henry Herringman, […], published 1678; republished in A[lfred] R[ayney] Waller, editor, Hudibras: Written in the Time of the Late Wars, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: University Press, 1905, →OCLC:
glosses: To declare prohibited; to forbid.
prohibit
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /pɹəˈhɪbɪt/
ipa: /pɹəʊˈhɪbɪt/
ipa: /pɹoʊˈhɪbɪt/
ipa: /pɹəˈhɪbət/
rhymes: -ɪbɪt
Forms: form: prohibits
form: prohibiting
form: prohibited
form: prohibited
Etymology: From Middle English prohibiten, from Latin prohibeō (“I fend off, prevent, prohibit”) (through past participle prohibitus).
Senses: examples: text: The restaurant prohibits smoking on the patio.
text: I was prohibited to come.
text: Crossing the border without permission is prohibited.
text: In his submission to the UN, [Christof] Heyns points to the experience of drones. Unmanned aerial vehicles were intended initially only for surveillance, and their use for offensive purposes was prohibited, yet once strategists realised their perceived advantages as a means of carrying out targeted killings, all objections were swept out of the way.
ref: 2013 June 7, Ed Pilkington, “‘Killer robots’ should be banned in advance, UN told”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 26, page 6:
text: Like the previous rules, the new guidance doesn’t prohibit membership in an extremist organization, but officials said it makes it very difficult to participate. […] For years, the Defense Department relied on a nebulous definition of extremist activity that listed it among a wide array of prohibited behavior. […] “It’s threading a very fine needle when we’re engaging in prohibiting conduct that may be protected by the First Amendment,” said one official. “There’s always going to be this balancing that goes on.”
ref: 2021 December 20, Oren Liebermann and Barbara Starr, “Pentagon defines prohibited behavior in effort to tackle extremism”, in CNN:
text: The Foreign Assistance Act bars assistance to any country that “prohibits or otherwise restricts, directly or indirectly, the transport or delivery of United States humanitarian assistance.”
ref: 2024 April 11, Jennifer Hansler, “USAID administrator says it is ‘credible’ to assess famine is already occurring in parts of Gaza”, in CNN:
synonyms: ban
disallow
forbid
proscribe
antonyms: allow
authorize
permit
glosses: To forbid, disallow, or proscribe officially; to make illegal or illicit.
Synonyms: word: prohibit
word: ban
word: banish
word: bar
word: criminalize
word: debar
word: disallow
word: enjoin
word: estop
word: forbid
word: foresnaffle
word: interdict
word: outlaw
word: proscribe
word: taboo
word: veto
word: forfend
Hyponyms: word: shut out
Related terms: prohibition
prohibitive
interdict
debar
prevent
hinder
prohibition
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌpɹəʊ(h)ɪˈbɪʃən/
ipa: /ˌpɹoʊ(h)ɪˈbɪʃən/
rhymes: -ɪʃən
Forms: form: prohibitions
Etymology: From Anglo-Norman and Old French prohibicion, from Latin prohibitiō. By surface analysis, prohibit + -ion.
Senses: examples: text: By its terms, the Twenty-Second Amendment bars only the election of two-term Presidents, and this prohibition would not prevent someone who had twice been elected President from succeeding to the office after having been elected or appointed Vice President. Broader language providing that no such person "shall be chosen or serve as President . . . or be eligible to hold the office" was rejected in favor of the Twenty-Second Amendment’s ban merely on election. (Amdt22.1 Overview of Twenty-Second Amendment, Presidential Term Limits, The Constitution of the United States of America: Analysis and Interpretation)
text: But the prohibition on active advocacy and participation left a wide margin of allowable activity and was open to interpretation.
ref: 2021 December 20, Oren Liebermann and Barbara Starr, “Pentagon defines prohibited behavior in effort to tackle extremism”, in CNN:
text: Appeals courts, including the 5th Circuit, have in the past upheld the federal ban in question. But more recently, some courts have shown hostility towards gun prohibitions aimed at 18- to 20-year-olds.
ref: 2025 January 30, Tierney Sneed, “Federal law banning handgun sales 18- to 20-year-olds is unconstitutional, appeals court rules”, in CNN:
glosses: An act of prohibiting, forbidding, disallowing, or proscribing something.
examples: text: First, some persons might consider my advocacy of prohibition rather odd for a congressman coming from the state which produces the finest bourbon whiskey in the world. While this is true, it is also true that prior to the Eighteenth Amendment a large majority of the counties of Kentucky had voted against the sale of liquor under what was known as the county unit plan. Since repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment a substantial majority of Kentucky counties have voted under local option to outlaw liquor. My stand on the question, first in voting for the submission of the Eighteenth Amendment, and later for an amendment to appeal it, was a matter of principle and not of expediency.
ref: 1954, Alben W. Barkley, That Reminds Me, Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, page 42:
glosses: A law prohibiting the manufacture or sale of alcohol.
glosses: A period of time when specific socially disapproved consumables are considered controlled substances.
Synonyms: forbode
Derived terms: writ of prohibition
Related terms: prohibit
prohibitionary
blow-by
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: blow-bys
Senses: topics: automotive
transport
vehicles
glosses: In an internal combustion engine, any burnt or unburnt matter escaping from the cylinder, past the (worn) rings on the piston, and into the crankcase.
Related terms: blow-by-blow
by-blow
flight path
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: flight paths
form: flightpath
Senses: glosses: A trajectory, the traveled path of a projectile, rocket or aircraft through the air.
examples: text: Twitter has suspended an account that monitors the flight paths of a private jet owned by the social media giant’s new boss, Elon Musk.
ref: 2022 December 14, Maya Yang, “Twitter suspends account that monitors flight paths of Elon Musk’s private jet”, in The Guardian:
glosses: An airway, the predefined route of travel for an aircraft or spacecraft.
Related terms: air lane
skyway
airway
by-blow
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈbʌɪbləʊ/
Forms: form: by-blows
form: byblow
form: bye-blow
Etymology: From by- + blow.
Senses: examples: text: Either commander took speedy advantage of it—Hopton to make a swift diversion into Sussex and capture Arundel Castle (which was but a by-blow, for in a few weeks he had lost it again).
ref: 1910, Arthur Quiller-Couch, “The Copernican Convoy,”, in Corporal Sam and Other Stories:
text: As a by-blow in the course of his relentless campaigns against Louis, Willem gained the three thrones of Britain in 1699 – but what a by-blow this proved!
ref: 2009, Diarmaid MacCulloch, A History of Christianity, Penguin, published 2010, page 732:
glosses: A blow struck to the side or from the side, as in swordplay; a secondary or incidental strike of any sort.
examples: text: ‘Nay,’ said the landlady, ‘if I thought he was a gentleman's son, thof he was a bye-blow, I should behave to him in another guess manner; for many of these bye-blows come to be great men, and, as my poor first husband used to say, never affront any customer that's a gentleman.’
ref: 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society, published 1973, page 275:
text: c. 1892, Herman Melville, "Billy Budd, Foretopman" (novella), in Herman Melville: Selected Tales and Poems, Holt, Rinehart & Winston (1950), p. 298,
Yes, Billy was a foundling, a presumable bye-blow, and, evidently, no ignoble one.
text: The best hope has been that friends and family would talk, a hope partly realized in this discreet but perceptive memoir by his illegitimate daughter. . . . Little Mary was a by-blow and an inconvenience.
ref: 1971 August 2, Brad Darrach, “Knee-High to Ezra Pound”, in Time:
glosses: An illegitimate child; a child of an unknown or unmarried father.
Synonyms: sense: illegitimate child
word: bastard
word: bastard
blow-by-blow
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Etymology: Probably suggesting a detailed description of a fight or boxing match, where blow means a hit or a landed punch.
Senses: examples: text: He gave a blow-by-blow account of the entire trip.
text: In a lapidary style, Qiu Dongping clearly and forcefully describes battlefield actions with simple sentences, giving a blow-by-blow account of successive events with neither understatement nor exaggeration.
ref: 2000, Yunzhong Shu, chapter 2, in Buglers on the Home Front: The Wartime Practice of the Qiyue School, State University of New York Press, →ISBN, page 58:
glosses: Detailing every action or occurrence completely.
blow-by-blow
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: blow-by-blows
Etymology: Probably suggesting a detailed description of a fight or boxing match, where blow means a hit or a landed punch.
Senses: examples: text: The media published a blow-by-blow of the trial as it happened.
glosses: An account, description, or commentary including every detail of the action or event.
highchair
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: highchairs
form: high chair
Etymology: From high + chair.
Senses: glosses: An elevated chair, often including a built-in tray, used for feeding babies and toddlers.
Synonyms: baby seat
Coordinate terms: booster seat
interloper
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌɪntəˈləʊ̯pə/
ipa: /ˌɪntɚˈloʊ̯pɚ/
ipa: /ˌɪntəˈlæɔ̯pə/
Forms: form: interlopers
Etymology: 1590s, from inter- + loper (“runner, rover”), as in landloper (“vagrant”) (from lope (“to leap, to jump”) (originally dialectal)). Originally spelt enterloper and used in specific sense “unauthorized trader trespassing on privileges of chartered companies”, later general sense of “self-interested intruder” from 1630s.
Senses: examples: text: They disliked the interloper, and forced him to leave.
text: In a button-up plaid shirt with an unwieldly suitcase, he is an interloper from another world – one whose first social faux pas is to make his way slowly through the various gates and arrive at the imposing front door on foot, rather than wait to be picked up from the train station by a servant.
ref: 2023 November 13, Rosalind Jana, “Saltburn and the bizarre life of Britain's stately homes”, in BBC:
glosses: One who interferes, intrudes or gets involved where not welcome, particularly a self-interested intruder.
glosses: An unlicensed or illegitimate trader.
Related terms: interlope
lope
backseat driver
busybody
buttinsky
encroacher
gatecrasher
kibitzer
marplot
meddler
nosy parker
peeping tom
persona non grata
run afoul of
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: runs afoul of
form: running afoul of
form: ran afoul of
form: run afoul of
Senses: topics: nautical
transport
glosses: To become entangled in; to run aground on.
examples: text: When quoting others, take care not to run afoul of copyright rules.
text: Facebook ran afoul of Apple because it used this system to distribute its data-collection app to consumers outside the company, which isn’t allowed.
ref: 2019 January 31, Ian Bogost, “Apple’s Empty Grandstanding About Privacy”, in The Atlantic, archived from the original on 02 Feb 2019:
text: Such posts, and more extreme examples of hate speech that spiked on the platform since his takeover, could run afoul of the EU's framework for combating racism and xenophobia, landing Twitter — and Musk himself — in hot water with the European Commission.
ref: 2023 May 27, Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert, “Elon Musk pulled Twitter from the EU's anti-disinformation agreement and continues to troll with alt-right memes and dogwhistles. It could be a sign he'll close the site to Europe completely”, in Business Insider:
glosses: To contravene.
irksome
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: note: rhotic
enpr: ûrk'səm
ipa: /ˈɜɹksəm/
note: rhotic
note: non-rhotic
ipa: /ˈɜːksəm/
rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)ksəm
Forms: form: more irksome
form: most irksome
Etymology: From Middle English irkesome, irksum, equivalent to irk + -some, or perhaps continuing (in altered form) from Old English weorcsum (“painful, hurtful”).
Senses: examples: text: He has this irksome habit of racing up to red lights, so he has to brake heavily.
text: The young Spaniard had been in many situations of greater difficulty, but in none more irksome.
ref: 1831, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XII, in Romance and Reality. […], volume III, London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley, […], →OCLC, page 235:
text: But winter can also be judged by the prominence of another scourge, one that is especially irksome in a city that places a premium on being well-groomed and immaculately coiffed: hat hair.
ref: 2003 February 17, Elissa Gootman, “A Chill Most Bitter: Learning to Accept Hat Hair”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 27 May 2015:
text: Like the irksome climate-change satire Don’t Look Up, directed by Succession executive producer Adam McKay, the exaggerated hijinks of Mountainhead reveal a deep self-assurance of its politics that border on smug.
ref: 2025 June 2, Adrian Horton, “Tech-bro satire Mountainhead is an insufferable disappointment”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
synonyms: word: bothersome
word: annoying
word: irritating
word: wearisome
word: tedious
word: drudgerous
word: irksome
word: longsome
word: monotonous
word: tedious
word: torporific
word: wearing
word: tiresome
word: wearisome
antonyms: pleasant
agreeable
enjoyable
glosses: Marked by irritation or annoyance; disagreeable; troublesome by reason of long continuance or repetition
Derived terms: irksomely
irksomeness
unirksome
Related terms: irk
find a friendly bush
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: finds a friendly bush
form: finding a friendly bush
form: found a friendly bush
form: found a friendly bush
Senses: examples: text: You find a friendly bush and take a crap.
ref: 1984, George La Fountaine, Flashpoint, page 138:
text: About two hours into the ride, James stopped and found a friendly bush.
ref: 2008, Charlotte Lewis, Anna: Coming of age in the Oregon Territory, page 113:
text: No toilet facilities, so the women had to find a friendly bush.
ref: 2012, Michael SN Godfrey, No Cure for the Travel Bug, page 155:
glosses: To urinate or defecate or to seek relative privacy for that purpose; to relieve oneself, particularly outdoors.
Related terms: answer the call of nature
okonomiyaki
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: /ˌɒkənəmɪˈjɑːki/
Forms: form: okonomiyaki
Etymology: Borrowed from Japanese お好み焼き (okonomiyaki, literally “grilling to your liking”).
Senses: examples: text: A primary ingredient in okonomiyaki, a guest-participation dish from Japan, is chopped cabbage.
ref: 1966 February 17, Craig Claiborne, “A Japanese Version of Swiss Fondue Is Okonomiyaki, or What-You-Will”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:
glosses: A Japanese style of savoury pan-fried thick pancake including a mixture of vegetables and beef, pork, or seafood.
Synonyms: word: Japanese pizza
rattle
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈɹæ.təl/
ipa: [ˈɹæ.tɫ̩]
rhymes: -ætəl
Forms: form: rattles
Etymology: From Arabic رَطْل (raṭl), variant of classical رِطْل (riṭl), ultimately from Ancient Greek λίτρα (lítra). Doublet of liter.
Senses: topics: units-of-measure
glosses: Alternative form of rottol: a former Middle Eastern and North African unit of dry weight usually equal to 1–5 lb (0.5–2.5 kg).
rattle someone's cage
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: rattles someone's cage
form: rattling someone's cage
form: rattled someone's cage
form: rattled someone's cage
Senses: examples: text: Nobody has corrected the problem yet, so it's time to rattle their cage.
glosses: To demand attention from someone; to nag, nudge, or remind someone.
examples: text: If you really want to rattle his cage, ask him about his family.
glosses: To anger or to annoy someone.
Synonyms: rattle someone's chain
Related terms: the squeaky wheel gets the grease
yank someone's chain
get one's wires crossed
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: gets one's wires crossed
form: getting one's wires crossed
form: got one's wires crossed
form: got one's wires crossed
form: gotten one's wires crossed
Etymology: From the early days of telephony, when touching wires could reroute conversations.
Senses: examples: text: We got our wires crossed so I went to the bus station and she headed to the railway station.
text: "TELEPHONE MATCH, 1949. White gets his wires crossed from trying to call on two variations at once and picks the wrong number in Black who cuts him off short."
ref: 1949 November, “Chess Caviar”, in Chess Review:
glosses: To get confused or mixed up about another person's intentions; to misunderstand one another.
Related terms: crossed wires
chalk up to
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: chalks up to
form: chalking up to
form: chalked up to
form: chalked up to
Senses: examples: text: Chalk it up to fear that he didn't finish.
text: “You can chalk it up maybe to, as one of my friends says, a nautical superstition,” he said. “Maybe I read too many Greek tragedies. I don't believe something’s going to happen like that until it’s happened.
ref: 1990 October 5, “Souter plans to get right down to work”, in Fort Worth Star-Telegram, volume 85, number 154, section 1, page 14:
text: Some of the best pre-mortems for Steve Ballmer, out-going CEO of Microsoft, have chalked up the company's problem to the "innovator's dilemma."
ref: 2013 August 28, Derek Thompson, “How Goliaths Beat Themselves: Microsoft's Mobile Failure and the Innovator's Dilemma”, in The Atlantic:
glosses: To attribute or account for something; to ascribe.
Synonyms: put down to
second nature
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Senses: examples: text: But habit had made the endurance of this load of panoply a second nature, both to the knight and his gallant charger.
ref: 1825, Sir Walter Scott, chapter 1, in The Talisman:
text: Ashe Marson had realized that he must forego those morning exercises which had become a second nature to him.
ref: 1915, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 1, in Something New:
text: For many video gamers, juggling a joystick and a pizza is second nature.
ref: 2005 April 3, Jeremy Caplan, “Game On, Hold The Pepperoni”, in Time:
glosses: A mindset, skill, or type of behavior so ingrained through habit or practice that it seems natural, automatic, or without a basis in conscious thought.
carr
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /kɑː/
ipa: /kɑɹ/
homophone: car
homophone: Carr
homophone: Karr
rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)
Forms: form: carrs
Etymology: From Middle English kerr and Middle English carr meaning meadow, field or grassland of a low lying variety, itself from Old English carr; possibly related to Old Norse kjarr. Compare Swedish kärr, Icelandic kjarr.
Senses: examples: text: The marsh lands or ‘carrs’ that covered the low-lying floor of the vale could not be cultivated and the poorly drained flanks of the vale would be best used as pasture.
ref: 2007, Kevin Leahy, The Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Lindsey, Tempus, published 2008, page 16:
text: The old tales told of these noble animals sighted padding across clodded fields or circling shrinking copses. Stalking the choking carrs.
ref: 2017, Benjamin Myers, The Gallows Pole, Bloomsbury, published 2019, page 155:
glosses: Any marsh; marshy ground, swampland.
glosses: In particular, a marsh or fen formed when the litter of decaying reeds (e.g. in a lake) raises the ground level above the water, allowing more vegetation like sedges and then low bushes or trees to grow; a marshy woodland. (Compare marsh, swamp, bog, fen.)
Derived terms: alder carr
Batley Carr
carrland
carr
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /kɑː/
ipa: /kɑɹ/
homophone: car
homophone: Carr
homophone: Karr
rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)
Forms: form: carrs
Senses: glosses: Archaic form of car (“wheeled vehicle”).
carr
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /kɑː/
ipa: /kɑɹ/
homophone: car
homophone: Carr
homophone: Karr
rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)
Forms: form: carrs
Etymology: From Old Northumbrian; possibly adopted from a Cumbric *carreg, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kh₂er- (“hard”).
Senses: qualifier: Northumberland
glosses: Rock.
on the tip of one's tongue
Language: English
Part of speech: prep_phrase
Senses: examples: text: Her name is on the tip of my tongue: it's Kathy, or Karen, or something.
text: The feeling that a blocked word or name is on the tip of the tongue appears to be a near-universal experience. The cognitive psychologist Bennett Schwarz surveyed speakers of fifty-one different languages and found that forty-five of them contain expressions using "the tongue" to describe situations […]
ref: 2001, Daniel L. Schacter, The Seven Sins of Memory, How the Mind Forgets and Remembers, Houghton Mifflin, →ISBN:
glosses: Known but not quite able to be recalled.
Related terms: TOT
lethologica
presque vu
camp out
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: camps out
form: camping out
form: camped out
form: camped out
Senses: glosses: To sleep outdoors, often in a tent.
glosses: To wait or queue for something expected to occur, often overnight.
put one's finger on
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: puts one's finger on
form: putting one's finger on
form: put one's finger on
form: put one's finger on
Senses: examples: text: There’s something wrong, but I can’t put my finger on it.
text: He had the quick witted imagination to put his finger right on the correct method of attacking a problem but no patience to see it through to the bitter end.
ref: 2011, Derek Rosser, Earning a Crust, page 86:
text: “Now, there’s something wrong with that,” Breyer said, to laughter. “I’m trying to put my finger on it.”
ref: 2017 January 9, Robert Barnes, “High court questions why refunds aren’t automatic when a Colo. conviction is overturned”, in Washington Post:
glosses: To identify, specify, name or pick out.
raw_tags: in the negative
nitpick
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈnɪt.pɪk/
Forms: form: nitpicks
form: nitpicking
form: nitpicked
form: nitpicked
Etymology: From nit + pick, originally referring to literally removing invisibly tiny louse eggs by hand.
Senses: examples: text: Someone will invariably nitpick about any spelling error posted to the forums.
text: But Pirates! comes with all the usual Aardman strengths intact, particularly the sense that its characters and creators alike are too good-hearted and sweet to nitpick. The ambition is all in the craft rather than in the storytelling, but it’s hard to say no to the proficiency of that craft, or the mild good cheer behind it.
ref: 2012 April 26, Tasha Robinson, “Film: Reviews: The Pirates! Band Of Misfits :”, in The Onion AV Club:
synonyms: cavil
flyspeck
glosses: To correct insignificant mistakes or find fault in unimportant details.
qualifier: literal
glosses: To pick nits (lice eggs) from someone’s hair.
qualifier: literal
glosses: To pick nits (lice eggs) from someone’s hair.
I nitpicked his hair.
I nitpicked his hair.
Derived terms: Britpick
nitpickery
nutpick
Related terms: nitpicker
nit-picking
nitpickish
nitpicky
quibble
split hairs
feral cat
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: feral cats
Senses: topics: biology
natural-sciences
zoology
glosses: A domestic cat that has returned to or was born in a living situation without human care.
Synonyms: word: stray
word: stray cat
word: community cat
english: urban contexts
translation: urban contexts
word: alley cat
english: country contexts
translation: country contexts
word: barn cat
english: country contexts
translation: country contexts
word: farm cat
english: country contexts
translation: country contexts
word: wild cat
english: imprecise
translation: imprecise
word: wildcat
english: unknown owner
translation: unknown owner
word: estray
domesticate
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/
ipa: /-stə-/
ipa: /dəˈmɛ.stɪ.keɪt/
ipa: /-stə-/
Forms: form: domesticates
form: domesticating
form: domesticated
form: domesticated
Etymology: First attested in 1620; either borrowed from Middle French domestiquer (Modern French domestiquer) or directly from Medieval Latin domesticātus, perfect passive participle of domesticō (“to domesticate”), see -ate (verb-forming suffix). By surface analysis, domestic + -ate.
Senses: glosses: To make domestic.
examples: text: "To answer your question, Tai's fine. She mostly just smokes socially these days." "You're domesticating her!" "We're domesticating each other. The other day I found myself reading a home decorating blog."
ref: 2020, Jeph Jacques, Questionable Content (webcomic), 4263: Peer Decompression:
glosses: To make (more) fit for domestic life.
examples: text: The Russians claim to have successfully domesticated foxes.
glosses: To adapt to live with humans.
examples: text: Dogs have clearly domesticated more than cats.
glosses: To adapt to live with humans.
glosses: To make a legal instrument recognized and enforceable in a jurisdiction foreign to the one in which the instrument was originally issued or created.
topics: human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
translation-studies
antonyms: foreignize
glosses: To amend the elements of a text to fit local culture.
Derived terms: domesticatable
domesticated
domestication
domesticator
overdomesticate
redomesticate
undomesticate
domesticate
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /dəˈmɛ.stɪ.kət/
ipa: /-stə-/
ipa: /-kɪt/
ipa: /dəˈmɛ.stɪ.kət/
ipa: /-stə-/
ipa: /-kɪt/
Forms: form: domesticates
Etymology: First attested in 1860; borrowed from Medieval Latin domesticātus (“domesticated”), see Etymology 1 and -ate (noun-forming suffix).
Senses: glosses: An animal or plant that has been domesticated.
punt
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /pʌnt/
rhymes: -ʌnt
Forms: form: punts
Etymology: From Old English [Term?], from Latin pontō (“Gaulish flat-bottomed boat, pontoon”), from pons (“bridge”); readopted from Middle Low German punte (“ferry boat”) or Middle Dutch ponte (“ferry boat”) of the same origin.
Senses: topics: nautical
transport
glosses: A pontoon; a narrow shallow boat propelled by a pole.
punt
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /pʌnt/
rhymes: -ʌnt
Forms: form: punts
form: punting
form: punted
form: punted
Etymology: From Old English [Term?], from Latin pontō (“Gaulish flat-bottomed boat, pontoon”), from pons (“bridge”); readopted from Middle Low German punte (“ferry boat”) or Middle Dutch ponte (“ferry boat”) of the same origin.
Senses: topics: nautical
transport
glosses: To propel a punt or similar craft by means of a pole.
glosses: Of a fish, to walk along the seafloor using its fins as limbs.
Derived terms: punter
punt
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /pʌnt/
rhymes: -ʌnt
rhymes: -ʌnt
ipa: /pʌnt/
rhymes: -ʌnt
Forms: form: punts
Etymology: Possibly a dialectal variant of bunt. Rugby is the origin of the sports usage of the term.
Senses: topics: American-football
ball-games
football
games
hobbies
lifestyle
rugby
soccer
sports
glosses: A kick made by a player who drops the ball and kicks it before it hits the ground.
Derived terms: checkside punt
punt gun
punt-out
punt protector
punt returner
torpedo punt
Related terms: drop kick
punt
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /pʌnt/
rhymes: -ʌnt
rhymes: -ʌnt
rhymes: -ʌnt
ipa: /pʌnt/
rhymes: -ʌnt
rhymes: -ʌnt
Forms: form: punts
Etymology: Borrowed from French pointe or Spanish punto (“point”). Doublet of point, pointe, ponto, puncto, punctum, and punto.
Senses: glosses: A point in the game of faro.
glosses: The act of playing at basset, baccara, faro, etc.
examples: text: Anyone up for a punt on Randwick?
glosses: A bet or wager.
examples: text: Did I actually back a winner and finish in front on the punt?
ref: 1995, Paul Vautin, Turn It Up!, Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia, page 123:
text: Wishing you all happy new year and a prosperous one on the punt.
ref: 2001 December 31, The Riverine Herald, Echua, Victoria, page 12, column 3:
glosses: Gambling, as a pastime, especially betting on horseraces or the dogs.
examples: text: “Months ago, copper traders worldwide took a punt that Trump's tariff pitch for their market was real, not bluster.[…]”
ref: 2025 July 12, Leslie Hook, quoting Tom Price, “Copper traders' bet on tariffs pays off to the tune of $300mn”, in FT Weekend, Companies & Markets, page 10:
glosses: A highly speculative investment or other commitment.
glosses: A wild guess.
glosses: An indentation in the base of a wine bottle.
topics: arts
crafts
glassblowing
hobbies
lifestyle
glosses: A thin glass rod which is temporarily attached to a larger piece in order to better manipulate the larger piece.
Derived terms: punter
punt
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /pʌnt/
rhymes: -ʌnt
rhymes: -ʌnt
rhymes: -ʌnt
ipa: /pʌnt/
rhymes: -ʌnt
rhymes: -ʌnt
Forms: form: punts
form: punting
form: punted
form: punted
Etymology: Borrowed from French pointe or Spanish punto (“point”). Doublet of point, pointe, ponto, puncto, punctum, and punto.
Senses: examples: text: Here it was that, guarded by double doors, Sir Francis smoked cigars, and read Bell’s Life in London, and went to sleep after dinner, when he was not smoking over the billiard-table at his clubs, or punting at the gambling-houses in Saint James’s.
ref: 1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 38, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
glosses: To play at basset, baccara, faro, etc.
examples: text: She heard […] of his punting at gaming tables.
ref: 1854, Arthur Pendennis [pseudonym; William Makepeace Thackeray], The Newcomes: Memoirs of a Most Respectable Family, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], →OCLC:
text: Whether you want to gamble on a horse race, bet on which player will score first in a game of football, have a punt on a particular tennis player winning a grand slam event, you are buying a chance, a chance which is measured in terms of probability, ‘the odds’.
ref: 2004, John Buglear, “Is it worth the risk? – introducing probability”, in Quantitative methods for business: the A-Z of QM, →ISBN, page 339:
text: Eriksson's men still worth a punt
ref: 2006 June 23, Dan Roebuck, “Eriksson's men still worth a punt”, in The Guardian:
text: Australians have a reputation for being keen to bet on two flies climbing up a wall and today young ones often take a casual classroom punt
ref: 2009 November 3, Sarah Collerton, “Cup punt not child's play”, in ABC News:
glosses: To stake against the bank, to back a horse, to gamble or take a chance more generally
glosses: To make a highly speculative investment or other commitment, or take a wild guess.
Related terms: punter
punt
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /pʌnt/
rhymes: -ʌnt
rhymes: -ʌnt
rhymes: -ʌnt
ipa: /pʊnt/
rhymes: -ʊnt
ipa: /pʌnt/
rhymes: -ʌnt
rhymes: -ʌnt
rhymes: -ʌnt
Forms: form: punts
Etymology: Borrowed from Irish punt, from Middle English pund. Doublet of funt, pfund, pood, and pound.
Senses: glosses: The Irish pound, used as the unit of currency of Ireland until it was replaced by the euro in 2002.
rattle off
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: rattles off
form: rattling off
form: rattled off
form: rattled off
Senses: examples: text: When I suggested it, he promptly rattled off a dozen reasons that it wouldn't work.
text: When he was 14, he could name all the Bond girls. Can he still? / He rattles off the names, from Honey Ryder to Pussy Galore to Domino to Kissy Suzuki. He said he toyed with the idea of playing James Bond and had a conversation about it at one point, but he asked if it could be a black-and-white period piece set in the ’50s.
ref: 2022 October 22, Maureen Dowd, “Ralph Fiennes, Master of Monsters”, in The New York Times:
glosses: To list or recite quickly.
examples: text: She that vvould ſometimes rattle off her Servants pretty ſharply, novv if ſhe ſavv them drink, or heard them talk profanely, never took any notice of it.
ref: 1712, Humphry Polesworth [pseudonym; John Arbuthnot], “Of the Hard Shifts Mrs. Bull was Put to, to Preserve the Mannor of Bullock’s Hatch; with Sir Roger’s Method to Keep Off Importunate Duns”, in John Bull Still in His Senses: Being the Third Part of Law is a Bottomless-Pit. […], London: […] John Morphew, […], →OCLC, page 36:
glosses: To rail at; to scold.
Synonyms: word: reel off
word: trot out
word: rhyme off
Vaisakhi
Language: English
Part of speech: name
Forms: form: Baisakhi
Senses: glosses: The Sikh new year festival.
gurdwara
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: gurdwaras
form: gurudwara
Etymology: From Punjabi ਗੁਰਦੁਆਰਾ (gurduārā), ਗੁਰਦਵਾਰਾ (gurdavārā).
Senses: glosses: A Sikh place of worship.
Derived terms: gurdwara-goer
duology
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: duologies
Etymology: Coined based on Latin duo (“two”) + Ancient Greek λόγος (lógos, “word”).
Senses: glosses: A series comprising two parts, particularly in genre fiction.
Synonyms: dilogy
Related terms: quadrilogy
cyano-
Language: English
Part of speech: prefix
Forms: form: cyan-
Etymology: From Ancient Greek κυάνεος (kuáneos, “dark blue”).
Senses: glosses: dark blue-green in colour
topics: chemistry
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: derived from cyanogen or a cyanide / nitrile
Derived terms: cyanamide
cyanate
cyanea
cyanic
cyanic acid
cyanidation
cyanide
cyanide process
cyanin
cyanogen
cyanose
cyanosis
cyanotype
cyan-
Language: English
Part of speech: prefix
Senses: glosses: Alternative form of cyano-.
cyanamide
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: cyanamides
Senses: topics: chemistry
natural-sciences
organic-chemistry
physical-sciences
glosses: A chemical compound, NH₂CN; a white crystalline solid, soluble in water, having many commercial applications including fertilizer
topics: chemistry
natural-sciences
organic-chemistry
physical-sciences
glosses: Any derivative of this compound in which one or more hydrogen atoms are replaced by an alkyl or aryl group
Derived terms: calcium cyanamide
Related terms: cyanimide
adessive case
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: adessive cases
Senses: topics: grammar
human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
coordinate_terms: inessive case
glosses: A noun case used to indicate adjacent location. In English, this is usually expressed by the prepositions "near", "at", or "by". Languages that use the adessive case include Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian, Lezgi and Lithuanian.
cyanate
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: cyanates
Etymology: From cyanic acid + -ate (“salt or ester”).
Senses: topics: chemistry
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: Any salt or ester of cyanic acid.
Hypernyms: chemical compound
Hyponyms: isocyanate
isothiocyanate
thiocyanate
Derived terms: hydrocyanate
polycyanate
selenocyanate
tetracyanate
cyanate
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Forms: form: cyanates
form: cyanating
form: cyanated
form: cyanated
Etymology: From cyan(ide) + -ate (verb-forming suffix).
Senses: topics: chemistry
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: To treat or react with cyanide.
inessive case
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: inessive cases
Senses: topics: grammar
human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
coordinate_terms: adessive case
glosses: A noun case used to indicate location inside something. In English, this is usually expressed by the prepositions "in" or "inside". Languages that use the inessive case include Finnish, Hungarian, Estonian, Ossetian, and Erzya.
cyanic acid
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Senses: topics: chemistry
inorganic-chemistry
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: An unstable, highly volatile, poisonous acid, HOCN, used to prepare cyanates; hydrolyzes in water to give ammonia and carbon dioxide
Derived terms: isocyanic acid
selenocyanic acid
cyanidation
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: cyanidations
Etymology: From cyanide + -ation.
Senses: topics: engineering
metallurgy
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
glosses: The extraction of gold or silver from their ores using the cyanide process
Gurjit
Language: English
Part of speech: name
Pronunciation: -ɜː(ɹ)dʒɪt
Senses: glosses: A male given name from Sanskrit used by Sikhs.
cyanide process
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: cyanide processes
Senses: glosses: A method of extracting gold and silver from their ores with a solution of sodium cyanide.
glosses: A process of case-hardening iron or steel by immersing it in molten cyanide and then quenching in water or oil.
cyanin
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: cyanins
Etymology: From cyan + -in.
Senses: glosses: Alternative form of cyanine.
Derived terms: anthocyanin
chemocyanin
cryptocyanin
enocyanin
phyllocyanin
phytocyanin
urocyanin
cyanine
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: cyanines
Etymology: From cyan + -ine.
Senses: glosses: Any of a family of synthetic polymethine blue dyes used in photography etc.
Derived terms: cryptocyanine
hemicyanine
hemocyanine
hydrocyanine
indocyanine
merocyanine
neocyanine
phthalocyanine
Related terms: cyanin
cyanogen
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /saɪˈæn.ə.d͡ʒɪn/
Forms: form: cyanogens
Etymology: From cyano- + -gen; compare French cyanogène. So called because it produced blue dyes.
Senses: topics: chemistry
natural-sciences
organic-chemistry
physical-sciences
synonyms: ethanedinitrile
oxalonitrile
dicyanogen
nitriloacetonitrile
glosses: The pseudohalogen (CN)₂; a colorless, poisonous gas used as a rocket propellant, an insecticide and in chemical warfare.
topics: chemistry
inorganic-chemistry
natural-sciences
organic-chemistry
physical-sciences
glosses: The radical -CN.
Derived terms: bromocyan
bromocyanogen
cyanogen bromide
cyanogen chloride
ferricyanogen
ferrocyanogen
hexacyanogen
paracyanogen
cyanose
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈsaɪənəʊz/
ipa: /ˈsaɪənəʊs/
Forms: form: cyanoses
form: cyanosing
form: cyanosed
form: cyanosed
Senses: topics: medicine
pathology
sciences
glosses: To turn blue due to cyanosis.
cyanose
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈsaɪənəʊz/
ipa: /ˈsaɪənəʊs/
Senses: topics: medicine
pathology
sciences
glosses: Afflicted with cyanosis.
Synonyms: cyanosed
cyanotic
cyanosed
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Senses: topics: medicine
pathology
sciences
glosses: Afflicted with cyanosis.
Synonyms: cyanose
cyanotic
cyanosis
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˌsaɪəˈnoʊsɪs/
Forms: form: cyanoses
Etymology: From cyano- + -osis.
Senses: topics: medicine
pathology
sciences
glosses: A blue discolouration of the skin due to the circulation of blood low in oxygen.
Derived terms: acrocyanosis
acyanosis
anthocyanosis
erythrocyanosis
heliotrope cyanosis
Related terms: cyanopathy
cyanose
cyanosed
cyanotic
cyan
cyanotype
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: /saɪˈænəʊˌtaɪp/
/saɪˈænəˌtaɪp/
Forms: form: cyanotypes
Etymology: From cyano- + -type.
Senses: glosses: An early photographic process employing paper sensitized with a cyanide.
glosses: A photographic print produced by means of this process.
Related terms: blueprint
cyanograph
cyanography
temporal case
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Forms: form: temporal cases
Senses: topics: grammar
human-sciences
linguistics
sciences
glosses: A noun case used to specify a time. In English, this is usually expressed by the preposition "at," as in "at six o’clock," "at midnight," "at Christmas." Hungarian is a language that uses the temporal case.