nandhakumarms/qualc-wiktionary-en huggingface dataset:
Word: Cathay Part of Speech: name Etymology: From Latin Cathaya, variant of Cataya, from Old Turkic 𐰶𐰃𐱃𐰪 (Qïtań), and ultimately from Khitan 𘱿𘲫 (*qid ún); the Khitan people who conquered northern China as the Liao dynasty in the 10th century and ruled the central Asian Qara Khitai Khanate in the 12th, just prior to the overland European missions to China occasioned by the Pax Mongolica. Most likely cognate with Mongolian хутга (xutga, “knife”) from Proto-Mongolic *kïtuga. Doublet of Khitan. Cognate with Russian Кита́й (Kitáj, “China”). See Names of China. Pronunciation: /kæˈθeɪ/ 1. China, specifically medieval northern China as reached by the overland Silk Road to Xi'an or Beijing, not known at the time to be related to southern China as reached by the maritime routes to Guangzhou. Labels: archaic Example: Toute la Chine eſt diviſée en ſeize Provinces qui valent mieux chacune que de grands Royaumes. Il y en a dix vers le Midi ; ſçavoir Yunnan, Quanſi, Canton, Fuquiem, Chequiam, NanKin, Kiamſi, Huqüam, Suſcüem & Quicheu. Les ſix vers le Septentrion ſont Xenſi, Scianſi, Honan, Xantung, PeKin & Leaotung, & c'eſt ce que pluſieurs appellent Cathai , au lieu qu’ils donnent le nom de Mangi aux Provinces Meridionales. Example: Columbus listened to many of these sea-stories, and heard many wonderful things about a very rich land away to the East that folks called Cathay. If you look in your geographies you will not find any such place on the map as Cathay, but you will find China, and that was what men in the time of Columbus called Cathay. They told very big stories about this far-off Eastern land. They said its kings lived in golden houses, that they were covered with pearls and diamonds, and that everybody there was so rich that money was as plentiful as the stones in the street. This, of course, made the sailors and storekeepers, who were part pirate, very anxious to go to Cathay and get some of the gold and jewels and spices and splendor for themselves. But Cathay was miles and miles away from Italy and Spain and France and England. It was away across the deserts and mountains and seas and rivers, and they had to give it up because they could not sail there. 2. A settlement in North Dakota. 3. Ellipsis of Cathay Pacific. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Word: Gmail Part of Speech: name Etymology: Blend of Google + mail. Pronunciation: [ˈd͡ʒiːˌmeɪl] 1. A web-based e-mail system provided by Google (trademarked Gmail). Example: He has a Gmail account. Example: For now, it’s hard to conclude that Sunak will succeed in rebooting a government that’s been reset more times than most people’s Gmail passwords.
Word: Gmail Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Blend of Google + mail. Pronunciation: [ˈd͡ʒiːˌmeɪl] 1. A Gmail account. Labels: informal Example: Afterwards, when Alex had dozed off, I […] logged on to my Gmail. I sat, gazing at him sleeping and really didn’t know what to write. Example: [H]e saw an endless stack of Gmail accounts, one after the other. The tips of his fingers became cold as bone. He aimed at one of the Gmails and opened it, but he needed a user name and a password. 2. An e-mail sent using Gmail. Labels: informal Example: Although the service was free, Google planned to make money. It would include ads, or “sponsored links,” with each Gmail. […] For example, if someone wrote about a planned vacation, the person receiving the Gmail might notice sponsored links for airlines, travel agencies, or car rentals. Did this mean someone at Google was reading the Gmails? No, but many users were uneasy and indignant. Example: My wife, Betty, for helping me get through the Gmails and the computer know-how.
Word: Gmail Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Blend of Google + mail. Pronunciation: [ˈd͡ʒiːˌmeɪl] 1. To send (someone) an e-mail using Gmail. Labels: ditransitive, informal Example: Gmail me! Example: I Googled my professor and found his home page . . . I Gmailed him my report.
Word: Manji Part of Speech: name Etymology: Variant of Latin Mangi, q.v. 1. South China, as opposed to Cathay or northern China. Labels: archaic Example: Upon crossing this river you enter the noble province of Manji […]
Word: wiseacre Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle Dutch wijssegger (“soothsayer”), from Old High German wīzzago, wīzago (“wise man, prophet, soothsayer”), from Proto-West Germanic *wītagō (“wise one; prophet”). Cognate with Old English wītga (“wise man, prophet”). See also German Weissager (“soothsayer, seer”). Pronunciation: /ˈwaɪzeɪkə(ɹ)/ 1. One who feigns knowledge or cleverness; one who is wisecracking; an insolent upstart. Example: That other class of wiseacres who twist prophecy in such a manner as to make it promise the destruction and desolation of the same city, use judgement just as bad, since the city is in a very flourishing condition now, unhappily for them. Example: But noooooo! Some wiseacre “expert” will patronizingly explain that because gymnast Kim Zmeskal’s left little toenail was off center by the length of an eyelash, the judges will be forced to dock a tenth of a point from her score. 2. A learned or wise man. Labels: obsolete Example: A fool's paradise is better than a wiseacre's purgatory. Example: Peter Gower, a Grecian, journied for cunning in Egypt, and in Syria, and in every land where the Venetians had planted Masonry; and winning entrance into all lodges of Masons, he learned much, and returned and dwelt in Grecia Magna; watching and becoming a mighty wiseacre, and greatly renowned, and here he framed a grat lodge at Groton, (Crotona. Mr. Locke,) and maked many Masons; wherefrom, in process of time, the art passed into England.
Word: wiseacre Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle Dutch wijssegger (“soothsayer”), from Old High German wīzzago, wīzago (“wise man, prophet, soothsayer”), from Proto-West Germanic *wītagō (“wise one; prophet”). Cognate with Old English wītga (“wise man, prophet”). See also German Weissager (“soothsayer, seer”). Pronunciation: /ˈwaɪzeɪkə(ɹ)/ 1. To act like a wiseacre; to wisecrack. Labels: intransitive
Word: smarty pants Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From smart + -y + -pants. 1. A smart aleck or know-it-all. Labels: informal
Word: shire Part of Speech: noun Etymology: The noun is derived from Middle English schire (“region, shire, county”) [and other forms], from Old English sċīr (“administrative region under an alderman and sheriff, shire; district under a governor or official; status of an official, office”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *skīru (“district; status of an official, office”); further etymology uncertain, possibly related to Latin cūra (“care, concern; administration, charge, management; command, office”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeys- (“to heed; to see”). The verb is derived from the noun. Pronunciation: /ʃaɪə/, /ʃaɪ(ə)ɹ/ 1. An administrative area or district between about the 5th to the 11th century, subdivided into hundreds or wapentakes and jointly governed by an ealdorman and a sheriff; also, a present-day area corresponding to such a historical district; a county; especially (England), a county having a name ending in -shire. Labels: UK, historical Example: Yorkshire is the largest shire in England. Example: I thanke his grace he hath appointed him, / Chiefe colonell of all thoſe companies / Muſtred in London, and the ſhires about, / To ſerue his highneſſe in thoſe warres of France: […] 2. The people living in a shire (noun sense 1.1) considered collectively. Labels: UK, broadly Example: You, my love, are a little paragon—positively a little jewel—You have more brains than half the shire— […] 3. The general area in which a person comes from or lives. Labels: UK, broadly, informal Example: When are you coming back to the shire? 4. An administrative area or district in other countries. Labels: broadly Example: [T]his old Evil-queſtioning asked the Doubters if they vvere all of a Tovvn, (he knevv that they vvere all of one Kingdom)? and they anſvvered no, nor not of one Shire neither; […] 5. An administrative area or district in other countries. Labels: Australia, attributive, broadly, often 6. Ellipsis of shire horse (“a draught horse of a tall British breed, usually bay, black, or grey”). Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis 7. A district or province governed by a person; specifically (Christianity), the province of an archbishop, the see of a bishop, etc. Labels: obsolete Example: A third Seignorie or Shire there is that goeth to Apamia, vvhich in old time vvas called Celænæ, and aftervvards Ciboron: […] 8. A region; also, a country. Labels: broadly, obsolete Example: And Thyatira. It is a Citie of Lydia which is a ſhyre of Aſia the leſſe, the habitation of the Macedones, and of ſome the laſt Citie of the Myſians. Example: His blazing eyes, like tvvo bright ſhining ſhieldes, / Did burne vvith vvrath, and ſparkled liuing fyre; / As tvvo broad Beacons, ſett in open fieldes, / Send forth their flames far of to euery ſhyre, […]
Word: shire Part of Speech: verb Etymology: The noun is derived from Middle English schire (“region, shire, county”) [and other forms], from Old English sċīr (“administrative region under an alderman and sheriff, shire; district under a governor or official; status of an official, office”) [and other forms], from Proto-West Germanic *skīru (“district; status of an official, office”); further etymology uncertain, possibly related to Latin cūra (“care, concern; administration, charge, management; command, office”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷeys- (“to heed; to see”). The verb is derived from the noun. Pronunciation: /ʃaɪə/, /ʃaɪ(ə)ɹ/ 1. To constitute or reconstitute (a country or region) into one or more shires (noun sense 1.1) or counties. Labels: transitive Example: County Longford was shired in 1586. Example: [I]t made no Matter, if the Countrie vvere never ſhired, nor her Majesties VVritt othervviſe curraunt then it is; for humblye he kepeth all his People ſubiect to Obedience and good Order; […]
Word: smart aleck Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Aleck is a nickname for the male given name Alexander. The phrase smart aleck is possibly derived from the name of Aleck Hoag, a 19th-century American con man and thief. 1. One who is given to obnoxious or insolent humor. 2. One who is pretentious about their own cleverness or knowledge. 3. One who is obnoxiously self-assured; a show off. 4. A well-dressed person. Labels: rare
Word: pretentious Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From French prétentieux, from prétention, from Latin praetēnsus (“false or hypocritical profession”), past participle of praetendō. Note that pretentious is spelled with a ‘t’, unlike related pretense, pretension. This is due to the French spelling: *-sious does not occur as an English suffix, though -sion and -tion both do. Pronunciation: /pɹɪˈtɛn.ʃəs/, /pɹɪˈtɛn.t͡ʃəs/ 1. Motivated by an inappropriate, excessive, or unjustified desire to impress others. Example: Her dress was obviously more pretentious than comfortable. Example: I recall the height of comfort attained by the green-cushioned "first" with starched white antimacassars and a pretentious grey floor mat on which it seemed a sacrilege to stand, as it was embellished with the North Western conception of Britannia, complete with trident. 2. Marked by an unwarranted claim to importance or distinction. Example: Their song titles are pretentious in the context of their basic lyrics. Example: The station (1840) was originally Cheltenham but the more grandiose Cheltenham Spa since 1925, which feels a bit pretentious as the town has never allowed itself to assume such airs and graces. 3. Marked by pretense (not necessarily false pretense); intent upon success; ambitious. Labels: obsolete Example: ... the first definite and pretentious attempt to make the wardrobe trunk a commercial possibility ... The new trunk would be exploited direct to the traveling public, and he had the means for a pretentious start.
Word: smart-aleck Part of Speech: adj 1. Characteristic of a smart aleck. Example: smart-aleck remarks
Word: wise guy Part of Speech: noun 1. One who is insolent or flippant; one who makes jokes or perpetrates pranks. Labels: derogatory, humorous, informal, mildly, sarcastic Example: Her reputation for being a wise guy made her new teachers hesitant about having her in their classes. Example: Leiter wound down a window. 'Whaddya want ter do?' asked the driver over his shoulder. 'Gimme pneumony?' 'Just that,' said Leiter, 'if it means saving us from this gas chamber.' 'Wise guy, hn?' said the driver, crashing tinnily through his gears. 2. A knowledgeable or successful sports bettor. Labels: slang 3. A member of the Mafia; a mobster. Labels: US, slang 4. A hipster. Labels: slang 5. An Italian-American man. Labels: ethnic, offensive, slang, slur
Word: wisecrack Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From wise + crack. Pronunciation: /ˈwaɪzˌkɹæk/ 1. A witty or sarcastic comment or quip. Example: Near-synonyms: see Thesaurus:joke Example: Cut it out, Sis, an' lissen ter er wise crack. Will yer be nice if I pay yer fine?
Word: wisecrack Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From wise + crack. Pronunciation: /ˈwaɪzˌkɹæk/ 1. To make a sarcastic, flippant, or sardonic comment. Labels: intransitive, sometimes, transitive
Word: witty Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From Middle English witty, witti, from Old English wittiġ, witiġ, ġewittiġ (“clever, wise”), from Proto-West Germanic *witīg, *witag, from Proto-Germanic *witagaz, *wītagaz (“knowing, wise, clever”), equivalent to wit + -y. Cognate with Middle Low German wittich, gewittich (“knowing, clever, wise, understanding”), German witzig (“funny, witty”), Norwegian Bokmål vettig, Norwegian Nynorsk vittig (“witty”). Pronunciation: /ˈwɪti/, [ˈwɪɾi] 1. Clever; amusingly ingenious. Example: His speech was both witty and informative. 2. Full of wit. Example: His frequent quips mark him as particularly witty. 3. Quick of mind; insightful; in possession of wits. Example: She may have grown older, but she has grown no less witty. 4. Wise, having good judgement. Labels: obsolete 5. Possessing a strong intellect or intellectual capacity; intelligent, skilful, ingenious. Labels: archaic Example: It hath beene a witty invention[…]to establish and ordaine certaine vaine and worthles markes, therewith to honor and recompence vertue[…].
Word: whereabouts Part of Speech: adv Etymology: From Middle English wheraboutes, equivalent to whereabout + -s (adverbial suffix). Pronunciation: /ˌ(h)wɛəɹəˈbaʊts/ 1. In, at or near what location. Labels: not-comparable Example: Whereabouts do you live?
Word: whereabouts Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English wheraboutes, equivalent to whereabout + -s (adverbial suffix). Pronunciation: /ˌ(h)wɛəɹəˈbaʊts/, /ˈ(h)wɛəɹəˌbaʊts/ 1. A location; where something is situated. Labels: plural, plural-only, usually Example: In the Middle Ages Rhabdomancers were employed to discover mines, and the whereabouts of precious stones. Example: the effectively functioning group of relatives is likely to be much smaller owing, for instance, to death of the older generation or far distant whereabouts of other relatives. 2. Information about an elite athlete's future whereabouts, supplied to antidoping authorities to facilitate random out-of-competition testing. Labels: plural, plural-only, usually Example: The IPC reminds all athletes in their Registered Testing Pool to remain vigilant when it comes to filing and updating their whereabouts.
Word: jocose Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From Latin iocōsus (“humorous”), from iocus (“jest, joke”). Pronunciation: /d͡ʒəˈkəʊs/, /d͡ʒəˈkoʊs/, /d͡ʒoʊˈkoʊs/ 1. given to jesting; habitually jolly Labels: formal Example: Adde to this diſsipated and diſtracted ſtate of Miniſters, their private diſtreſſes and poverties, together with the publick neglect and indifferency of people toward them; who can wonder if they look pitifully one on another, which no jocoſe or juvenile drolings can relieve? Example: Jocose flesh-eaters take a malicious delight in pointing out and enumerating to Vegetarians the many animal substances now in common use, and in taunting them with inconsistency in using them. 2. playful or humorous; characterized by joking Labels: formal
Word: dum Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From Hindi दम (dam). Pronunciation: /dʌm/ 1. cooked with steam Labels: India, not-comparable
Word: dum Part of Speech: intj Pronunciation: /dʌm/ 1. Syllable used when humming a tune. Example: I like to hang out with friends and travel the world. But if there's one thing I really love, it's Doctor Who. Dum de dum, dum de dum, dum de dum. Whooo-eee-oooo dum de dum, de dum de dum.
Word: dum Part of Speech: adj Pronunciation: /dʌm/ 1. Alternative spelling of dumb. Labels: alt-of, alternative, humorous, nonstandard
Word: dum Part of Speech: adj Pronunciation: /dʌm/ 1. Pronunciation spelling of damn. Labels: alt-of, not-comparable, pronunciation-spelling
Word: cogue Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Of unknown origin, but probably related to cog (“kind of ship, vessel”). Pronunciation: /kəʊɡ/, /kɔːɡ/, /koːɡ/ 1. A small round wooden vessel for holding milk. Labels: Scotland
Word: air bounce Part of Speech: noun 1. A throw at a downward angle with an upward attitude causing the disc to descend during the beginning of the flight and then rise. Example: He threw a textbook air bounce, under the marker's arms, over the cup's heads.
Word: backhand Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree English back Proto-Germanic *handuz Proto-West Germanic *handu Old English hand Middle English hond English hand English backhand From back + hand. Pronunciation: /ˈbækhænd/ 1. A stroke made across the chest from the off-hand side to the racquet hand side; a stroke during which the back of the hand faces the shot. Example: She has a mean backhand. 2. Handwriting that leans to the left. Example: It was written in a shaky backhand. 3. The standard throw; a throw during which the disc begins on the off-hand side and travels across the chest to be released from the opposite side. 4. The back of the hand: the reverse side (dorsal side) of the human hand or other primate hand. 5. The hand towards the back of the board.
Word: backhand Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Etymology tree English back Proto-Germanic *handuz Proto-West Germanic *handu Old English hand Middle English hond English hand English backhand From back + hand. Pronunciation: /ˈbækhænd/ 1. To execute a backhand stroke or throw. 2. To slap with the back of one's hand. Example: During the boxing match, I accidentally backhanded my opponent. Example: While Joe is driving, Bob gets upset and wants to go back to set up. Bob and Joe argue for a few seconds. Then, Bob grabs the wheel and nearly causes us to hit a tree. In response, Joe backhands Bob and tells him to immediately stop or he will get us killed. Bob says that he was just trying to get us back on track and that he was joking.
Word: backhand Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree English back Proto-Germanic *handuz Proto-West Germanic *handu Old English hand Middle English hond English hand English backhand From back + hand. Pronunciation: /ˈbækhænd/ 1. Slanting to the left. Example: In great confusion, Gordon accepted the letter, broke its small crested seal, and began reading the neat back-hand scrawl. 2. In the backhand style. 3. Using the back side of the hockey stick. Example: He scored on a backhand shot.
Word: bonze Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From French bonze, from Portuguese bonzo, from Japanese 凡僧 (bonzō), from Middle Chinese 凡 (bjom, “ordinary”) + 僧 (song, “Buddhist monk”). Pronunciation: /ˈbɒnz/, /ˈbɒnzi/ 1. A Buddhist monk or priest in East Asia.
Word: grounds Part of Speech: noun Etymology: See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. Pronunciation: /ɡɹaʊndz/, /ɡɹʊndz/ 1. plural of ground Labels: form-of, plural
Word: grounds Part of Speech: verb Etymology: See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form. Pronunciation: /ɡɹaʊndz/, /ɡɹʊndz/ 1. third-person singular simple present indicative of ground Labels: form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person
Word: grounds Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From ground (“basis, surroundings”). Pronunciation: /ɡɹaʊndz/, /ɡɹʊndz/ 1. Basis or justification for something. Example: grounds for divorce Example: There was, however, one proposal which, had it reached fruition, might have had far-reaching effects. This was for the amalgamation of the Caledonian, the Edinburgh & Glasgow, and the Scottish Central Railways, for which a Bill was promoted, but rejected by the Parliamentary Committee on the grounds that the preamble was not proved. 2. The collective land areas that compose a larger area. Example: the castle grounds Example: House Prees and Bloods […] were everywhere to be seen in earnest colloquy. For the matter was, that there was some sort of night-prowler about the school grounds.
Word: grounds Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From ground, past participle of to grind. Pronunciation: /ɡɹaʊndz/, /ɡɹʊndz/ 1. The sediment at the bottom of a liquid, or from which a liquid has been filtered. Labels: plural, plural-only Example: coffee grounds
Word: droll Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From French drôle (“comical, odd, funny”), from drôle (“buffoon”) from Middle French drolle (“a merry fellow, pleasant rascal”) from Old French drolle (“one who lives luxuriously”), from Middle Dutch drol (“fat little man, goblin”), itself from Old Norse troll, from Proto-Germanic *truzlą. Doublet of drôle and troll. Pronunciation: /dɹəʊl/, /dɹɒl/, /dɹoʊl/, [dɹoːɫ] 1. Oddly humorous; whimsical, amusing in a quaint way; waggish. Example: Very droll, minister. Example: The Theatre of Puppets, or Marionetti—a famous company from Milan—is, without any exception, the drollest exhibition I ever beheld in my life. I never saw anything so exquisitely ridiculous.
Word: droll Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From French drôle (“comical, odd, funny”), from drôle (“buffoon”) from Middle French drolle (“a merry fellow, pleasant rascal”) from Old French drolle (“one who lives luxuriously”), from Middle Dutch drol (“fat little man, goblin”), itself from Old Norse troll, from Proto-Germanic *truzlą. Doublet of drôle and troll. Pronunciation: /dɹəʊl/, /dɹɒl/, /dɹoʊl/, [dɹoːɫ] 1. A funny person; a buffoon, a wag. Labels: archaic Example: The lieutenant was a droll in his way, Peregrine possessed a great fund of sprightliness and good humour, and Godfrey, among his other qualifications already recited, sung a most excellent song […]. Example: Our two inimitable drolls did a roaring trade with their broadsheets among lovers of the comedy element and nobody who has a corner in his heart for real Irish fun without vulgarity will grudge them their hardearned pennies.
Word: droll Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From French drôle (“comical, odd, funny”), from drôle (“buffoon”) from Middle French drolle (“a merry fellow, pleasant rascal”) from Old French drolle (“one who lives luxuriously”), from Middle Dutch drol (“fat little man, goblin”), itself from Old Norse troll, from Proto-Germanic *truzlą. Doublet of drôle and troll. Pronunciation: /dɹəʊl/, /dɹɒl/, /dɹoʊl/, [dɹoːɫ] 1. To jest, to joke. Labels: archaic, intransitive Example: "Eh, man," said I, drolling with him a little, "you're very ingenious! But would it not be simpler for you to write him a few words in black and white?" / "And that is an excellent observe, Mr. Balfour of Shaws," says Alan, drolling with me; [...]
Word: droll Part of Speech: noun 1. The ghost of a child, especially one who died a painful death. Example: HAMILTON’S HILL, 0.4 m., a little elevation, was the starting point for the races, and is known for a wide variety of ghosts including such fearsome creatures as a 10-foot cat that explodes before the beholder’s eyes, plat-eyes in the guise of three-legged hogs and two-headed cows, boo-daddies, boo-hags, and drolls. The drolls are supposed to be the spirits of infants who died painful deaths. Example: Drolls are spirits of young children who died a painful death. They can be heard, the Negroes say, crying piteously at night in deep swamps and deserted marshland.
Word: piquant Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French piquant (“pricking, stimulating, irritating”), present participle of piquer, possibly from Old French pikier (“to prick, sting, nettle”). Doublet of picong. Related to pike. Pronunciation: /ˈpiːkənt/, /ˈpiːˌkɑːnt/, /piːˈkɑːnt/, /ˈpiːkwənt/ 1. Causing hurt feelings; scathing, severe. Labels: archaic 2. Stimulating to the senses; engaging; charming. Example: Their husbands […] leave home to seek for more agreeable, may I be allowed to use a significant French word, piquant society […] Example: He looked after her as she retreated, with a fondness which was rendered more piquant, as it were, by the mixture of a certain scorn which accompanied it. 3. Favorably stimulating to the palate; pleasantly spicy; tangy. Example: Pork Chops with Apple and Port These chops are baked in a piquant sauce containing fruit, honey, cinnamon, lemon and port, all of which reduces to a spicy syrup. Example: Elsewhere in South America, excepting Bahia in Brazil, one does not encounter piquant cuisine, although one may stumble on a piquant dish now and then […] 4. Producing a burning sensation due to the presence of chilies or similar spices; spicy, hot.
Word: broil Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English broylen, brulen (“to broil, cook”), from Anglo-Norman bruiller, broiller (“to broil, roast”), Old French brusler, bruller (“to broil, roast, char”), a blend of two Old French verbs: * bruir (“to burn”), from Frankish *brōjan (“to burn, scald”) * usler (“to scorch”), from Latin ustulō (“to scorch”) Pronunciation: /bɹɔɪl/, /bɹaɪl/ 1. To cook by direct, radiant heat. Labels: Canada, US, obsolete, transitive Example: To broil a pigeon. When you broil them, do them in the same manner, and take care your fire is very clear, and set your gridiron high, that they may not burn, and have a little parsley and butter in a cup. You may split them, and broil them with a little pepper and salt, and you may roast them only with a little parsley and butter in a dish. Example: To broil Red Mullet. Neither seale nor gut your mullet, wipe them very clean in a cloth, butter half a sheet of writing paper for each fish, put them in, and fasten it all round; have a very clear fire, broil them very gently for twenty minutes, hen put them in a dish, with anchovy sauce and plain butter in boats. 2. To expose to great heat. Labels: Canada, US, transitive 3. To be exposed to great heat. Labels: Canada, US, intransitive
Word: broil Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English broylen, brulen (“to broil, cook”), from Anglo-Norman bruiller, broiller (“to broil, roast”), Old French brusler, bruller (“to broil, roast, char”), a blend of two Old French verbs: * bruir (“to burn”), from Frankish *brōjan (“to burn, scald”) * usler (“to scorch”), from Latin ustulō (“to scorch”) Pronunciation: /bɹɔɪl/, /bɹaɪl/ 1. Food prepared by broiling. Example: Cluffe, externally acquiescing, had yet made up his mind, if a decent opportunity presented, to be detected and made prisoner, and that the honest troubadours should sup on a hot broil, and sip some of the absent General's curious Madeira at the feet of their respective mistresses, with all the advantage which a situation so romantic and so private would offer.
Word: broil Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English broilen (“to quarrel, present in disorder”), from Anglo-Norman broiller (“to mix up”), from Vulgar Latin *brodiculāre (“to jumble together”) from *brodum (“broth, stew”), from Frankish *broþ (“broth”), from Proto-Germanic *bruþą (“broth”). Pronunciation: /bɹɔɪl/, /bɹaɪl/ 1. To cause a rowdy disturbance; embroil. Labels: transitive 2. To brawl. Labels: intransitive, obsolete
Word: broil Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English broilen (“to quarrel, present in disorder”), from Anglo-Norman broiller (“to mix up”), from Vulgar Latin *brodiculāre (“to jumble together”) from *brodum (“broth, stew”), from Frankish *broþ (“broth”), from Proto-Germanic *bruþą (“broth”). Pronunciation: /bɹɔɪl/, /bɹaɪl/ 1. A brawl; a rowdy disturbance. Labels: archaic Example: come to broils Example: But to give the faireſt Play to every ſide of the Queſtion, I vvill own that there is a Haughtineſs, and Fierceneſs in human Nature, vvhich vvill cauſe innumerable Broils, place Men in vvhat State you pleaſe; but ovvning this, I ſtill inſiſt in charging to Political Regulations, that theſe Broils are ſo frequent, ſo cruel, and attended vvith ſo deplorable Conſequences.
Word: Japon Part of Speech: name Etymology: Possibly from New Latin Iapō̆nia or French Japon or Cantonese 日本 (jat⁶ bun²). 1. Obsolete form of Japan. Labels: alt-of, obsolete Example: Thus he [Toyotomi Hideyoshi], which in his youth had vſed to cut wood and carry it into the Market to ſell for his daily ſuſtenance, for his valure promoted in militarie honours, at laſt became the greateſt Monarch that Iapon had ſeene in eight hundred yeares, […]
Word: shuteye Part of Speech: noun 1. Alternative spelling of shut-eye. Labels: alt-of, alternative, uncountable
Word: turn into a pumpkin Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From the story of Cinderella, in which a pumpkin magically transformed into a coach reverts to its original form at midnight. 1. To go to bed; to go to sleep (especially at, or around midnight). Labels: colloquial, idiomatic Example: I'm about ready to turn into a pumpkin. You can stay up later if you want. Example: Tell her I'm turning into a pumpkin if she stays out too late. She won't be getting a lift from me. 2. Used to indicate a curfew, or the time by which one must depart. Labels: colloquial, idiomatic Example: My daughter turns into a pumpkin at 10:00, so you need to have her home before then. Example: I'm turning into a pumpkin at 4:00, so we need to finish this. 3. To cease to be special or extraordinary. Labels: colloquial, idiomatic
Word: forty winks Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From forty + winks, possibly referring to a nap supposedly lasting as long as it takes a person to wink (i.e., blink) forty times. Pronunciation: /ˌfɔːti ˈwɪŋks/, /ˌfɔɹti ˈwɪŋks/, [-ɾi-] 1. A short sleep, especially when taken during the day; a nap. Labels: idiomatic, informal, plural, plural-only Example: Near-synonyms: shut-eye, twenty winks; see also Thesaurus:shut-eye Example: As you’re so tired, why not try to catch forty winks before you leave?
Word: hit the nail on the head Part of Speech: verb 1. To identify something exactly; to arrive at exactly the right answer. Labels: idiomatic Example: He hit the nail on the head when he said the problem was the thermostat. Example: "Scotte's discovery of Witchcraft dismasketh sundry egregious impostures, and in certaine principall chapters, and speciall passages, hitteth the nayle on the head with a witnesse."
Word: hit the spot Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Likely originally reflecting either the same metaphor as scratch the itch or a shooting-at-a-target metaphor, although not always perceived through those lenses anymore. 1. To be particularly pleasing or appropriate; to be just right. Labels: idiomatic, informal Example: Some ice cold lemonade would hit the spot on a warm afternoon. Example: Even in the Midwestern summer heat, Al’s dogs hit the spot. Chicago is indisputably a hot-dog town, and there may be no better time than summer to feel that sunshine in your hands.
Word: doodad Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Unknown; attested since the 1880s. Compare earlier daud (“a piece of something”), later doohickey (“a thing (whose name one cannot recall)”), dialectal dad, dadge (“a large piece, chunk”). Pronunciation: /ˈduːdæd/ 1. Used to refer to something whose name one cannot recall: an unspecified device, gadget, part, or thing. Example: My mom has a clever doodad for peeling oranges. Example: Of course I eat an apple every evening—an apple a day keeps the doctor away—but still, you ought to have more prunes, and not all these fancy doodads.
Word: thunderboomer Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From thunder + boomer. 1. A large or dramatic thunderstorm. Labels: informal Example: Yesterday's thunderboomer gave the kids a good scare.
Word: whereof Part of Speech: conj Etymology: From Middle English wherof; equivalent to where + of. Compare the parallel formations of Swedish varav and Dutch waaraf. Pronunciation: /wɛəɹˈɒv/, /(h)wɛɹˈʌv/ 1. Of what. Labels: formal 2. Of which. Labels: formal Example: SATURNINUS: Go fetch them hither to us presently. TITUS: Why, there they are, both baked in that pie, Whereof their mother daintily hath fed, Eating the flesh that she herself hath bred. Example: However, upon a ſtrict Review, I blotted out ſeveral Paſſages of leſs Moment which were in my firſt Copy, for fear of being cenſured as tedious and trifling, whereof Travellers are often, perhaps not without Juſtice, accuſed. 3. Of whom. Labels: formal Example: Now one day of the days, […] the Sultan cast his eyes upon her as she stood before him, and said to his Grand Wazir, “This be the very woman whereof I spake to thee yesterday, so do thou straightway bring her before me, that I may see what be her suit and fulfil her need.” 4. With or by which. Labels: archaic
Word: whereof Part of Speech: adv Etymology: From Middle English wherof; equivalent to where + of. Compare the parallel formations of Swedish varav and Dutch waaraf. Pronunciation: /wɛəɹˈɒv/, /(h)wɛɹˈʌv/ 1. Of what. Labels: archaic, not-comparable Example: Anthonio. [I]n ſooth I know not why I am ſo ſad, It wearies me: you ſay it wearies you; But how I caught it, found it, or came by it, What ſtuffe ’tis made of, whereof it is borne, I am to learne: and ſuch a Want-wit ſadnesse makes of mee, That I haue much ado to know my ſelfe. Example: Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent. 2. Of which. Labels: archaic, not-comparable
Word: whereupon Part of Speech: conj Etymology: From Middle English wherupon; equivalent to where- + upon. Pronunciation: /ˌ(h)wɛrəˈpɑn/, /ˌ(h)wɛrəˈpɔn/, /ˌwɛərəˈpɒn/ 1. After which; in consequence; at which point. Example: The network went down, whereupon I made a cup of tea Example: This was followed by his presenting his sable acquaintance with a fig of tobacco, whereupon, instead of thanking the donor in the usual way, the black signified his gratitude by throwing a spear at twenty or thirty yards' distance. 2. Upon which. Example: the wet cliff whereupon he stood Example: My tender wife and children standing by, / Dewing the death-bed whereupon I lie.
Word: put two and two together Part of Speech: verb 1. To figure something out; to deduce or discern something. Labels: idiomatic Example: We didn't tell our friends that we were dating, but I think they put two and two together. Example: He prided himself on his power of observation and the accuracy of the deductions which resulted from it—a detail of his business. "It's nothing more than using one's eyes and putting two and two together," he would modestly declare, when he wished to be deprecatory rather than impressive […]
Word: wherewithal Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From where- + withal. Originally only an adverb, nominal use since ca. 1800. Pronunciation: /ˈwɛə.wɪ.ðɔːl/, /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.ðɔl/, /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.θɔl/, /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.ðɑl/, /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.θɑl/ 1. The ability and means required to accomplish some task. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: I would like to help your project, but I do not have the wherewithal. Example: Justice was sold at the tribunals, and the most enormous crimes escaped from punishment, when the criminals had wherewithal to corrupt their judges.
Word: wherewithal Part of Speech: adv Etymology: From where- + withal. Originally only an adverb, nominal use since ca. 1800. Pronunciation: /ˈwɛə.wɪ.ðɔːl/, /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.ðɔl/, /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.θɔl/, /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.ðɑl/, /ˈwɛɚ.wɪ.θɑl/ 1. In what way; how. Labels: archaic, not-comparable Example: Wherewithall shall a yong man cleanse his way? by taking heede thereto according to thy word. 2. By means of which. Labels: archaic, not-comparable Example: Rich. Northumberland, thou Ladder wherewithall / The mounting Bullingbrooke aſcends my Throne
Word: make someone's teeth itch Part of Speech: verb 1. To bother or unsettle a person; to put someone on edge. Labels: idiomatic Example: The squeaking won’t do any harm, but if it makes your teeth itch, oil the hinge.
Word: whetstone Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English whestone, whetston, whetesston, from Old English hwetstān, from Proto-West Germanic *hwattjastain (“whetstone”). Equivalent to whet (“to sharpen”) + stone. Pronunciation: /ˈʍɛtˌstoʊn/, [ˈʍɛʔˌstoʊn], /ˈwɛtˌstoʊn/, [ˈwɛʔˌstoʊn], /wɛtstəʊn/ 1. A sharpening stone; a hard stone or piece of synthetically bonded hard minerals that has been formed with at least one flat surface, used to sharpen or hone an edged tool. Example: […]for alwaies the dulneſſe of the foole, is the whetstone of the wits. Example: It was as if a stone were ground to dust; as if white sparks flew from a livid whetstone, which was his spine; as if the switchback railway, having swooped to the depths, fell, fell, fell. 2. A stimulant. Labels: figuratively 3. Alternative letter-case form of Whetstone (“benchmark”). Labels: alt-of
Word: whetstone Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English whestone, whetston, whetesston, from Old English hwetstān, from Proto-West Germanic *hwattjastain (“whetstone”). Equivalent to whet (“to sharpen”) + stone. Pronunciation: /ˈʍɛtˌstoʊn/, [ˈʍɛʔˌstoʊn], /ˈwɛtˌstoʊn/, [ˈwɛʔˌstoʊn], /wɛtstəʊn/ 1. To sharpen with a whetstone. Labels: transitive Example: Near-synonym: hone (verb)
Word: whiff Part of Speech: adj Etymology: The noun is possibly: * partly a variant of Middle English wef, weffe (“bad smell, stench, stink; exhalation; vapour; tendency of something to go bad (?)”) [and other forms], possibly a variant of either: ** waf, waif, waife (“odour, scent”), possibly from waven (“to move to and fro, sway, wave; to stray, wander; to move in a weaving manner; (figuratively) to hesitate, vacillate”), from Old English wafian (“to wave”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”); or ** wef (“a blow, stroke”), from weven (“to travel, wander; to move to and fro, flutter, waver; to blow something away, waft; to cause something to move; to fall; to cut deeply; to sever; to give up, yield; to give deference to; to avoid; to afflict, trouble; to beckon, signal”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Old English wefan (“to weave”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”)), or from wǣfan (see bewǣfan, ymbwǣfan); and * partly onomatopoeic. Noun sense 6 (“name of a number of flatfish”) is possibly derived from sense 1 (“brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air”), sense 4 (“small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.”), and other such senses. The verb and adjective are derived from the noun. Verb sense 2.6 (“to catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat”) is possibly derived from sense 1.1 (“to carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air”), sense 2.2 (“to be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air”), and other such senses. The interjection is derived from noun sense 7.4 (“a sound like that of air passing through a small opening; a short or soft whistle”). Pronunciation: /wɪf/, /ʍɪf/, /wəf/ 1. Having a strong or unpleasant odour. Labels: informal Example: [F]rom under a pile of stones [they] drew forth the new-slain corpse of a cat. […] 'Well-nourished old lady, ain't she?' said Stalky. 'How long d'you suppose it'll take her to get a bit whiff in a confined space?' / 'Bit whiff! What a coarse brute you are!' said M'Turk. 'Can't a poor pussy-cat get under King's dormitory floor to die without your pursuin' her with your foul innuendoes?' Example: Whoo boy that gear oil is pretty whiff. If you actually do this, spend the extra money for the synthetic gear oil as it will not have as bad a sulfur stink as the regular stuff.
Word: whiff Part of Speech: intj Etymology: The noun is possibly: * partly a variant of Middle English wef, weffe (“bad smell, stench, stink; exhalation; vapour; tendency of something to go bad (?)”) [and other forms], possibly a variant of either: ** waf, waif, waife (“odour, scent”), possibly from waven (“to move to and fro, sway, wave; to stray, wander; to move in a weaving manner; (figuratively) to hesitate, vacillate”), from Old English wafian (“to wave”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”); or ** wef (“a blow, stroke”), from weven (“to travel, wander; to move to and fro, flutter, waver; to blow something away, waft; to cause something to move; to fall; to cut deeply; to sever; to give up, yield; to give deference to; to avoid; to afflict, trouble; to beckon, signal”); further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Old English wefan (“to weave”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *webʰ- (“to braid, weave”)), or from wǣfan (see bewǣfan, ymbwǣfan); and * partly onomatopoeic. Noun sense 6 (“name of a number of flatfish”) is possibly derived from sense 1 (“brief, gentle breeze; a light gust of air”), sense 4 (“small quantity of cloud, smoke, vapour, etc.”), and other such senses. The verb and adjective are derived from the noun. Verb sense 2.6 (“to catch fish by dragging a handline near the surface of the water from a moving boat”) is possibly derived from sense 1.1 (“to carry or convey (something) by, or as by, a whiff or puff of air”), sense 2.2 (“to be carried, or move as if carried, by a puff of air”), and other such senses. The interjection is derived from noun sense 7.4 (“a sound like that of air passing through a small opening; a short or soft whistle”). Pronunciation: /wɪf/, /ʍɪf/, /wəf/ 1. Used to indicate a sound like that of air passing through a small opening, that is, a short or soft whistle. Example: Sir Willoughby, […] made to this extraordinary remonstrance no other reply than a long whiff, and a "Well, Russelton, dash my wig (a favourite oath of Sir W.'s) but you're a queer fellow." Example: But yonder, whiff! there comes a sudden heat, / The gravest citizen seems to lose his head, […]
Word: off the bat Part of Speech: prep_phrase Etymology: From cricket, baseball, and other sports where a bat is used to strike a ball and the players have to make an immediate decision where to run and what plays to make after a successful strike. 1. From the start; immediately; right away. Labels: US, idiomatic Example: hot off the bat; straight off the bat Example: I didn't see anything wrong, off the bat.
Word: reckoning Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Gerund of the verb reckon, from reckon + -ing. Compare Dutch rekening, German Rechnung. Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛkənɪŋ/, /ˈɹɛkn̩ɪŋ/ 1. present participle and gerund of reckon Labels: form-of, gerund, participle, present
Word: reckoning Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Gerund of the verb reckon, from reckon + -ing. Compare Dutch rekening, German Rechnung. Pronunciation: /ˈɹɛkənɪŋ/, /ˈɹɛkn̩ɪŋ/ 1. The action of calculating or estimating something. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: By that reckoning, it would take six weeks to go five miles. Example: So saying, he called for a reckoning for the wine, and throwing down the price of the additional bottle which he had himself introduced, rose as if to take leave of us. 2. An opinion or judgement. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: day of reckoning 3. A summing up or appraisal. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: My mother's father was a small-town school teacher, an occupation with somewhat more status (teachers are petit bourgeois by the standard reckoning) which nevertheless provided little more income than on my father's side. Example: The research presented in this paper is the most comprehensive and up-to-date reckoning of an expanding set of portmanteau terms based on the word English. 4. The settlement of accounts, as between parties. Labels: countable, uncountable 5. The working out of consequences or retribution for one's actions. Labels: countable, uncountable 6. The bill (UK) or check (US), especially at an inn or tavern. Labels: archaic, countable, uncountable 7. Rank or status. Labels: archaic, countable, uncountable
Word: stacker Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree English stack Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English stacker From stack + -er. Pronunciation: /ˈstækɚ/ 1. Any person or thing that stacks. Example: As behavioral scientists we are not good block stackers — we don't replicate enough or build systematically across knowledge bases. 2. Any person or thing that stacks. 3. Any person or thing that stacks. 4. Any device allowing items to be stacked. Example: a spring-loaded plate stacker in a cafeteria 5. Any device allowing items to be stacked. 6. A person who collects precious metal in the form of various small objects such as coins and bars. Labels: informal
Word: dead reckoning Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Uncertain. Not short for deduced or deductive, but this belief explains the alternative spelling ded reckoning (which actually originated centuries later). 1. A method of estimating the position of a ship or aircraft by applying estimates of the distance and direction travelled from a previously known position. In respect to ships/boats, it excludes the effect of wind and current on the vessel. Compare with estimated position. Abbreviation: DR Labels: countable, uncountable
Word: traveled Part of Speech: adj Pronunciation: /ˈtɹævl̩d/ 1. Frequented by travelers. Example: We climbed up a well traveled path. Example: Here moss engreens the travelled stone; […] 2. Experienced in travel. Example: Our guide was a much traveled young man. Example: Thou bringest the sailor to his wife, ⁠And travell’d men from foreign lands; ⁠And letters unto trembling hands; And, thy dark freight, a vanish’d life.
Word: traveled Part of Speech: verb Pronunciation: /ˈtɹævl̩d/ 1. simple past and past participle of travel Labels: US, form-of, participle, past
Word: bête noir Part of Speech: noun 1. Misspelling of bête noire. Labels: alt-of, misspelling
Word: avoided Part of Speech: verb Pronunciation: /əˈvɔɪdɪd/ 1. simple past and past participle of avoid Labels: form-of, participle, past
Word: whimper Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From dialectal whimp (“to whine”) + -er (frequentative suffix). Compare German wimmern (“to whimper, whine”). Pronunciation: /ˈwɪmpə/, [ˈwɪmpʰə], /ˈʍɪmpə/, [ˈw̥ɪmpʰə], /ˈwɪmpəɹ/ 1. A low intermittent sob.
Word: whimper Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From dialectal whimp (“to whine”) + -er (frequentative suffix). Compare German wimmern (“to whimper, whine”). Pronunciation: /ˈwɪmpə/, [ˈwɪmpʰə], /ˈʍɪmpə/, [ˈw̥ɪmpʰə], /ˈwɪmpəɹ/ 1. To cry or sob softly and intermittently. Example: The lonely puppy began to whimper as soon as we left the room. Example: At the sight of Mr. Utterson, the housemaid broke into hysterical whimpering; and the cook, crying out 'Bless God! it's Mr. Utterson,' ran forward as if to take him in her arms. 2. To cry with a low, whining, broken voice; to whine; to complain. Example: Was ther euer yet prechers, but ther wer gainſayers? that ſpurned? that winſt? that whimpered againſt him? 3. To say something in a whimpering manner. Example: “Master, please don’t punish me!” he whimpered. Example: Stripped of all bravado, Cersei breaks, and shows the very scared, vulnerable woman who has kept her emotions at bay. “I don’t want to die,” she whimpers, “Not like this.” It’s all the more moving for coming from a character who built her identity on steely resolve and contempt for such hoary conceits as fear.
Word: ergative case Part of Speech: noun 1. A grammatical case used to indicate the agent of a transitive verb in ergative-absolutive languages. Labels: uncountable, usually
Word: whinny Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English whynyen, whinien, akin to Middle English whinen (“to whine”). Pronunciation: /ˈwɪni/ 1. A gentle neigh. Example: And moving out they found the stately horse, / Who now no more a vassal to the thief, / But free to stretch his limbs in lawful fight, / Neigh'd with all gladness as they came, and stoop'd / With a low whinny toward the pair: […] Example: When my wife and I heard a plaintive whinny from our laundry room the other day, we knew that our old dryer had cycled its last load.