nandhakumarms/qualc-wiktionary-en huggingface dataset:
Word: harden Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English hardenen, equivalent to hard + -en. Cognate with Danish hærdne (“to harden; cure”), Swedish hårdna (“to harden”), Norwegian herdne (“to harden”), Icelandic harðna (“to harden”). Pronunciation: /ˈhɑɹdn̩/, /ˈhɑːdn̩/ 1. To become hard. Labels: intransitive Example: The Chief Medical Officer of London Transport believes that public opinion against smoking will harden to the point of a total bar on the Underground, as in other countries. 2. To make something hard or harder. Labels: ergative, transitive 3. To strengthen. Labels: figuratively, transitive Example: In view of the system's relatively low cost, the preferred alternative could be for the military user to avail himself of multiple base stations rather than seeking to harden the base station hardware for defense applications. Example: Ramos had locked Salah’s right arm and turned him, judo-style, as they lost balance going for the same ball. Television replays hardened the suspicion it was a calculated move on Ramos’s part and, when Salah landed with a hell of a thud, the damage was considerable. 4. To modify (a website or other system) to make it resistant to malicious attacks. Labels: transitive 5. To become or make (a person or thing) resistant or less sensitive. Labels: ambitransitive Example: (obs.) Example: When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand: but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go. 6. To get an erection. Labels: informal, intransitive Example: He hardened as he imagined himself running his hands over her small breasts 7. To become or make (a consonant) more fortis; to (cause to) undergo fortition. Labels: ambitransitive 8. To unpalatalize or velarize. Example: Of course one needs to keep in mind the fact that *tʹ and *dʹ are hardened before *e and *i in Ukrainian and Rusyn[…] Example: Belarussian preserved soft labials before vowels, hardened rʹ to r, and affricated tʹ and dʹ[…]
Word: harden Part of Speech: noun Pronunciation: /ˈhɑɹdn̩/, /ˈhɑːdn̩/ 1. Alternative form of hurden (“coarse linen”). Labels: alt-of, alternative, countable, uncountable
Word: hardens Part of Speech: verb 1. third-person singular simple present indicative of harden Labels: form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person
Word: reading copy Part of Speech: noun 1. A used book, one which may include physical wear, highlighting or marginalia and hence lacks value as a collectible, but which remains in sufficiently good condition to be suitable for someone whose primary interest is in reading the book.
Word: redundant colon Part of Speech: noun 1. A large intestine (colon) that is longer than normal and as a result has repetitive, overlapping loops
Word: Rewson Part of Speech: noun Pronunciation: /ˈɹuːsən/ 1. Acronym of Reconnaissance, Electronic Warfare, Special Operations, Navy. Labels: US, abbreviation, acronym, alt-of
Word: rex-pat Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Blend of repeat + expat. Attributed to Alan Levy, an expatriate who edited The Prague Post from 1990 until his death in 2004. 1. A repeat expatriate; one who becomes expatriated again. Labels: US, informal Example: A rex-pat is a returning expatriate, an ex-pat has been here, goes home to America, takes a job, maybe goes to law school, maybe does well in America but can't get Prague out of his or her blood and returns to Prague to live again.
Word: copyright infringement Part of Speech: noun 1. The unauthorized use of copyrighted material in a manner that violates one of the copyright owner's exclusive rights, such as the right to reproduce or perform the copyrighted work, or to make derivative works that build upon it. Labels: countable, uncountable
Word: rifacimento Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re- Italian ri- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁k- Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *dʰh₁kyéti Proto-Italic *θakjō Proto-Italic *fakjō Late Latin fāre Italian fare Italian rifare Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥ Proto-Indo-European *-mn̥tom Proto-Italic *-mentom Latin -mentum Italian -mento Italian rifacimentobor. English rifacimento Borrowed from Italian rifacimento. 1. A literary work or musical composition recast to adapt it to a change in the circumstances of the time.
Word: burnt orange Part of Speech: noun 1. A dark shade of orange.
Word: burnt orange Part of Speech: adj 1. Of a dark shade of orange. Example: As for her beauty look, the Jennifer’s Body star had dyed her long tresses a burnt-orange shade, and styled them slightly curled at the ends and down across her shoulders. She also repped a bubblegum-pink manicure with an abstract black design.
Word: curial Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French curial, from Latin cūriālis. Pronunciation: /ˈkjʊəɹɪəl/ 1. Pertaining to a court; courtly. 2. Pertaining to the papal curia. Example: In favouring the well-connected, politically and culturally sophisticated Italian merchants and diplomats who regularly arrived in England on curial business Henry killed two birds with one stone, gratifying popes by the attention and respect shown to their intimates, and employing them as his own eyes and ears at Rome […].
Word: curial Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Borrowed from Middle French curial, from Latin cūriālis. Pronunciation: /ˈkjʊəɹɪəl/ 1. A member of a curia, especially of that of Rome or the later Italian sovereignties.
Word: Rockwellesque Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree English Rockwell French -esquebor. English -esque English Rockwellesque From Rockwell + -esque. 1. Characteristic of the artwork of Norman Rockwell, particularly his idealistic, quaint, or sentimental portrayals of American life. Labels: US Example: It's an oasis in the midst of a concrete jungle,' said Dowd, a gaunt, ruddy-faced Norman Rockwellesque figure. Example: Afterward, there is a Norman Rockwellesque church supper.
Word: tuits Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of tuit Labels: form-of, plural
Word: SAFT Part of Speech: name 1. Initialism of Swiss Army Fitness Test. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Word: SAFT Part of Speech: noun 1. Initialism of Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique, a method used in image processing. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism 2. Initialism of Statistical Associating Fluid Theory, an equation of state in thermodynamics, based on statistical mechanics, that takes into account molecular interactions. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Word: deconsecrate Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *de Proto-Indo-European *-h₁ Proto-Indo-European *déh₁ Proto-Italic *dē Latin dē Latin dē-der. English de- Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Proto-Indo-European *seh₂k- Proto-Indo-European *-rós Proto-Indo-European *sh₂krós Proto-Italic *sakros Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-yéti Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂yéti Proto-Indo-European *-h₂tiinflu. Proto-Italic *-ājō Proto-Italic *-āō Proto-Italic *sakrāō Latin sacrō Latin cōnsecrōbor. Middle English consecraten English consecrate English deconsecrate From de- + consecrate. Pronunciation: /diːˈkɒnsəkɹeɪt/ 1. To remove the holy or sacred status of a place Example: The ancient Romans deconsecrated city walls with a plow, undoing the rituals that first established their course.
Word: sausage factory Part of Speech: noun Etymology: In the sense of a gathering without women, sausage is a euphemism for penis. In other figurative senses, it is an example of a food that may be made from distasteful ingredients. 1. A facility producing sausage meat products. 2. Synonym of sausage party. Labels: slang 3. An unappealing process to generate something familiar. 4. The process of creating news, involving the pursuit of stories, sources and research. 5. Dealings and compromises that take place behind the scenes to enact legislation.
Word: schwing Part of Speech: intj Etymology: The term is an onomatopoeia of the sound a sword makes when drawn from a metal scabbard. Popularized by the Wayne's World sketch on the television show Saturday Night Live. 1. An exclamation of excitement or physical attraction. Labels: US, slang Example: What a babe! Schwing!
Word: scissorbill Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From scissor + bill. 1. Synonym of skimmer: birds of the genus Rynchops. Labels: archaic 2. Synonym of razorback: a variety of pig. Labels: US, archaic 3. A fool, an incompetent; a yokel, a hick. Labels: US, derogatory 4. A foolish worker who lacks class consciousness and opposes unions; also, a company man, a drone, . Labels: archaic, derogatory
Word: scotochromogenic Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree English scotochromogen Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic English scotochromogenic From scotochromogen + -ic. 1. Of or pertaining to a scotochromogen. Labels: not-comparable
Word: I'll drink to that Part of Speech: intj 1. I agree with that; I support that opinion.
Word: screwtape Part of Speech: verb Etymology: In reference to the C. S. Lewis book The Screwtape Letters (1942), about an inexperienced demon sent to tempt a man to sin, from screw + tape. 1. To mess things up, to corrupt, to be devilish. Example: His collection of songlines and timelines snarled at him like a screwtaped confession. Example: Perhaps, beyond the lands of shadow, it will be exposed as merely a Screwtaped illusion.
Word: screwtape Part of Speech: noun Etymology: After DJ Screw, the Houston Southsider who produced the tapes. 1. One of a set of slow-tempo, lo-fi psychedelic mixtapes created by DJ Screw around 1992 Example: In addition, slab riders were not only playing the screwtapes in their decks, they were also rapping on them. Example: It's something that they have taken from the Screwtapes. The influence is just that great.
Word: seagull approach Part of Speech: name Etymology: Online references date this term back to 1988 at least as it was referenced in a marketing magazine article. 1. The occurrence of casual, ill-informed and hasty decisions or comments made by outside authorities who lack an understanding of the local issues or a real understanding of the facts of a particular situ. Labels: idiomatic, slang
Word: mitogen Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree English mitosis French -gènebor. English -gen English mitogen From mitosis (“cell division”) + -gen (“a producer of something”). 1. Any substance that stimulates mitosis
Word: coals to Newcastle Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From the importance of Newcastle upon Tyne to the English coal industry. 1. A pointless venture, in the sense of sending something to a place where it is made, or where they already have an abundance. Labels: idiomatic, plural, plural-only Example: No more coals to Newcastle, no more Hoares to Paris. Example: Honestly, sir. Your wife? Assertion training? Coals to Newcastle, surely.
Word: send to Coventry Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Some believe that the phrase dates from the English Civil War, when a military prison was located in that city. Others say it dates from the 18th century, when Coventry was the nearest town to London that lay outside the jurisdiction of the Bow Street Runners and so London criminals would flee to Coventry to escape arrest. 1. To ostracize, or systematically ignore someone. Labels: idiomatic, transitive Example: The group decided to send the unpopular members to Coventry. Example: "For the statement, in the form in which I offered it, Mr. President, I have no retraction or apology to offer, and only such explanation as I have lately given." "Coventry! Coventry!" came the insistent call. "Well, then, you can send me to Coventry, you friends of Darrin, if you feel yourselves justified in doing it!" quivered Midshipman Jetson, tossing his head and glaring defiantly around the room.
Word: senhor Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Portuguese senhor, which see for more. Doublet of seigneur, seignior, senior, señor, senyor, signore, sir, and sire. Pronunciation: /sɪˈnjɔː(ɹ)/ 1. A Portuguese gentleman.
Word: senhor Part of Speech: noun Pronunciation: /sɪˈnjɔː(ɹ)/ 1. Obsolete spelling of señor. Labels: alt-of, obsolete Example: “Senhor,” said the Spaniard, “spare me; if your life was no dearer to you than mine, it would not be worth thanks.”
Word: sentimental value Part of Speech: noun 1. The personal value of an object, derived from the personal memories associated with it. Labels: uncountable, usually Example: Despite putting up posters appealing for information to help them locate “a painting of great sentimental value” – but carefully avoiding any mention of Sorolla or the picture’s value – they drew a blank until Tuesday.
Word: serogroup Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ser- Proto-Indo-European *sér-o-der. Proto-Italic *serom Latin serumder. English serum English sero- Italian gruppobor. French groupebor. Italian gruppobor. English group English serogroup From sero- + group. 1. A group of microorganisms only differing from others by their composition in terms of antigens
Word: serogroup Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ser- Proto-Indo-European *sér-o-der. Proto-Italic *serom Latin serumder. English serum English sero- Italian gruppobor. French groupebor. Italian gruppobor. English group English serogroup From sero- + group. 1. To identify and characterize such groups
Word: service agreement Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From service + agreement. 1. A formal contract of employment, particularly where the employee has high status, like a company director. 2. A contract between two businesses where one agrees to provide a specified service to the other, such as cleaning or running a staff canteen, or between a landlord and a tenant where the landlord is going to provide services, e.g. heating and lift maintenance, to the tenant.
Word: besets Part of Speech: verb 1. third-person singular simple present indicative of beset Labels: form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person
Word: shanks' mare Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Believed to be Scottish in origin and derives from shanks' nag (shanks-naig 1774), referring to the use of shank to refer to the part of the human leg between the knee and ankle. One theory cites "shank's mare" derived from a horse-drawn lawn mower, manufactured by Shanks & Company Ltd. (founded 1853) which required that the human operator walk behind the device to guide the horse; however, references to the phrase in Scottish literature pre-date the existence of the Shanks lawn mower. 1. One's own feet used for walking. Labels: US, countable, idiomatic, uncountable Example: A public exhibition of the velocipede [a predecessor of the bicycle] ... will never come into general use in competition with Shank's mare. Example: “Well! Well! Here's Aunt Cannie. Waiting for your car?” “No suh, Mr. Henry. Shank's mare is plenty good fer me. I been ridin' dis ol' mare for more'n a hund'ed years.”
Word: whole chebang Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From chebang. 1. Dated spelling of whole shebang.
Word: indiscretions Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of indiscretion Labels: form-of, plural
Word: shout-out Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Deverbal from shout out. 1. An unscripted mention of the name of a viewer or audience member when on stage, television, etc. 2. A section of a web page, profile or blog containing these greetings. 3. A word used to give credit to or express gratitude to someone or something. Example: Shoutout to Ben for his work on the animation. Example: Shoutout cats. Aren't they just so cute?
Word: shovelbum Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From shovel + bum. 1. A professional excavator on cultural resource management projects, who has done extensive field work. Labels: US, humorous
Word: shovelbum Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From shovel + bum. 1. To excavate, to do archaeology digs. Labels: US, humorous
Word: shuck and jive Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Afro-American vernacular English. 1. To tell a misleading story, especially for advantage. Labels: derogatory, offensive, slang Example: I also tell Tony to beware of the paths that America's legacy of racism has cleared for him. There's the one for the lazy, the uneducated, criminals, homeless people or those receiving government assistance of some kind. And there's the one for those who can rap or play basketball. And then there's one, perhaps most dangerous and damaging of all, for the folks willing to shuck and jive their way to the top of some diversity-deprived corporation or government-appointed post, compromising chunks of themselves along the way just to "make it."
Word: shuck and jive Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Afro-American vernacular English. 1. Deceit. Labels: derogatory, offensive, slang, uncountable, usually Example: More often than not, the I've-really-paid-my-dues stance adopted by country singers is pure shuck and jive. That's not the case with Hank Williams Jr.
Word: Silly Billy Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Nickname of Prince William Frederick (1776–1834), Duke of Gloucester; also of William IV of the United Kingdom (1765–1837) 1. An epithet used in mild teasing for a silly person, or one who has just done something of a foolish nature. 2. Faggot. Labels: euphemistic
Word: Skinner Part of Speech: name Etymology: The family surname is occupational in origin, meaning "one who prepares skins". Before becoming used as a surname the word skinner was commonly used to identify someone who treated animal skins. Alternatively, it may be borrowed from Danish and meaning "Keeper of Robes" or "skins then worn" which also hints at the historical connection to tradespeople who were involved with furs and hides. Pronunciation: /ˈskɪnɚ/ 1. A surname originating as an occupation. Example: “As typical of a flu season, some areas are being harder hit than other areas,” said CDC spokesman Tom Skinner. 2. An unincorporated community in Audrain County, Missouri, United States.
Word: biohazard Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *gʷeyh₃-der. Ancient Greek βῐ́ος (bĭ́os) Ancient Greek βῐο- (bĭo-)der. English bio- English hazard English biohazard From bio- + hazard. Pronunciation: /ˈbaɪəʊˌhæzəd/, /ˈbaɪoʊˌhæzɚd/ 1. A biological hazard: a source of risk due to some biological factor such as bacteria or human waste. Example: The OSHA procedures for this type of environment required all investigative and emergency response personnel to wear PPE when they accessed those areas of the accident site containing biological hazards and undergo decontamination procedures after departing the biohazard area. Example: South Western Railway's Basingstoke station has donated surplus biohazard waste bags to the nearby St Michael's Hospice.
Word: sleeping together Part of Speech: verb 1. present participle and gerund of sleep together Labels: form-of, gerund, participle, present
Word: branch tee Part of Speech: noun 1. A tee pipe fitting with female connections on the two straight ends and a male connection on the branch.
Word: union tee Part of Speech: noun 1. A tee pipe fitting with female connections on all three ends.
Word: run tee Part of Speech: noun 1. A tee pipe fitting with female connections on one straight end and the branch, and a male connection on the other straight end.
Word: sloka meter Part of Speech: noun 1. A Sanskrit meter consisting of two lines of sixteen syllables each. Labels: Hinduism, uncountable
Word: SMIDSY Part of Speech: phrase Etymology: Acronym for "Sorry mate, I didn't see you." 1. Sorry mate, I didn′t see you. Labels: Australia, UK Example: “SMIDSY?” Rich chuckled, “Yeah, car pulled out into me, then literally as the guy got out and looked at me lying on the road he said,'Sorry mate, I didn't see you,' S-M-I-D-S-Y.”
Word: SMIDSY Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Acronym for "Sorry mate, I didn't see you." 1. An accident in which a larger vehicle hits a motorcycle or bicycle because the driver did not see the cyclist. Example: The motorist claimed Smidsy after the crash — ‘Sorry mate I didn't see you’. Example: Bike instructor buddy Malcolm Palmer noted a few years ago that: "most SMIDSYs happen in urban situations, when the bike is travelling at 30 or under.
Word: snuck Part of Speech: verb Etymology: The irregular form snuck originated by analogy with struck for the past of strike, stuck for the past of stick, etc. Snuck was originally limited to a few dialects, but is now very widespread (especially in American English) and is recognized by most dictionaries. The word is now one of the best examples of irregularization of a regular verb, along with dove. Pronunciation: /snʌk/, /snʊk/ 1. simple past and past participle of sneak Labels: Canada, US, form-of, participle, past Example: I snuck into the theatre because the movie had already started. Example: She thought she had snuck in without being observed ...until she felt a hand on her shoulder!
Word: son of the morning Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Hebrew בֶּן־שָׁחַר (Ben-Shahar, “son of dawn”), an allusion to the practice in the Middle East of travelers rising before dawn so they would not have to travel in the heat of day. 1. A traveler. Labels: idiomatic
Word: soraismus Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Latin, from Ancient Greek. 1. The awkward or humorous use of different languages mixed together, often using a foreign term incorrectly or in an inappropriate situation. Labels: rhetoric, uncountable
Word: sordini Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of sordino Labels: form-of, plural
Word: koka Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Borrowed from Japanese 効果 (kōka). 1. The smallest technical score that can be awarded in a judo competition. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: The referee shall announce "koka" (almost yuko) when in his opinion the technique applied by the contestant merits the score of koka (almost yuko). Should either contestant score two or further kokas, then the referee shall announce them as they are scored but shall not stop the contest for that reason. Example: As with yukos, kokas are not accumulative, so no amount of kokas are deemed equal to or greater than a yuko.
Word: spelter Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Related to, and perhaps derived from, Middle Dutch speauter. Possibly related to pewter. 1. zinc, often in blocks or ingot form. Labels: uncountable, usually 2. Zinc alloyed with another metal (especially copper), used as a solder. Labels: countable, uncountable, usually 3. An objet d'art made from zinc. Labels: countable, usually
Word: spelter Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Related to, and perhaps derived from, Middle Dutch speauter. Possibly related to pewter. 1. To combine copper and metallic zinc to form an alloy.
Word: snart Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Blend of sneeze + fart. Pronunciation: /snɑːt/, /snɑɹt/ 1. The phenomenon where one sneezes and farts at the same time. Labels: slang Example: While an occasional fart makes us laugh, snarts never do. Example: I was holding in a snart, and then right when she took the photo... don't you want to know what a snart is?
Word: snart Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Blend of sneeze + fart. Pronunciation: /snɑːt/, /snɑɹt/ 1. To fart while sneezing. Labels: slang Example: Basil choked out a laugh of his own. “It snarted?” “Snart?” She wiped at her eyes. He grinned. “Sneeze-fart. It's a thing.” Example: Okay, first of all, I look weird there because I'm snarting.
Word: standing room only Part of Speech: phrase 1. Of an event, venue, or public transportation, so full or so well attended that all the seats are occupied and the only available or remaining space is for people to stand. Example: Ever since Stourbridge-born Bellingham became huge news, fans turn out to cheer the local hero on the big screen inside the clubhouse whenever the Three Lions - who play a friendly with Australia on Friday followed by a Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy next Tuesday - are in action. "It was standing room only in here when he played for England at last year's World Cup," Andy Pountney, chairman of Stourbridge, tells BBC Sport. Example: Here [at Grantham], the train has three minutes to reverse, during which time it is suddenly packed out with shoppers heading to Nottingham. It's standing room only for those who arrive last.
Word: steely-eyed missile man Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From steely-eyed (“having a hard, strong, and determined mentality or mindset”) + missile + man. Probably popularized by the 1994 book Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13, by American astronaut Jim Lovell (1928–2025) and American author and journalist Jeffrey Kluger (born 1954), as well as the 1995 film, Apollo 13, based on the book. The film has capsule communicator 1 “Andy” (portrayed by Brett Cullen) tell a technician (Walter von Huene), whose team had devised a solution to a problem with the spacecraft's carbon dioxide filters, “You, sir, are a steely-eyed missile man.” The book implies that the term had been in use at least since the early years of NASA, which was established in 1958: see the quotation. Pronunciation: /ˈstiːliˌaɪd ˈmɪsaɪl ˌmæn/, /ˈstiliˌaɪd ˈmɪs(ə)l ˌmæn/ 1. An astronaut or engineer who quickly comes up with a solution to a difficult problem while under extreme pressure. Labels: US, humorous, often, slang Example: The "hold" in the countdown of a rocket firing has a long and infamous history. It doubtless is as old as the "countdown" itself. We Brevardians have seen thousands upon thousands of pictures of countdowns in progress, of green lights flashing, green buttons being pushed, fuming LOX [liquid oxygen] boiling off, steely-eyed missile men battening hatches and astronauts climbing aboard. Example: Among the men in the Canaveral blockhouse and the Houston control room, there was no greater tribute a controller could be paid than to describe him, in the rough poetry of the rocketry community, as a "steely-eyed missile man." There weren't many steely-eyed missile men in the nasa family. [Wernher] Von Braun was certainly one, [Christopher Columbus] Kraft was certainly one, [Gene] Kranz was probably one too. John Aaron, a twenty-seven-year-old wunderkind from Oklahoma, had recently become one as well.
Word: strategic material Part of Speech: noun 1. Any material considered crucial to national security concerns and military applications. Examples include natural resources, such as oil; alloys, such as steel, aluminum, and titanium; and composite materials, such as advanced plastics, polymers and ceramics.
Word: the straw that broke the camel's back Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Possibly from the proverb, recorded by Thomas Fuller in his Gnomologia (1732) as “’Tis the last Feather, that breaks the Horse’s Back.” This comes from an Arab proverb about loading up a camel beyond its capacity to move. 1. A small and seemingly insignificant addition to a burden that renders it too much to bear; the small thing which causes failure, or causes inability or unwillingness to endure any more of something. Labels: idiomatic Example: As the last straw breaks the laden camel's back, this piece of underground information crushed the sinking spirits of Mr. Dombey.
Word: street drug Part of Speech: noun Etymology: This term comes from the fact that these types of substances are normally sold on the street by drug dealers. 1. A drug used illegally and recreationally for its euphoric and other mind-altering effects, such as opiates, cannabinoids, benzodiazepines, amphetamines and others. Labels: slang Example: Street drug sales are a huge problem for law enforcement since they are a magnet for gun violence and drug users.
Word: Strong Island Part of Speech: name Etymology: While the exact date of the coinage is unknown, there are several claimants in the 1980's it was coined as a hip hop music term for Long Island. From Newsday: "To boost local black pride, Chuck D and the other WBAU DJs dubbed the Island Strong Island and gave special names to the emerging hip-hop strongholds." 1. Long Island in New York. Labels: slang Example: Not for nothing do bodybuilders and rappers brag and swagger about living on “Strong Island.”
Word: subgoal Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *upó Proto-Italic *supo Latin sub Latin sub-der. English sub- English goal English subgoal From sub- + goal. 1. A lesser goal that forms part of a greater goal.
Word: sucker punch Part of Speech: noun Etymology: American English, from sucker (“dupe”) + punch. 1. An unexpected punch or similar blow, on an opponent who is off guard or not active. Labels: also, figuratively Example: Benjamin crossed his right, a short punch traveling less than six inches, as he and Murphy stepped back from the breakaway. Many of the spectators did not see the blow that laid the West Philadelphian low. It was a "sucker punch," as Nick Hayes would have it. Coming out of a clinch, Benjamin took one step backward, then stepped forward before Murphy lifted his arms, crossing his right simultaneously, and zowie-- it was curtains for one of the millions of heroes of the "Big Fight." Jimmy dropped back on his haunches. His eves appeared to be clear, and he knew what he wanted to do--but apparently couldn't do it. Example: The Championship highflyers almost got their reward for a resilient performance on their first visit to the Emirates, surviving a flurry of first-half Arsenal chances before hitting back with a classic sucker punch. 2. A disabling punch targeting a place which is not normally acceptable in a "fair fight", such as on the back of the head. 3. An unprovoked or unwarranted blow with the fist.
Word: sucker punch Part of Speech: verb Etymology: American English, from sucker (“dupe”) + punch. 1. To deliver an unexpected blow. Labels: transitive Example: We stared at each other for a moment. Then, without blinking, I sucker punched him as hard as I could. He fell but instantly came back at me, head down like a bull. Example: You never say, "I'm gonna fight you, Steve." You just smile and act natural, and then you sucker-punch him.
Word: sucking urge Part of Speech: noun 1. An infant's instinctive urge to breastfeed. It is a primitive reflex.
Word: suicide Tuesday Part of Speech: noun 1. The depressive period that typically occurs midweek, nominally on the Tuesday, following weekend (Friday or Saturday) use of party drugs such as ecstasy. Labels: slang Example: 2001, June Marshall, The Dirty Seven: Ladies Beware!, AIL New Media, US, page 123, It was an Ecstasy party, but Amy abstained from the “soft” drug. […] She knew the side effects, such as “Suicide Tuesday” that occur after the drug has depleted the serotonin levels in the brain. But she didn′t want to be a party pooper. Example: 2005, Duncan Osborne, Suicide Tuesday: Gay Men and the Crystal Meth Scare, Carroll & Graf, US, quoted in 2011, Michael Shelton, Gay Men and Substance Abuse, Hazelden, US, page 26, It is called Suicide Tuesday because, as the name suggests, users feel so awful, they just want to die. For chronic meth users, the effects on the brain can grow, making each succeeding Suicide Tuesday that much more intense and the desire to get high again that much greater.
Word: Swamigal Part of Speech: name Etymology: From a South Indian word which means holy/saintly man, as commonly used in the Indian States of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.It is derived from the Sanskrit word swami (holy/saintly man). 1. A surname from India
Word: tagati Part of Speech: noun Etymology: The term is first recorded in 1836; it derives from the Zulu word umthakathi, being someone who mixes medicine, which itself comes from the Zulu thaka (mix) and muthi (medicine). The term has gradually come to be used to refer only to negative, harmful uses of medicines derived from plants, animals and minerals. 1. In South African English, a wizard, witch, or a spiteful person who operates in secret to harm others or who uses poisons and familiar spirits to carry out harmful deeds. Labels: uncountable Example: No, the average Bantu always had a dilemma; live with the wild tribes and never know when some witchdoctor's tagati would strike him down; or live with the umlungus and respect his authority (and his sjambok).
Word: taluks Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of taluk Labels: form-of, plural
Word: stegosaur Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Stegosaurus. Pronunciation: /ˈstɛɡəˌsɔr/, /ˈstɛɡəsoɹ/ 1. Any extinct herbivorous dinosaur, of the suborder Stegosauria, having two rows of bony plates along the back.
Word: technical tap Part of Speech: noun Etymology: The phrase became popular in the Second Industrial Revolution, when sometimes vacuum tubes or soldered connections would become loose. 1. A tap or a slap on a device in a way to either make it work correctly again, or break it completely. For example, hitting a TV to get its reception back, or hitting a jukebox back to life.
Word: technomad Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Blend of techno- + nomad, originally coined by Steven K. Roberts to describe a nomadic person who remains connected through communications media such as the Internet during travel, exploration, and online nomadic living. 1. An itinerant person who remains connected to the Internet.
Word: teinds Part of Speech: noun 1. In Scotland, tithes derived from the produce of the land for the maintenance of the clergy. Labels: plural, plural-only
Word: tempus fugit Part of Speech: proverb Etymology: Borrowed from Latin tempus fugit, from the third book of the Georgics by the Roman poet Virgil (70–19 BCE): sed fugit interea fugit irreparabile tempus (“meanwhile, the irreplaceable time escapes”, literally “but it flees meanwhile: irretrievable time flees”). 1. Synonym of time flies. Labels: phrasal Example: TEMPUS FUGIT!! And Christmas has Come Again, and with all its Joys and Pleasures, not the least of which IS THE ONE OF GIVING!! Example: Suddenly the assemblage began to sing. "Let the flag of the kingdom, so graceful and fair, / Be raised while its citizens sing, / 'Hurrah! Tempus Fugit!' the national air, / And kneel to our glorious king! 2. Expressing concern that one's limited time is being consumed by something which may have little intrinsic substance or importance at that moment; often, synonym of life is short.
Word: not touch with a ten-foot pole Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Sense 1 attested in 1846; sense 2 in 1844. 1. To avoid something at all costs; to refuse to associate with something; signifies a strong aversion. Labels: idiomatic Example: 1873. Ambrose Bierce (under the pseudonym Dod Grile), The Fiend's Delight In conclusion, his respect for letter-writing ladies is so great that he would not touch one of them with a ten-foot pole. Example: ... the stock's gone up from nothin' out o' sight. You couldn't tech that stock with a ten-foot pole! 2. To be unable (perhaps figuratively) to approach something or someone. Labels: idiomatic Example: On the contrary, my dear Mr. Gordon, it is because I do know him, or know of him, that I am turning him over to you. You are the one person in the world to obtain that coal lease. I confess I couldn't touch the Major with a ten-foot pole, any more than you could go North and get the cash. But you are his neighbor, and he likes you. What you recommend, he'll do.
Word: TEOTWAWKI Part of Speech: noun Pronunciation: [ti.ɑt.wɑk.i] 1. Acronym of the end of the world as we know it. Labels: abbreviation, acronym, alt-of Example: “Teotwawki.” He shrugged. “Where'd that come from?” English, please? “Teotwawki,” Rabbit repeated. That's helpful. “Which means?” “‘The end of the world as we know it.’ Teotwawki. I'll probably shorten it eventually.” Example: Conspiracists convinced of an impending apocalyptic battle will begin “preparing for TEOTWAWKI, because they appear to have a deep-seated, almost nihilistic wish for everything just to end.”
Word: kicks ass Part of Speech: verb 1. third-person singular simple present indicative of kick ass Labels: form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person
Word: kicked ass Part of Speech: verb 1. simple past and past participle of kick ass Labels: form-of, participle, past
Word: thermokinetic Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From thermo- + kinetic, the former element referring to thermodynamics. 1. Pertaining to two related subjects which are often taught simultaneously in most undergraduate physical chemistry courses, typically before the students learn quantum mechanics. Labels: US, not-comparable
Word: throw shapes Part of Speech: verb 1. To act tough or put up a front. For example, to threaten a person by making "karate chops" at them, without actually doing harm or knowing karate. Labels: Ireland, idiomatic, slang 2. To dance. Labels: Ireland, idiomatic, slang
Word: ticking Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From tick (“sheet, cover”) + -ing (“material, collection”). Pronunciation: /ˈtɪkɪŋ/ 1. A strong cotton or linen fabric used to cover pillows and mattresses. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Harvey saw with disgust that there were no sheets on his bed-place. He was lying on a piece of dingy ticking full of lumps and nubbles.
Word: ticking Part of Speech: noun Pronunciation: /ˈtɪkɪŋ/ 1. A sound of something that ticks. (For example, the second hand on a clock face.) Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Were they indeed the tickings of a hundred clocks — the fine low inward breathings of Time's children! Example: The combination of “monotony” and “variety,” which keeps the writer in a trance-like state between sleep and wake, is then characterized by the figure of a ticking watch: “If certain sensitive persons listen persistently to the ticking of a watch [...] they fall into the hypnotic trance; and rhythm is but the ticking of a watch made softer, that one must needs listen, and various, that one may not be swept beyond memory or grow weary of listening” (1961: 159). 2. An illusional style of dance where one moves his or her body to the "tic" of the music creating a strobe or animated effect. Labels: countable, uncountable
Word: ticking Part of Speech: verb Pronunciation: /ˈtɪkɪŋ/ 1. present participle and gerund of tick Labels: form-of, gerund, participle, present Example: a ticking time bomb Example: The combination of “monotony” and “variety,” which keeps the writer in a trance-like state between sleep and wake, is then characterized by the figure of a ticking watch: “If certain sensitive persons listen persistently to the ticking of a watch [...] they fall into the hypnotic trance; and rhythm is but the ticking of a watch made softer, that one must needs listen, and various, that one may not be swept beyond memory or grow weary of listening” (1961: 159).
Word: ticking Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From tick (“tick mark”) + -ing (“having the property”). Pronunciation: /ˈtɪkɪŋ/ 1. A marking that occurs on some horses, involving white flecks of hair at the flank, and white hairs at the base of the tail, called a skunk tail or rabicano, sometimes referred to as birdcatcher ticks.
Word: tired and emotional Part of Speech: adj Etymology: First used by the British satirical magazine Private Eye in 1967, in a spoof diplomatic memo to describe the state of cabinet minister George Brown. It is now used as a stock phrase and euphemism to avoid litigation for libel, and the phrase has spread well beyond the magazine. 1. Drunk. Labels: UK, euphemistic, humorous, idiomatic Example: In 2008, after what you imagine was a tired and emotional dinner, the novelist Michel Houellebecq and the philosopher Bernard-Henri Lévy determined to start writing to each other about the things that kept them awake at nights. Example: There's nothing like a singalong with tired and emotional Lib Dems [headline] 2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see tired, emotional. Example: Andy Murray was tired and emotional – in the old fashioned sense – after becoming the first player in the history of tennis at the Olympics to win back-to-back gold medals in Rio on Sunday night.
Word: to hell in a handbasket Part of Speech: prep_phrase Etymology: Images in church iconography suggest similar phrases may date back to 1515. The first attestation is from 1682, the variation to hell in a handcart is attested since 1841, and a phrase similar to to heaven in a wheelbarrow is first attested in 1618. The popularity of the variation "to hell in a handbasket" may be connected to its alliteration. 1. To go to a bad state of affairs quickly. Labels: idiomatic, informal Example: I watched as the guy in charge did nothing and the whole place went to hell in a handbasket. Example: Ralph's close vision had deteriorated quite a bit since Carolyn’s death—gone to hell in a handbasket might actually have been a more accurate way of putting it—and he had to lean forward until his brow was pressed against the dirty show window of Secondhand Rose, Secondhand Clothes before he could decipher it: […]
Word: P/N Part of Speech: noun 1. Initialism of part number (a unique, manufacturer-assigned identifier of an item or part). Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism 2. A semiconductor photovoltaic device structure in which the junction is formed between a p-type layer and an n-type layer.
Word: tranny chaser Part of Speech: noun 1. Someone who is sexually attracted to transgender or transsexual people, generally in a fetishistic way. Labels: derogatory, slang
Word: tray-table Part of Speech: noun 1. A small, tray-shaped table used to place small objects upon, and most commonly used to place meals on while watching television. 2. A fold-away tray, such as those found in front of airline seats.
Word: troglobite Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From German Troglobie (from Ancient Greek τρώγλη (trṓglē, “hole”) + βίος (bíos, “life”)). By surface analysis, troglo- + -obe + -ite. 1. An animal that normally lives entirely in the dark parts of caves, often with no functioning eyes or no pigmentation.
Word: tryptic Part of Speech: adj Pronunciation: /ˈtɹɪp.tɪk/ 1. Of, pertaining to, or produced by trypsin. Labels: not-comparable
Word: wintry shower Part of Speech: noun 1. A shower of snow, sleet or freezing rain Labels: UK
Word: control mechanisms Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of control mechanism Labels: form-of, plural
Word: scattered shower Part of Speech: noun 1. Any of a series of showers of rain, whose number, location and timing are impossible to predict Labels: UK
Word: control mechanism Part of Speech: noun 1. Any mechanical (or other) system used to keep one or more variable parameters constant, or within specified bounds.
Word: two-decker Part of Speech: noun 1. A sail warship, which carried her guns on two fully-armed decks. Usually additional guns were carried on the upper works (forecastle and quarterdeck) but this was not a continuous battery so was not counted. Two-deckers ranged all the way from the small 40-gun fourth-rate up to 80- or even 90-gun ships, with the third-rate or "seventy-four" being the archetype. 2. Synonym of double-decker (“headline covering two lines”).
Word: UMOC Part of Speech: noun 1. Initialism of ugly man on campus. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Word: vale of tears Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Calque of Latin lacrimārum vallis from the “Salve Regina” (a hymn to the Virgin Mary), based on Hebrew עמק הבכא (ʿēmeq habbāḵāʾ) from Psalm 84:6 of the Bible. The Hebrew term may mean “valley of the baka tree”, a tree of uncertain species (compare 2 Samuel 5:23–24 where baka is used to refer to a tree, and is often translated into English as “balsam tree”, “mulberry tree”, or “poplar tree”), but ancient Greek translations assumed the word intended was בָּכָה (bakhá, “to cry, weep”) and so rendered the term as “valley of weeping”, which was then used in Latin and English translations. See, for example, the Douay–Rheims Bible (1610) where the verse is numbered as Psalm 83:6. Pronunciation: /ˈveɪl əv ˈtɪəz/, /ˈveɪl əv ˈtɪɚz/ 1. The world, a place where difficulties and the sorrows of life are felt, especially (Christianity) as a place to be left behind when one dies and goes to heaven. Labels: idiomatic, literary, often, poetic, singular Example: He [Vitus Theodorus] was called to be a Paſtor at Norinberg, his own country, [...] till it pleaſed God to put an end to his labors, by tranſlating him out of this vale of tears into his Everlaſting Kingdom, Anno Chriſti 1549. Example: While we ſojourn in this vale of Tears and Sorrow, we are detain'd from the bleſſ'd Sight and Enjoyment of God; and kept from the Happineſs of juſt Men made perfect. 2. A particular place of sorrow or suffering. Labels: idiomatic, literary, often, poetic Example: That, in this pilgrimage of ſeventy years, / O'er rocks of perils, and through vales of tears, / Deſtin'd to march, our doubtful ſteps we tend, / Tir'd with the toil, yet fearful of its end: [...] Example: If, friendleſs, in a vale of tears I ſtray, / Where briers wound, and thorns perplex my way, / Still let my ſteady ſoul thy goodneſs ſee, / And with ſtrong confidence lay hold on thee; [...]
Word: very important person Part of Speech: noun Etymology: The term was coined around 1933. 1. A person who is accorded special privileges due to their status or importance.
Word: vial Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English vial, viole, a variant of fiole, phiole, phial (“small bowl or cup for liquids, etc.; flask”) [and other forms]: see further at phial. Doublet of phiale. Pronunciation: /ˈvaɪəl/, /ˈvaɪl/ 1. A glass or plastic vessel or bottle, especially a small tube-shaped bottle used to store medicine, perfume or other chemicals. Example: Take thou this vial, being then in bed, / And this distilled liquor drink thou off. Example: And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man: and every living soul died in the sea.
Word: vial Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English vial, viole, a variant of fiole, phiole, phial (“small bowl or cup for liquids, etc.; flask”) [and other forms]: see further at phial. Doublet of phiale. Pronunciation: /ˈvaɪəl/, /ˈvaɪl/ 1. To keep or put (something, especially a liquid) in, or as if in, a vial (noun sense). Labels: transitive
Word: ergative verbs Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of ergative verb Labels: form-of, plural
Word: kilted sausage Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From the resemblance of the bacon wrapper to a kilt around the sausage. 1. A sausage wrapped in bacon, traditionally served for Christmas dinner in Scotland and parts of England.
Word: PEBKAC Part of Speech: noun 1. Problem exists between keyboard and chair. See PEBCAK. Labels: abbreviation, acronym, humorous
Word: working week Part of Speech: noun 1. The days of the week that are usually worked on, i.e. Monday to Friday. Labels: UK Example: He was my North, my South, my East and West, / My working week and my Sunday rest
Word: POETS day Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Probably 20th century British; derived from the acronym Piss Off (or Push Off) Early, Tomorrow's Saturday or perhaps earlier Piss Off (or Push Off) Early, Today's Saturday. 1. Friday, the last day of the working week. Labels: Australia, New-Zealand, UK, humorous Example: He was about to walk out the door when Malika came in with the weighty, leatherbound Consejo book that recorded the Board minutes. Alex's heart sank. Malika looked surprised. ‘Malika, it's POETS day. Time to go home.’ ‘POETS day?’ ‘Yes. Piss Off Early, Tomorrow's Saturday.’ Example: ‘It's poets' day,’ said one of the crew. ‘Poets′ day?’ said Tony incredulously. ‘In Leeds?!?’ ‘Yes, POETS — Piss Off Early Tomorrow's Saturday.’
Word: Walpole Part of Speech: name Etymology: From Old English words for "wall" and "pool". Pronunciation: /ˈwɔːl.pəʊl/, /ˈwɔl.poʊl/, /ˈwɑl.poʊl/ 1. An English habitational surname from Old English from either of two places in Norfolk and Suffolk. Example: Horace Walpole, 4th Earl of Orford, English politician and writer. 2. The name of several places: 3. The name of several places: 4. The name of several places:
Word: commonest Part of Speech: adj 1. superlative form of common: most common Labels: form-of, superlative Example: All the five Scottish railways had specimens of the type and it may fairly be said that the 0-4-4 was the commonest type of engine for suburban and local passenger work. Example: The commonest theme in these upgrades has been to create capacity for long-distance trains by diverting local services and slower freight.