nandhakumarms/qualc-wiktionary-en huggingface dataset:
Word: snuff Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English snuffen, snoffen, from the noun (see Etymology 2 above). Pronunciation: /snʌf/, /snɐf/, /snʊf/ 1. To extinguish a candle or oil-lamp flame by covering the burning end of the wick until the flame is suffocated. Labels: countable, informal, uncountable Example: If you like snuff stories, Mr. Witomski's computer will send you information about the Gladiator newsletter. And if you happen to prefer killing sexual partners of the opposite sex — no problem, the computer will alter the pronouns. Example: insane woman voice: no i’m not into snuff or gore I just like when pretty femmes get their heads chopped off 2. To trim the burnt part of a candle wick. Labels: obsolete Example: The dimness of the light her candle emitted made her turn to it in alarm; but there was no danger of its sudden extinction, it had yet some hours to burn; and that she might not have any greater difficulty in distinguishing the writing than what its ancient date might occasion, she hastily snuffed it. Alas! it was snuffed and extinguished in one. 3. To snuff out; to extinguish; to put out; to kill. Labels: slang Example: Too much of a coward to snuff myself Guess I'll just have to suffer myself Example: A court yesterday rejected a challenge to the constitutionality of prohibiting same-sex marriage, snuffing hopes for marriage equality proponents to shortcut stalled legislative efforts.
Word: hustler Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree English hustle 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 hustler From hustle + -er. Pronunciation: /ˈhʌsləɹ/ 1. One who rushes or hurries; an energetic person. 2. Somebody who pretends to be an amateur at a game in order to win bets. Example: Near-synonym: ringer 3. A pimp. 4. A prostitute. 5. A prostitute. 6. A charlatan, huckster, grifter, swindler, a scoundrel. Example: Both of these people are race hustlers, though not of the same degree. Example: So why were what I consider the usual national race hustler personalities here in Minnesota? 7. One who is willing to suffer the most for the sake of company profits; a hard worker.
Word: spurge Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Old French espurgebor. Middle English spurge English spurge Inherited from Middle English spurge, from Old French espurge, from espurgier (“to purge”), from Latin expurgo (“to purge”); the bitter milky sap of these plants was formerly used as a purgative. Pronunciation: /spɜːdʒ/, /spɜɹdʒ/ 1. Any plant of the genus Euphorbia, a diverse genus of over 2,000 species. Labels: uncountable, usually Example: But cockle, spurge, according to their law / Might propagate their kind, with none to awe, / You'd think; a burr had been a treasure trove. Example: A compound of spurge, cardamom, cinnamon of Mecca, pellitory, ginger, nettle seed is an Arab specific for sexual weakness. 2. Any plant of the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. Labels: uncountable, usually 3. A plant resembling those in genus Euphorbia in some aspect of its appearance. Labels: uncountable, usually
Word: spurge Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Uncertain, but likely closely related to etymology 1, thus a doublet of purge. Pronunciation: /spɜːdʒ/, /spɜɹdʒ/ 1. To emit foam; to froth; said of the emission of yeast from beer during fermentation. Labels: intransitive Example: The body's somthing noysome: 'tis a stale one; / Good troth it spurgeth very monstrously.
Word: spineless Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree English spine Proto-Indo-European *lewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *lewHs-der. Proto-Germanic *leusaną Proto-Germanic *lausaz Proto-Germanic *-lausaz Proto-West Germanic *-laus Old English -lēas Middle English -les English -less English spineless From spine + -less. 1. Having no spines, prickles, or thorns. Labels: not-comparable 2. Having no spinal column. Labels: not-comparable 3. Cowardly, uncourageous; lacking character. Example: You can laugh / A spineless laugh Example: If this results in a society which MacIntyre has criticized as being the province of the manager, the aesthete and the analyst, types almost sinister in their philosophical lightmindedness, superficiality, programmed uninterestingness, and their depressingly spineless willingness to grant the presence of 'despicable types' for the sake of political freedom, then so be it.
Word: heil Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos Proto-Germanic *hailaz Proto-West Germanic *hail Old High German heil Middle High German heil German Heilbor. English heil Borrowed from German Heil, from Middle High German heil, from Old High German heil, from Proto-West Germanic *hail, from Proto-Germanic *hailaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos. Doublet of whole, hail, and hale. Pronunciation: /haɪl/ 1. To greet with a Sieg Heil. Example: John Smith: Our deal stands. / Wilhelm Goertzmann: North America is yours. / John Smith: And the rest of the Reich is yours. / Wilhelm Goertzmann: You have complete autonomy. / John Smith: Heil Goertzmann! (performs Nazi salute) / Wilhelm Goertzmann: Heil Smith! (performs Nazi salute)
Word: heil Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos Proto-Germanic *hailaz Proto-West Germanic *hail Old High German heil Middle High German heil German Heilbor. English heil Borrowed from German Heil, from Middle High German heil, from Old High German heil, from Proto-West Germanic *hail, from Proto-Germanic *hailaz, from Proto-Indo-European *kéh₂ilos. Doublet of whole, hail, and hale. Pronunciation: /haɪl/ 1. A Sieg Heil. Example: Nazi “heils,” Nazi songs and Nazi swastikas are distasteful to most democracy-loving citizens. Example: Health, Hitler, heils, and hatred are the “four H’s” used by United States Nazis to prevent Americanization of children whose parents are members of the German-American Bund.
Word: herpes Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Latin herpēs, from Ancient Greek ἕρπης (hérpēs, “herpes”, literally “a creeping”), from ἕρπειν (hérpein, “to creep”). Pronunciation: /ˈhɜː(ɹ).piz/, /ˈhɚ.piz/ 1. A viral infection, caused by Human alphaherpesvirus 1 and Human alphaherpesvirus 2, marked by painful, watery blisters in the skin or in the mucous membranes or on the genitals. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: This, of course, is something only people with that STI would know. For example, herpes is 437737.
Word: feedback Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From feed + back. Pronunciation: /ˈfiːdˌbæk/ 1. Critical assessment of a process or activity or of their results. Labels: uncountable, usually Example: After you hand in your essays, I will give both grades and feedback. Example: “Over the past month, the Department has held three separate meetings with the ACLU to receive feedback and engage the organization in the solutions,” the department said in a statement. “As a result of the meetings, the Department agrees that publishing FIO statistics going forward is necessary, and the Department is working toward personalizing interactions between officers and citizens.” 2. The part of an output signal that is looped back into the input to control or modify a system. Labels: uncountable, usually Example: The fact that similar cortical abnormalities can be experimentally induced in monkeys has allowed Michael Merzenich and his colleagues in San Francisco to explore an animal model of focal dystonia, and to demonstrate the abnormal feedback in the sensory loop and the motor misfirings that, once started, grow relentlessly worse. 3. The high-pitched howling noise heard when there is a loop between a microphone and a speaker. Labels: uncountable, usually Example: A loud feedback screech blasted from a speaker on the wall. It was a hailing signal of some kind.
Word: feedback Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From feed + back. Pronunciation: /ˈfiːdˌbæk/ 1. To generate the high-frequency sound by allowing a speaker to cause vibration of the sound generator of a musical instrument connected by an amplifier to the speaker. Example: The show ended with a riot of feedbacking guitars. 2. To provide informational feedback to. Labels: transitive Example: His employees feedbacked him a lot more than he wanted. 3. To convey by means of specialized communications channel. Labels: transitive Example: Customers feedbacked their complaints and some praise.
Word: rodeo Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Spanish rodeo, from rodear (“to surround”), which refers to a cattle roundup. Pronunciation: /ˈɹəʊ.di.əʊ/, /ˈɹoʊ.di.oʊ/, /ɹoʊˈdeɪ.oʊ/ 1. A gathering of cattle to be branded. 2. A North American sport involving skills with horses, cows and other livestock. 3. An entertainment event associated with the sport.
Word: rodeo Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Spanish rodeo, from rodear (“to surround”), which refers to a cattle roundup. Pronunciation: /ˈɹəʊ.di.əʊ/, /ˈɹoʊ.di.oʊ/, /ɹoʊˈdeɪ.oʊ/ 1. To perform in a rodeo show. Labels: intransitive
Word: dribbling Part of Speech: noun Pronunciation: /ˈdɹɪblɪŋ/ 1. An amount of liquid that is dribbled. Example: In dry weather, when plants are drawn out of the seed bed, and planted with a common dibber, receiving daily dribblings of water, many will perish, and all are materially injured. Example: From the mouth you early observe a dribbling of saliva of a sticky nature and mixed with air, and of a disagreeable fetor […] 2. The act of dribbling. Example: ... dribbling skills. Depending on the purpose of dribbling, an athlete can use different dribbling techniques to accomplish his/her goals. There are four dribbling skills: (1) inside of the foot dribbling, (2) innerside of the instep dribbling[…]
Word: dribbling Part of Speech: verb Pronunciation: /ˈdɹɪblɪŋ/ 1. present participle and gerund of dribble Labels: form-of, gerund, participle, present
Word: yeeha Part of Speech: intj 1. Alternative form of yeehaw. Labels: alt-of, alternative
Word: provider Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From provide + -er. Since 15th century. Pronunciation: /pɹəˈvaɪ.də(ɹ)/, /pɹəˈvaɪ.dɚ/, /pɹəˈvɑe.də(ɹ)/, [pɹəˈvɑe̯.də(ɹ)] 1. One who, or that which, provides a service, commodity, or the means for subsistence. Example: In view of this, it is clear why internet service providers (ISPs) are inclined to play a backbench role when it comes to combating file sharing. Example: Using BLE, a merchant or other provider can define more targeted "micro-locations" to trigger an alert, in some cases requiring that you be in the presence of an iBeacon in order to validate a Passbook entry.
Word: holier Part of Speech: adj Pronunciation: /ˈhəʊliə/, /ˈhoʊliɚ/, /ˈhəʊl.liə/, [ˈhɒʊliə], [ˈhɒʊɫ.liə] 1. comparative form of holy: more holy; more sacred. Labels: comparative, form-of 2. comparative form of holey: more holey; more full of holes. Labels: comparative, form-of
Word: heirloom Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Inherited from Middle English heirlome (“heirloom”, literally “a tool or article passed to one's heirs”). By surface analysis, heir + loom. Displaced native Old English fæderġestrēon. Pronunciation: /ˈɛə.luːm/, /ˈɛɚ.lum/, [ˈɛɹ.lum], /ˈeː.lʉːm/ 1. A valued possession that has been passed down through the generations. Example: Morning rehearsal starts at eleven. Wheeler takes a taxi from the hotel to the venue, bringing his tuxedo and his violin with him. His violin is an heirloom, more than a hundred years old, and while he's touring it never leaves his sight. (His tuxedo is just a tuxedo.) 2. An old crop variety that has been passed down through generations of farmers by seed saving and cultivation, in contrast to modern cultivars used in large-scale agriculture. Example: My last trip to the market barely yielded enough unmealy heirlooms for a couple of salads. Example: At Hortus Bulborum you will find heirloom narcissi that date back at least to the 15th century and famous old tulips like 'Duc van Tol' (1595) and its sports.
Word: vroom Part of Speech: intj Etymology: Imitative. Pronunciation: /vɹuːm/, /vɹum/, /vɹʊm/ 1. The sound of an engine, especially when it is revving up. Labels: often, reduplication Example: I never saw my uncle’s Ferrari, but I could always hear it going vroom as it flew past by my house.
Word: vroom Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Imitative. Pronunciation: /vɹuːm/, /vɹum/, /vɹʊm/ 1. The sound of an engine revving up. Example: Our ears are assaulted with the screeching of tires, the crashing of trash cans, the exaggerated vrooms of a revving engine.
Word: vroom Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Imitative. Pronunciation: /vɹuːm/, /vɹum/, /vɹʊm/ 1. To move with great speed; to zoom. Labels: informal
Word: dynastic Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From Ancient Greek δυναστικός (dunastikós). By surface analysis, dynasty + -ic. Pronunciation: /daɪˈnæstɪk/, /dɪˈnæstɪk/ 1. Pertaining to a dynasty.
Word: pedicure Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From French pédicure, from Latin pes (“foot”). Pronunciation: /ˈpɛ.dɪ.kjʊɹ/ 1. A cosmetic treatment for the feet and toenails. 2. A pedicurist. Labels: dated
Word: pedicure Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From French pédicure, from Latin pes (“foot”). Pronunciation: /ˈpɛ.dɪ.kjʊɹ/ 1. To apply such a treatment to the feet. Labels: intransitive, transitive
Word: nifty Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From *nift + -y. First element is of unknown origin. Possibly theatrical slang, as a shortened, altered form of Magnificat. Alternatively, perhaps a special use of US regional niffed (“put off, peeved”). Pronunciation: /ˈnɪfti/ 1. Good, smart; useful or beneficial, often in an impressively clever way. Labels: colloquial, dated Example: a nifty trick for reducing your household energy bill Example: The ‘bot makes this easier; scraping the NFL livescores page with some nifty Javascript,^([sic]) it tracks each game live for potential first-time scores; the most recent as of writing being the Chiefs beating the Texans 51-31. Not only that, but the ‘bot estimates the most likely possible scorigami scores of games in progress, keeping fans on tenterhooks until the final whistle is blown. Or is it a siren in NFL? Inquiring minds need to know. 2. Stylish. Labels: colloquial, dated Example: nifty gear Example: You look nifty in that jacket.
Word: nifty Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From *nift + -y. First element is of unknown origin. Possibly theatrical slang, as a shortened, altered form of Magnificat. Alternatively, perhaps a special use of US regional niffed (“put off, peeved”). Pronunciation: /ˈnɪfti/ 1. A possibly risqué comic story or anecdote. Labels: colloquial, dated Example: New subscribers are the life of our party (any advertiser will tell you that) just as the regular reader of CLIPPINGS becomes the life of any party (and why not with such a supply of “nifties” and bon mots). Example: Because some of the stories that the Sultana told are nifties, the plays are sometimes edited. This facilitates production and eliminates a lot of questions from the kids when they get home. 2. A trick. Labels: colloquial, dated Example: […] Winfield Sheehan had pulled a nifty on the wise guys of Hollywood and the film colony in Southern California when he disappeared for a week with a print of Sunrise, the Murnau picture recently completed.
Word: putty Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Borrowed from French potée (“polishing powder", originally "the contents of a pot, potful”), from French pot (“pot”). More at English pot. Pronunciation: /ˈpʌti/ 1. A form of cement, made from linseed oil and whiting, used to fixate panes of glass. Labels: countable, uncountable 2. Any of a range of similar substances. Labels: countable, uncountable 3. Any of a range of similar substances. Labels: countable, uncountable 4. A golf ball made of composition and not gutta-percha. Labels: colloquial, countable, uncountable
Word: putty Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Borrowed from French potée (“polishing powder", originally "the contents of a pot, potful”), from French pot (“pot”). More at English pot. Pronunciation: /ˈpʌti/ 1. Of, pertaining to, or resembling putty. Labels: not-comparable
Word: putty Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Borrowed from French potée (“polishing powder", originally "the contents of a pot, potful”), from French pot (“pot”). More at English pot. Pronunciation: /ˈpʌti/ 1. To fix or fill using putty. Labels: transitive
Word: putty Part of Speech: noun 1. Alternative form of puttee (“strip of cloth wound round the leg”). Labels: alt-of, alternative Example: “He went to’ds de back, ma’am.” The negro opened the door and slid his legs, clad in army O.D. and a pair of linoleum putties, to the ground. “‘I’ll go git ’im.”’
Word: munchkin Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Coined by American author L. Frank Baum in 1900 in his novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Perhaps reflective of German Mensch or munch + -kin. Compare Low German Menschken and Low German Minschken. Sense 5 (“donut hole”) is a genericization of the Dunkin' trademark "Munchkins". Pronunciation: /ˈmʌnʃkɪn/, /ˈmʌnt͡ʃkɪn/ 1. A child. Labels: informal Example: Picture this: your child begins his first day of group childcare, and he is suddenly surrounded by other munchkins his age […] 2. A person of very short stature. Labels: informal Example: It'll also have a keyboard configured for a munchkin (...) 3. Alternative letter-case form of Munchkin (“domestic cat breed”). Labels: alt-of 4. A player who mainly concentrates on increasing their character's power and capabilities. Example: Doesn't anybody recognize humor anymore, or have our faces gone completely stiff from thinking about good vs. evil or character balance or munchkin-zapping? Example: Munchkinism is similar to "Monty Haul" gaming; however it involves playing at incredible power levels purely for the sake of watching the terrain get blown away by player characters who are unstoppable. Munchkinism also involves "rules rape," wherein players milk every advantage out of the rules. Often a munchkin will carry a favorite character from game to game, usually with the maximum allowable ability scores, skill ratings, etc - and enough hardware/magic to destroy the planet four times over. 5. Synonym of donut hole (“ball-shaped pastry”). Labels: informal, slang 6. A pet name one used for someone considered adorable, such as a pet, child, or a romantic partner. Labels: informal
Word: twirl Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Of Scandinavian origin, akin to Norwegian Nynorsk tvirla, Old High German dweran (German zwirlen, quirlen), Dutch dwarrelen and Icelandic þyrill; all from Proto-Germanic *þwirilaz (“stirring-stick, whisk”), *þweraną (“to stir”). Or, an alteration of tirl (“to twist”), with influence from whirl. Pronunciation: /twɜːl/, /twɝl/, /twøːl/, /twɪɾl/, /tweːl/ 1. A movement where a person spins round elegantly; a pirouette. 2. Any rotating movement; a spin. Example: The conductor gave his baton a twirl, and the orchestra began to play. Example: When the cock had now crowed for the third time, and the little larks had made their first twirl in the sky, and the infant light appeared in solitary white streaks in the east, then it went hush, hush, hush, through the bushes, and flowers, and stalks; and the hills rang again, and opened, and the little men went down. 3. A little twist of some substance; a swirl. Example: Place the cream in a piping bag with a fairly large star pipe attached, fill each tartlet with a twirl of cream and top with a strawberry. 4. A prison guard. Labels: slang Example: Which was in the main childishness and pettiness, the reason for this was that most of the twirls and the governors had […]
Word: twirl Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Of Scandinavian origin, akin to Norwegian Nynorsk tvirla, Old High German dweran (German zwirlen, quirlen), Dutch dwarrelen and Icelandic þyrill; all from Proto-Germanic *þwirilaz (“stirring-stick, whisk”), *þweraną (“to stir”). Or, an alteration of tirl (“to twist”), with influence from whirl. Pronunciation: /twɜːl/, /twɝl/, /twøːl/, /twɪɾl/, /tweːl/ 1. To perform a twirl. Labels: intransitive 2. To rotate rapidly. Labels: transitive Example: See ruddy maids, / Some taught with dexterous hand to twirl the wheel. Example: No more beneath soft eve's consenting star / Fandango twirls his jocund castanet. 3. To twist round. Labels: transitive Example: He inflated his chest, twirled his moustache, and thumped the table with a revulsion to thunderous indignation. 4. To pitch. Example: When the batteries were announced, however, and Herb Pennock of the Boston Red Sox, probably the best pitcher in all baseballdom, was named to twirl for the invading team, we felt we had been tricked.
Word: weedy Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-West Germanic *weud Old English wēod Middle English weed English weed English -y English weedy From weed + -y. Pronunciation: /ˈwiːdi/ 1. Abounding with weeds. Example: weedy grounds Example: a weedy garden 2. Of, relating to or resembling weeds. Example: The wild rice has a peculiar weedy, smoky flavor, but if properly cooked is very delicious. Example: A faint weedy smell came up from the river […] 3. Consisting of weeds. Example: There on the pendant boughs her coronet weeds Clamb’ring to hang, an envious sliver broke, When down her weedy trophies and herself Fell in the weeping brook. Example: Daily the beans saw me come to their rescue armed with a hoe, and thin the ranks of their enemies, filling up the trenches with weedy dead. 4. Characteristic of a plant that grows rapidly and spreads invasively, and which grows opportunistically in cracks of sidewalks and disturbed areas. Example: a weedy species Example: a weedy vine 5. Small and weak. Labels: figuratively Example: a weedy lad Example: I’ll bring Grace, who is looking rather pale and weedy; growing too fast, I’m afraid. 6. Lacking power or effectiveness. Labels: Ireland, UK, figuratively, informal Example: a weedy excuse Example: a weedy attempt
Word: truckload Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *dʰregʰ- Proto-Indo-European *drem-influ. Ancient Greek τρέχω (trékhō) Ancient Greek -ῐ́λος (-ĭ́los) Ancient Greek τροχῐ́λος (trokhĭ́los) Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Indo-European *-i-eh₂ Proto-Hellenic *-íā Ancient Greek -ία (-ía) Ancient Greek -είᾱ (-eíā) Ancient Greek τροχῐλείᾱ (trokhĭleíā)der. Medieval Latin trochleader. Anglo-Norman troclebor. Middle English trokel English truckle? English truck English load English truckload From truck + load. Pronunciation: /ˈtɹʌkˌloʊd/ 1. The contents of a full truck or lorry. Example: A task force of 1,000 gas-masked, ready-to-shoot state troopers and sheriff’s deputies, backed in reserve by 70 truckloads of New York National Guardsmen, liberated 29 other hostages, 25 of whom were injured. 2. A large number. Labels: slang Example: We were expecting just a handful of people to come to the festival, but then a truckload of revellers started arriving at the festival gates. Example: Another meme shows an empty van. “Excellent news,” it reads. “The first truckload of your thoughts and prayers has just arrived.”
Word: commandant Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Latin con- Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂-der. Proto-Italic *manus Proto-Indo-European *dʰeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *dʰéh₁tder. Proto-Italic *-ðō Proto-Italic *manuðō Latin mandō Latin commendō ▲ Latin mandōinflu. Latin commandāre Old French comander Middle French commander French commanderder. French commandant English commandant From French commandant. Pronunciation: /ˈkɒməndænt/, /kɒmənˈdænt/, /-dɑnt/, /ˈkɒməndənt/, /ˈkɒməndɑːnt/ 1. A commanding officer, usually of a specific force or division. 2. A military rank equivalent to major used in some countries, especially when derived from French usage. 3. lieutenant-colonel Labels: South-Africa, historical
Word: mangy Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree English mange Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English mangy From mange + -y. Pronunciation: /ˈmeɪn.d͡ʒi/ 1. Afflicted, or looking as if afflicted, with mange. 2. Worn and squalid-looking; bedraggled or decrepit. Labels: broadly Example: We stayed in a really mangy hotel in New York. Example: When we came abreast again, they faced the river, stamped their feet, nodded their horned heads, swayed their scarlet bodies; they shook towards the fierce river-demon a bunch of black feathers, a mangy skin with a pendent tail— something that looked a dried gourd; they shouted periodically together strings of amazing words that resembled no sounds of human language; and the deep murmurs of the crowd, interrupted suddenly, were like the responses of some satanic litany. 3. Contemptible, despicable, low. Example: And he smote Corinius on his shaven jowl with the dice box, calling him cheat and mangy rascal, whereupon Corinius drew forth a bodkin to smite him in the neck withal; […]
Word: sterling Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English sterling, possibly from Old English *steorling, from steorra (“star”) and -ling, in reference to the stars that appeared on certain English pennies. Alternatively, the first element may be *stēre, meaning “strong” or “stout” (compare the etymology of solidus). Pronunciation: /ˈstɜːlɪŋ/, /ˈstɜɹlɪŋ/, /ˈstɛɾlɪŋ/ 1. An English silver penny first introduced by the Normans. Labels: countable Example: Nummus […] is taken for braſſe pens, or els pieces of ſiluer of the valu of a dandiprat or i. d. ob. a pece or there about, ſo that yͤ thouſand peces wer moche about the ſomme of twentie nobles sterlynges [i.e., nobles of sterlings]. Example: "I do not fear your curses," said Philippe [Philip II of France]. "You have no right to pronounce them on the realm of France. Your words smell of English sterlings." 2. A penny issued in other countries, such as Scotland. Labels: broadly, countable 3. The currency of the United Kingdom, based on the pound sterling; hence, genuine English or British currency, as contrasted with foreign currency. Labels: broadly, uncountable Example: Ophe[lia]. He hath my Lord of late made many tenders / Of his affection to me. / […] / Pol[onius]. Marry I vvill teach you, thinke your ſelfe a babie / That you haue tane [taken] theſe tenders for true pay / VVhich are not ſterling, tender your ſelfe more dearely […] Example: [D]rop the ten ſhillings into this Baſon; […] So, iſt right Iacke? iſt ſterling? 4. Short for sterling silver (“an alloy containing not less than 92.5 percent silver, the remainder usually being copper; articles made from this alloy collectively”). Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, broadly, uncountable Example: Many of the women cleaned house for other women, soaping fine china and polishing heavy sterling, […] 5. Former British gold or silver coinage of a standard fineness (0.91666 for gold and 0.925 for silver). Labels: broadly, historical, uncountable Example: […] Sterling vvas the knovvn and approved Standard in England, in all Probability, from the Beginning of King Henry the Second's Reign. But King John vvas undoubtedly the firſt vvho introduced Sterling Money in Ireland. 6. Synonym of pennyweight (“a unit of mass equal to 24 grains, or ¹⁄₂₀ of a troy ounce”) Labels: broadly, countable, obsolete Example: [E]ight of them [carats] make but one Sterlin, and a Sterlin is the 24 part of an ounce. 7. Money generally. Labels: broadly, obsolete, uncountable 8. The standard degree of fineness. Labels: broadly, obsolete, uncountable Example: [T]he Lavv hath not left it in the Povver of the Prerogative to compel the Subject to take any Money, beſide Gold and Silver of the Right Sterling and Standard.
Word: sterling Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From Middle English sterling, possibly from Old English *steorling, from steorra (“star”) and -ling, in reference to the stars that appeared on certain English pennies. Alternatively, the first element may be *stēre, meaning “strong” or “stout” (compare the etymology of solidus). Pronunciation: /ˈstɜːlɪŋ/, /ˈstɜɹlɪŋ/, /ˈstɛɾlɪŋ/ 1. Of or relating to the currency of the United Kingdom, or former types of English or British coinage. Labels: not-comparable, usually Example: […] King William [the Lion] vvas to pay 100000. l. [pound] Striueling for his ranſome, the one half in preſent coin, the other 50000 l. vpon time. Example: The Salaries of all the great Officers of this State, are very ſmall: I have already mentioned that of a Burgomaſter's of Amſterdam to be about fifty pounds ſterling a year: […] 2. Of silver: being of standard quality. Labels: not-comparable, usually 3. Of a thing: of or relating to, or made from, sterling silver. Labels: not-comparable, usually Example: The ſterling mark upon plate, and the ſtamps upon linen and vvoollen cloth, give the purchaſer much greater ſecurity than any ſtatute of apprenticeſhip. Example: [W]hat is baſe / No poliſh can make ſterling, […] 4. Of English (or (obsolete) Scottish) currency: genuine, of legal tender. Labels: archaic, not-comparable, usually Example: Pray thee peace, pay her the debt you ovve her, and vnpay the villany you haue done vvith her, the one you may doe vvith ſterling mony, and the other vvith currant repentance. Example: [I]s this base annunciation a mere swindle on the incautious, to beguile them of their time, their patience, and three shillings of sterling money of this realm? 5. Of acknowledged influence; authoritative; also, of high or excellent quality; of proven worth. Labels: comparable, figuratively, not-comparable, usually Example: […] I knovv your Opinion is current and ſterling: […] Example: This love, ſuppoſing it ſterling, I (ſtultus ego [I am foolish]!) return'd in kind: But I do not repent it. 6. Having currency (“general acceptance, recognition, or use”). Labels: comparable, figuratively, not-comparable, obsolete, usually Example: This waie of exerciſe was […] made ſterling agayne by M. Quintilian: […] Example: And if my vvord be Sterling yet in England, / Let it command a Mirror hither ſtraight, / That it may ſhevv me vvhat a Face I haue, / Since it is Bankrupt of his Maieſtie.
Word: sterling Part of Speech: noun Etymology: See starling (etymology 1). Pronunciation: /ˈstɜːlɪŋ/, /ˈstɜɹlɪŋ/, /ˈstɛɾlɪŋ/ 1. Obsolete form of starling (“a family, Sturnidae, of passerine birds; specifically, the common starling, Sturnus vulgaris, which has dark, iridescent plumage”). Labels: alt-of, obsolete
Word: sterling Part of Speech: noun Etymology: See starling (etymology 2). Pronunciation: /ˈstɜːlɪŋ/, /ˈstɜɹlɪŋ/, /ˈstɛɾlɪŋ/ 1. Obsolete form of starling (“an enclosure like a coffer-dam, formed of piles driven closely together before any structure or work, as a protection against the wash of waves, commonly used to protect the piers of a bridge”). Labels: alt-of, obsolete Example: Near the bridge the bubbles rose large as oak-apples; he was kicking four webs together, having sighted the fish. The bubbles ended in another swirl by a weed-fringed sterling, and a delicate swift water-arrow shot away between the two piers of the middle arch—the peal, or sea-trout, had gone down, passing three inches off the snapt jaws.
Word: humping Part of Speech: verb Pronunciation: /ˈhʌmpɪŋ/ 1. present participle and gerund of hump Labels: form-of, gerund, participle, present
Word: humping Part of Speech: noun Pronunciation: /ˈhʌmpɪŋ/ 1. A hump or mound. Example: The foreign ladies, in their simple, tasteful, fresh attire, innocent of the humpings and bunchings, the monstrosities and deformities of ultra-fashionable bad taste, beamed with cheerfulness, friendliness, and kindliness. 2. Sexual intercourse. Labels: slang, vulgar Example: As for sex, every man in the county knew of the famous thirty-minute humpings available from one of the 'girls' who worked out of the rear rooms of Angels Motel.
Word: lakeside Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree English lake Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-der. Proto-Germanic *sīdaz Proto-Germanic *sīdǭ Old English sīde Middle English side English side English -side English lakeside From lake + -side. Pronunciation: /ˈleɪkˌsaɪd/ 1. The ground near the edge of a lake; the land adjacent to a lake. Labels: uncountable, usually
Word: lakeside Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree English lake Proto-Indo-European *seh₁-der. Proto-Germanic *sīdaz Proto-Germanic *sīdǭ Old English sīde Middle English side English side English -side English lakeside From lake + -side. Pronunciation: /ˈleɪkˌsaɪd/ 1. By the side of a lake. Labels: not-comparable
Word: g'night Part of Speech: intj Etymology: Contraction of good night; compare g'day, g'bye. Pronunciation: /ɡəˈnaɪt/ 1. good night Labels: colloquial
Word: ting Part of Speech: intj Etymology: Onomatopoeic. Pronunciation: /tɪŋ/ 1. Representing a high-pitched sharp sound like a small bell being struck. Example: Ting, ting, ting! went the bell again. Everybody sat down; the curtain shook, rose sufficiently high to display several pair of yellow boots paddling about, and there it remained. Example: Lonnie shook the Sacajaweas from his hand and let them land noisily on the glass coffee table—ting ting ting—oblivious or indifferent or likely hostile to Ig so near to nap.
Word: ting Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Onomatopoeic. Pronunciation: /tɪŋ/ 1. A high-pitched sharp sound like a small bell being struck. Example: Through the sound of the shivering glass I could hear the "ting" of the gold, as some of the sovereigns fell on the flagging. Example: At the same moment the ting of a bell sounded sharply.
Word: ting Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Onomatopoeic. Pronunciation: /tɪŋ/ 1. To make a high-pitched sharp sound like a small bell being struck. Example: When the microwaved food was ready, the bell tinged. Example: It was built by Alco—the American Locomotive Company—and looked fairly new; it was carried on two 4-wheel bogies, and had a funny bell that tinged continuously somewhere inside.
Word: ting Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From the Wade–Giles romanization of Mandarin 鼎 (dǐng) Wade-Giles romanization: ting³. Pronunciation: /tɪŋ/ 1. An ancient Chinese vessel with legs and a lid.
Word: ting Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From thing. Pronunciation: /tɪŋ/ 1. thing, person (often referring to an attractive woman or a relation engaged in criminal schemes or disreputable connections). Labels: Caribbean, Multicultural-London-English Example: Inter, two man in Milan, heard one of my tings datin' P. Diddy / Need twenty percent of whatever she bags
Word: racquetball Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From racquet + ball. 1. A certain sport, similar to squash, but played with a bigger ball. Labels: uncountable 2. A ball used for this sport. Labels: countable
Word: cooling Part of Speech: adj Etymology: By surface analysis, cool + -ing. Pronunciation: /ˈkuːlɪŋ/, /ˈkulɪŋ/ 1. That cools. 2. Of food or medicine, according to traditional Chinese medicine: serving to cool or calm the body. Example: Steamed fish and chicken and vegetable soup and even mushrooms are considered cooling foods, edible materializations of the yang, the pure primal air. The yin, or earth element, inheres in fried dishes and especially in shark's fin soup. Am I right, Mr Lee?
Word: cooling Part of Speech: noun Etymology: By surface analysis, cool + -ing. Pronunciation: /ˈkuːlɪŋ/, /ˈkulɪŋ/ 1. A decrease in temperature. Labels: countable 2. Refrigeration. Labels: uncountable
Word: cooling Part of Speech: verb Etymology: By surface analysis, cool + -ing. Pronunciation: /ˈkuːlɪŋ/, /ˈkulɪŋ/ 1. present participle and gerund of cool Labels: form-of, gerund, participle, present
Word: prowl Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English prollen, of unknown origin. Pronunciation: /pɹaʊl/, /pɹoʊl/ 1. To rove over, through, or about in a stealthy manner; especially, to search in, as for prey or booty. Labels: ambitransitive Example: Watch the lioness prowling in the shrubbery for zebras. Example: It's easy to sneak vandalism into Wiktionary as there are few other users prowling the Recent Changes page. 2. To idle; to go about aimlessly. Labels: intransitive Example: That dandy has nothing better to do than prowl around town all day in his pinstripe suit. 3. To collect by plunder. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: to prowl money
Word: prowl Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English prollen, of unknown origin. Pronunciation: /pɹaʊl/, /pɹoʊl/ 1. The act of prowling. Labels: colloquial Example: I'm going on a midnight prowl.
Word: pooper Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree English poop 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 pooper From poop + -er. 1. The anus; often in reference to anal intercourse. Labels: slang, vulgar Example: She likes it up the pooper. 2. One who poops out on an activity; one who dampens the mood by lack of participation or negative attitude. Mostly used in the phrase party pooper. Labels: slang Example: I wanted us to have fun today. You're such a pooper cleaning the house now! 3. A selection in a slot machine game that ends the picking bonus. 4. One who poops; or, poops well. Labels: rare Example: Jimmy's toilet training is finally over; he's becoming a good little pooper. 5. One who poops; or, poops well. Labels: broadly, rare 6. A toilet. Labels: slang Example: "Here I sit, on the pooper, giving birth to a Maine state trooper." 7. Clipping of YouTube Pooper. Labels: Internet, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping Example: For whatever reason – the terrible animation or the absurd dialogue, most likely – these cutscenes are popular among poopers. Example: Many who disregard the medium are oblivious to the absurd amount of effort that some Poopers put into their projects.
Word: motorcade Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Blend of motor + cavalcade. Pronunciation: /ˌməʊtə(ɹ)ˈkeɪd/, /ˈməʊtə(ɹ)ˌkeɪd/ 1. A procession of cars carrying VIPs, especially political figures. Example: JFK was assassinated in a motorcade. Example: The aide rides, along with the president's physician, in the “control car,” third in line in the motorcade.
Word: motorcade Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Blend of motor + cavalcade. Pronunciation: /ˌməʊtə(ɹ)ˈkeɪd/, /ˈməʊtə(ɹ)ˌkeɪd/ 1. To travel in a motorcade. Labels: intransitive Example: We then motorcaded to our hotel to change into formal wear[…]
Word: give someone an earful Part of Speech: verb 1. To scold someone loudly. Labels: idiomatic, informal Example: I should never have tried to grind the computer system to a halt. Firstly I got sacked, and then my boss gave me a right earful.
Word: alcoholics Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of alcoholic Labels: form-of, plural
Word: disgruntled Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From disgruntle + -ed (suffix forming past tense and past participle forms of verbs). Pronunciation: /dɪsˈɡɹʌntl̩d/, /dɪsˈɡɹʌnt(ə)ld/ 1. In a dissatisfied, frustrated, or upset mood; in a bad temper or ill humour. Example: disgruntled employees preparing to strike over the lack of progress in talks with their employer on pay and conditions Example: About John Marin, there move sad, disgruntled beings, full of talk and lamentations. […] They bewail the fact that in America, soil is poor and unconducive to growth, and men remain unmoved by growing green. But Marin persists, and what ebullience and good humour, in the rocky ungentle loam?
Word: disgruntled Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From disgruntle + -ed (suffix forming past tense and past participle forms of verbs). Pronunciation: /dɪsˈɡɹʌntl̩d/, /dɪsˈɡɹʌnt(ə)ld/ 1. simple past and past participle of disgruntle Labels: form-of, participle, past
Word: riff Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Uncertain. Perhaps a clipping of riffle, or an alteration of refrain. Pronunciation: /ɹɪf/ 1. A repeated melody line in a song, usually instrumental but sometimes vocal. Example: Listen to one of the greatest guitar riffs of all time! Example: Jimi Hendrix's Voodoo Child has been named the greatest guitar riff of all time, 41 years after it was recorded, in a poll by website Music Radar. 2. A clever or witty remark. Example: Pope Francis delivers off-the-cuff riff on family life 3. A variation on something. Example: Both the Orbit and the Pinnacle are riffs on an idea sketched out in 1917 by Vladimir Tatlin for a monument to international communism. Example: Grok’s companions are a riff on the idea of AI assistants or agents, which some people use for friendship or romance in place of or in addition to human partners. 4. A spoof. Example: The creative team has experience with spoofing: Both [Paul] Rudd and [Amy] Poehler had parts in [David] Wain’s Wet Hot American Summer, a hysterically irreverent riff on ’80s summer-camp comedies.
Word: riff Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Uncertain. Perhaps a clipping of riffle, or an alteration of refrain. Pronunciation: /ɹɪf/ 1. To improvise in the performance or practice of an art, especially by expanding on or making novel use of traditional themes. Example: She riffed on the Olympic judges, the bobsled team, then ad-libbed with a woman drinking a martini at the front table. Example: They were great architects deeply enmeshed in an urban chain of innovation; Wright riffed on Sullivan's idea of form following function, and Sullivan riffed on Jenney, and Jenney relied on the fireproofing innovations of Peter B. Wight. 2. To riffle. Example: He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a wellworn deck of cards. He hated Saturday duty. He cut the deck and riffed the two halves together. Example: He was gracious enough to thank her, and briefly riffed through the pages before putting it in his briefcase. 3. To tell jokes over a movie or similar performance. Example: Most MSTers confine their "riffing" to original fan fiction rather than scripts from corporate-owned entertainment properties, which renders such twice-removed MSTing somewhat toothless: the cannibalizing parody of a pastiche. Example: A bad sci-fi movie is often ludicrous and silly and ripe for riffing. A bad comedy is usually just dull.
Word: riff Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English *rif (found only in midrif), from Old English hrif (“the belly; womb”), from Proto-West Germanic *hrif, from Proto-Germanic *hrefaz (“body; torso; belly”), from Proto-Indo-European *krep- (“body”). Distant doublet of corpus, corpse, and corse. Pronunciation: /ɹɪf/ 1. The belly; the bowels. Labels: archaic
Word: nosey Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree English nose Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English nosey From nose + -y. Pronunciation: /nəʊzi/ 1. Alternative spelling of nosy. Labels: alt-of, alternative
Word: nosey Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree English nose Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English nosey From nose + -y. Pronunciation: /nəʊzi/ 1. Alternative spelling of nosy. Labels: alt-of, alternative Example: Harry and Ron both leapt out of their beds and wrenched the two elves apart, though they continued to try to kick and punch each other, egged on by Peeves, who swooped around the lamp squealing, ‘Stick your fingers up his nosey, draw his cork and pull his earsies –’
Word: nosey Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Etymology tree English nose Proto-Indo-European *-kos Proto-Germanic *-gaz Proto-West Germanic *-g Old English -iġ Middle English -y English -y English nosey From nose + -y. Pronunciation: /nəʊzi/ 1. Alternative spelling of nosy. Labels: alt-of, alternative
Word: morse Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle French mors, from Latin morsus (“bite; clasp”), from mordere (“to bite”). Pronunciation: /mɔːs/ 1. A clasp or fastening used to fasten a cope in the front, usually decorative. Example: The morse bore a seraph's head in gold-thread raised work.
Word: morse Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Uncertain, perhaps ultimately from Proto-Samic *moršë. Compare Russian морж (morž, “walrus”), Sami morša, Finnish mursu (all attested later), and possibly the second element of translingual Rosmarus. Pronunciation: /mɔːs/ 1. Synonym of walrus. Labels: obsolete Example: The morse is said to roar or bellow loudly, but the animal we slew made no outcry, [...] Example: Then we passed through a great deale of small ice, and sawe, upon some peices, two morses, and upon some, one; and also diuers seales, layeing upon peices of ice.
Word: counterproductive Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱe? Proto-Indo-European *ḱóm Proto-Italic *kom Proto-Italic *kom- Proto-Indo-European *-teros Proto-Italic *-teros Proto-Italic *komterosder. Proto-Italic *komterād Latin contrāder. Old French contre- Anglo-Norman countre-bor. Middle English counter- English counter- Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *per-der.? Proto-Indo-European *pér Proto-Indo-European *-o Proto-Indo-European *pró Proto-Indo-European *pro- Proto-Italic *pro- Latin prō- Proto-Indo-European *dewk- Proto-Indo-European *déwkti Proto-Italic *doukō Latin dūcō Latin prōdūcō Proto-Indo-European *-wós Proto-Indo-European *-iHwósder. Latin -īvus Late Latin prōductīvusbor. English productive English counterproductive From counter- + productive. Pronunciation: /ˌkaʊntəpɹəˈdʌktɪv/ 1. More of a hindrance than a help. Example: The curse has been Spanish ineptitude feeding Gibraltarian intransigence. Border hold-ups are counterproductive to winning hearts and minds, as were blundering Argentinian landings on the outer Falklands. Example: It's most likely that these kinds of cuts to service frequencies, train formations, and service start and finish times would cost more in revenue than they save in cost and would therefore be counterproductive.
Word: teensy Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Baby-talk alteration of teeny, from tiny, probably modelled after itsy, itsy-bitsy, etc.; see -sy. Pronunciation: /ˈtiːn.si/, /ˈtin.si/ 1. tiny Labels: childish, informal Example: There's only a teensy chance that I'll be able to make your party, as I'm up to my eyeballs in work.
Word: teeny weeny Part of Speech: adj 1. Alternative spelling of teeny-weeny. Labels: alt-of, alternative, childish, humorous, idiomatic, often Example: She wore an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka-dot bikini
Word: showdown Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From show + down. Pronunciation: /ˈʃoʊˌdaʊn/ 1. The final battle between two opponents, in which there can be only one victor. Labels: countable, idiomatic, uncountable Example: David cut his teeth on international politics in his showdown with Goliath, a battle fit for the ages. Example: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored on his first start since recovering from malaria as Arsenal prepared for their Europa League showdown against Villarreal with a confidence-boosting win away to Newcastle at St James' Park. 2. The final round in a poker match, where all of the remaining players' cards have to be put down on the table and shown. Labels: countable, uncountable
Word: s'mores Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of s'more Labels: form-of, plural
Word: foosball Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From German Fußball, itself a calque of English football. Pronunciation: /ˈfuːsˌbɔːl/, /ˈfuːzˌbɔːl/ 1. table soccer (US), table football (UK) Labels: Canada, US, uncountable Example: […] Caleb on Tuesday, for the first time in months, had invited him to play foosball […]
Word: floozy Part of Speech: noun 1. Alternative spelling of floozie. Labels: alt-of, alternative
Word: losers Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of loser Labels: form-of, plural
Word: burdock Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English *bury dokke (attested as plural bury dokkis), equivalent to bur(ry) + dock. Pronunciation: /ˈbɜːdɒk/, /ˈbɝːdɑːk/ 1. Any of the species of biennial thistles in the genus Arctium. Example: Your love is like a studded leather headlock Your kiss, it could put creases in the rain You're rarer than a can of dandelion and burdock And those other girls are just post-mix lemonade