nandhakumarms/qualc-wiktionary-en huggingface dataset:
Word: disinterested Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From disinterest (“to cause to be impartial”, verb) + -ed (suffix forming past tense or past participle forms of verbs), or from dis- (prefix meaning ‘not’) + interested (“having a stake in; showing interest”, adjective). Pronunciation: /(ˌ)dɪsˈɪntɹɪstɪd/, /(ˌ)dɪsˈɪnt(ə)ɹɛstɪd/, /dɪsˈɪnt(ə)ɹəstəd/, /-ɾ(ə)ɹ-/ 1. Having no interest or stake in the outcome, and no conflicts of interest; free of bias, impartial. Example: [W]e ought to try our compoſures this vvay; by vvhich the ſoul, receiving them more remotely, conveyed to the ear by the voice, and from this returned to her, as it vvere, from abroad, and that onely in a tranſient ſound, ſits novv as the moſt diſintereſted Arbiter, and impartial judge of her ovvn vvorks, that ſhe can be. Example: [E]very one pretended to Right and Liberty, and to publick Good, and made loud Noiſes of their unbiaſs'd Juſtice, diſintereſted Actings, and vaſt Moderation, and yet vvere all fighting and ſnarling for Dominion over one another. 2. Synonym of uninterested (“not interested; not concerned; indifferent”). Labels: often, proscribed Example: [I]f there be caſes, vvherein the party is diſ-intereſted, and only or primarily the glory of God is reſpected and advanced, it [suicide] may be lavvfull. Example: The Mariners, vvhen in ſome furious Tempeſt they are upon point of ſinking, hovv are they amazed at the rage of the vvatry Element? […] hovv diſintereſted are they of all vvorldly matters, ſince they fling their vvealth and riches into the Sea, for vvhich they have run ſuch hazard?
Word: disinterested Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From disinterest + -ed. Pronunciation: /(ˌ)dɪsˈɪntɹɪstɪd/, /(ˌ)dɪsˈɪnt(ə)ɹɛstɪd/, /dɪsˈɪnt(ə)ɹəstəd/, /-ɾ(ə)ɹ-/ 1. simple past and past participle of disinterest Labels: form-of, participle, past
Word: eschaton Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Borrowed from Ancient Greek ἔσχατον (éskhaton, “last thing”), from the neuter singular of ἔσχατος (éskhatos, “last”). Pronunciation: /ˈɛs.kə.tɑn/, /-tɒn/ 1. The apocalypse; the approach of Christ’s reign immediately preceding the end of the world; a conception of or circumstance pertaining to this era. Example: Near-synonyms: Revelation, Armageddon Example: Only in the eschaton will God’s purpose gain its final fulfilment, a fulfilment, be it noted, which may still include some form of movement within a time-series. 2. An end or fulfilment of history in general. Labels: broadly Example: immanentize the eschaton Example: He, too, constructs a philosophical history towards an eschaton. In a peculiarly inverted manner he is among the believers in progress—the goal being the undoing of the things done.
Word: Dakota Part of Speech: name Etymology: Borrowed from Dakota dakhóta (“ally”). Pronunciation: /dəˈkəʊtə/ 1. The Santee branch of the Sioux people. Labels: countable, uncountable 2. The language of these people. Labels: countable, uncountable 3. Either of the two states North Dakota or South Dakota. Labels: countable, uncountable 4. The Dakota Territory; an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North Dakota and South Dakota. Labels: countable, historical, uncountable 5. A unisex given name transferred from the place name. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: 'Montana?' I said. 'You can't call a kid Montana'―these friends of mine were going to call their new baby girl Montana and I tried to talk them out of it, because I'm sick of Australians naming their kids after American placenames, I'm sick of all these Montanas and Delawares and Indianas and Dallases. You'd never hear it the other way around; you're not going to hear about an American kid called Warrnambool or Kooweerup― [- - -] and they said,'Okay okay, we won't call her Montana.' So they called her Dakota.
Word: Dakota Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Borrowed from Dakota dakhóta (“ally”). Pronunciation: /dəˈkəʊtə/ 1. A member of the Dakota people. 2. A Douglas DC-3 aircraft. 3. Out of air-to-ground ordinance.
Word: gamecock Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From game + cock. Pronunciation: /ˈɡeɪm.kɒk/ 1. A rooster used in cockfighting.
Word: custard Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Alteration of croustade. Pronunciation: /ˈkʌs.təd/, /ˈkʌs.tɚd/, /ˈkɐs.təd/ 1. A type of sauce made from milk and eggs (and usually sugar, and sometimes vanilla or other flavourings) and thickened by heat, served hot poured over desserts, as a filling for some pies and cakes, or cold and solidified; also used as a base for some savoury dishes, such as quiches, or eaten as a stand-alone dessert; egg custard. Labels: countable, uncountable 2. A similar sauce made from milk and cornflour or custard powder (and usually sugar, and sometimes vanilla or other flavourings) and thickened by heat. Labels: broadly, countable, uncountable
Word: custard pie Part of Speech: noun 1. A pie made from an uncooked custard mixture added to an uncooked or partially cooked crust and then baked as a whole. 2. A prop used in slapstick, consisting of an open pie filled with custard or cream (or, more often nowadays, simply a paper plate covered with shaving foam or a similar substance) that is pushed into another person's face.
Word: fighting Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From Middle English feghtyng, fyȝtynge, fightand, feghtand, feghtande, feightand, feȝtand, viȝtinde, feihtende, from Old English feohtende, from Proto-Germanic *fehtandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *fehtaną (“to comb, struggle, contend with”), equivalent to fight + -ing. Pronunciation: /ˈfaɪ.tɪŋ/, [ˈfaɪ.ɾɪŋ], /ˈfʌɪ.tɪŋ/, [ˈfʌɪ.ɾɪŋ], /ˈfɑɪ.tɪŋ/ 1. Engaged in war or other conflict. 2. Apt to provoke a fight. Example: It seems like a fighting insult, but he explains. Example: Them's fighting words in my country!
Word: fighting Part of Speech: verb Etymology: From Middle English feghtyng, fyȝtynge, fightand, feghtand, feghtande, feightand, feȝtand, viȝtinde, feihtende, from Old English feohtende, from Proto-Germanic *fehtandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *fehtaną (“to comb, struggle, contend with”), equivalent to fight + -ing. Pronunciation: /ˈfaɪ.tɪŋ/, [ˈfaɪ.ɾɪŋ], /ˈfʌɪ.tɪŋ/, [ˈfʌɪ.ɾɪŋ], /ˈfɑɪ.tɪŋ/ 1. present participle and gerund of fight Labels: form-of, gerund, participle, present
Word: fighting Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English fightyng, fightynge, fiȝtinge, feȝtyng, from Old English fihtung (“fighting”), equivalent to fight + -ing. Pronunciation: /ˈfaɪ.tɪŋ/, [ˈfaɪ.ɾɪŋ], /ˈfʌɪ.tɪŋ/, [ˈfʌɪ.ɾɪŋ], /ˈfɑɪ.tɪŋ/ 1. The act or process of contending; violence or conflict. Labels: countable, uncountable 2. A fight or battle; an occasion on which people fight Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Then here the warres end, here our fightings marde, Yet by your leave Ile stand upon my Guard. Example: Seid had fallen in the War of Tabuc, the first of Mahomet's fightings with the Greeks.
Word: cheapo Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From cheap + -o (“person with characteristic”, colloquialising suffix). 1. Inexpensive and of poor quality. Labels: slang Example: They wanted crystal champagne glasses for the party but the caterers provided cheapo plastic cups instead.
Word: cheapo Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From cheap + -o (“person with characteristic”, colloquialising suffix). 1. A person who is stingy, a miser. Labels: slang 2. Something produced and sold for low cost. Labels: slang Example: The better half's Lupo was transformed when the cheap and nasty Nankang ditchfinders came off (and they were well above the legal limit) and mid-price Kumhos went on. The cheapos compromise on grip and can become noisy. 3. A primitive trap, often set in the hope of swindling a win or draw from a losing position.
Word: consisting Part of Speech: verb Pronunciation: /kənˈsɪstɪŋ/ 1. present participle and gerund of consist Labels: form-of, gerund, participle, present
Word: xenonym Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Hellenic *ksénwos Ancient Greek ξένϝος (xénwos) Ancient Greek ξένος (xénos)der. English xeno- Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ Proto-Graeco-Phrygian *ónomã Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ Proto-Hellenic *ónomə Ancient Greek ὄνῠμᾰ (ónŭmă)der. New Latinder. English -onym English xenonym From xeno- (“foreign”) + -onym (“name”). Pronunciation: /ˈzɛnənɪm/, /ˈzinənɪm/, /ˈzɪnənɪm/ 1. Synonym of exonym.
Word: ethnonym Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From ethn- + -onym. Pronunciation: /ˈɛθnə(ʊ)ˌnɪm/, /ˈɛθnoʊˌnɪm/, /ˈɛθnəˌnɪm/ 1. The name of an ethnic group, nation, nationality, tribe, tribal alliance, clan, or other ethnic community.
Word: Steph Part of Speech: name Etymology: Female: shortened from Stephanie, from French Stéphanie. Male: shortened from Stephan. Pronunciation: /stɛf/ 1. A diminutive of the female given name Stephanie. Example: Gilmore, a guitarist, first performed with Spiderbait at Falls Festival in Byron Bay a decade ago, and has since joined the Australian rockers for a number of surfing-adjacent gigs. “Steph is a double mega shredder!” the band said recently. 2. A diminutive of the male given names Stephan or Stephen. Example: Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry has accepted the role of assistant general manager for the basketball programs at alma mater Davidson College.
Word: glossonym Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From glosso- + -onym. Pronunciation: /ˈɡlɒ.sə.nɪm/, /ˈɡlɑ.sə.nɪm/ 1. The name of a language. Example: Irish is the glossonym of the native language of Ireland.
Word: endonym Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₁n̥dóm Proto-Hellenic *éndon Ancient Greek ἔνδον (éndon)der. English endo- Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ Proto-Graeco-Phrygian *ónomã Proto-Indo-European *h₁nómn̥ Proto-Hellenic *ónomə Ancient Greek ὄνῠμᾰ (ónŭmă)der. New Latinder. English -onym English endonym From endo- (“inside”) + -onym (“name”). Pronunciation: /ˈɛndə(ʊ)nɪm/, /ˈɛndəˌnɪm/, /ˈɛndoʊˌnɪm/ 1. A name used by a group or category of people (an ingroup) to refer to themselves or their language, as opposed to a name given to them by other groups (outgroups). Example: The endonym is the basic toponymic exemplar and as such it needs to be understood properly. To do so we need to appreciate the context of space and place that produces it. Most endonyms arise from the elemental human relationship with space and place, and possess an intrinsic and enduring value which cannot normally be either bestowed or removed by political arbitrariness.
Word: brown recluse spider Part of Speech: noun 1. A venomous American spider, of species Loxosceles reclusa, that has a mark on its back in the shape of a violin.
Word: RBW Part of Speech: noun 1. Abbreviation of resolution bandwidth. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of
Word: nominator Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From nominate + -or. 1. One who nominates, the enactor of a nomination.
Word: nominates Part of Speech: verb 1. third-person singular simple present indicative of nominate Labels: form-of, indicative, present, singular, third-person
Word: strike rate Part of Speech: noun 1. The number of runs of a batter divided by the number of balls faced. 2. The number of runs scored by a batsman per 100 balls faced; the number of balls bowled by a bowler divided by the number of wickets taken. 3. Sales success as a ratio of the number of customers to the number of potential leads who were approached. Example: Cold calls are hard work, the strike rate, calling on people out of the blue (even when based on some research), is low.
Word: naiads Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of naiad Labels: form-of, plural
Word: interpreters Part of Speech: noun Pronunciation: /ɪnˈtəːpɹɪtəz/ 1. plural of interpreter Labels: form-of, plural
Word: webcomics Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of webcomic Labels: form-of, plural
Word: inhibitions Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of inhibition Labels: form-of, plural
Word: Bandjin Part of Speech: noun 1. An Australian aboriginal people of Queensland. Labels: plural, plural-only
Word: Bandjin Part of Speech: name 1. Their language.
Word: basilectal Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From basilect + -al. 1. of, or relating to a basilect Labels: not-comparable Example: I prepared the three Matched Guise samples myself, controlling the forms carefully to represent basilectal, mesolectal, and acrolectal levels of usage. Example: It is tremendously important to study basilectal speech, but this valorization process has had some unfortunate byproducts.
Word: basilect Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From basi- (“base, bottom”) + -lect (“speech”). Pronunciation: /ˈbæsɪlɛkt/, /ˈbeɪsɪlɛkt/ 1. A variety of a language that differs substantially from the standard form, and is only considered suitable for very informal contexts by speakers. Example: The highest level of good English has been called the acrolect; the lowest level of poor speech, the basilect; both are contrasted with the matrilect, the general native language. Example: In both regions English is used extensively, the spoken form ranging from, in the language of linguisticians, the basilect to the mesolect and the matrilect or acrolect (prestige English) .
Word: back yard Part of Speech: noun 1. Alternative spelling of backyard. Labels: alt-of, alternative
Word: bardolatry Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From bard + -latry, coined by George Bernard Shaw in 1901. Pronunciation: /ˈbɑː(ɹ).dɒlətɹɪi/ 1. excessive or religious worship of William Shakespeare Labels: countable, derogatory, uncountable, usually
Word: antiphony Part of Speech: noun 1. Alternate, or responsive singing by a choir split into two parts; a piece sung or chanted in this manner. Labels: countable, uncountable 2. Alternate, or responsive ideas or opinions; juxtaposition. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Besides that Cardan pleases himself with that Antiphonie in Nature, that as the Ostrich being a Bird, yet never shes in the Aire, so this Bird of Paradise should alwayes be in the Aire, and never rest upon the Earth. 3. Synonym of apophony (“contrastive vowel modification”). Labels: countable, uncountable Example: Still another phase of language which interests Professor Orr is that of vowel antiphony in the functional development of language; e.g. the “front-back” vowel sequence (tittle-tattle, et patati et patata, etc.). Example: Roman Jakobson gives evidence to show how language uses ‘antiphony’ or vowel opposition in pairs of words with opposite meanings: ‘gleam’ and ‘gloom’, ‘here’ and ‘there’, or in French ‘petit’ and ‘grand’.
Word: pointillé Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Borrowed from French pointillé. 1. A style of finishing consisting of dotted lines and curves on the covers of a book. Labels: countable, uncountable
Word: causal Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Borrowed from Late Latin causalis, from Latin causa (“cause”), equivalent to cause + -al, see cause. Pronunciation: /ˈkɔːzəl/, [ˈkʰo̞ːz̥əl], /ˈkoːzəl/, [ˈkʰoːz̥əl], /ˈkɔ.zəl/ 1. Of, relating to, or being a cause of something; causing. Example: There is no causal relationship between eating carrots and seeing in the dark. Example: No matter how often B follows A, and no matter how initially obvious the causality of the connection seems, the hypothesis that A causes B can be overturned by an over-arching theory which shows the two as distinct effects of a common underlying causal process.
Word: causal Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Borrowed from Late Latin causalis, from Latin causa (“cause”), equivalent to cause + -al, see cause. Pronunciation: /ˈkɔːzəl/, [ˈkʰo̞ːz̥əl], /ˈkoːzəl/, [ˈkʰoːz̥əl], /ˈkɔ.zəl/ 1. A word (such as because) that expresses a reason or a cause.
Word: bird's-eye view Part of Speech: noun 1. The view from directly or high above. Labels: idiomatic Example: Looking down from the seventh floor balcony gave them a bird's-eye view of the street below. Example: “What makes you think there is a mouse in this room?” “The evidence points that way.” [...] “And why were you standing on a chair?” “Sort of just trying to get a bird's-eye view, as it were.” “Do you often go looking for mice in other people's rooms?” 2. A general overview or summary of a topic. Labels: broadly, idiomatic
Word: outflank Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úd Proto-Germanic *ūt Proto-Germanic *ūt- Old English ūt- Middle English ut- English out- English flank English outflank From out- + flank. 1. To maneuver around and behind the flank of (an opposing force). Labels: transitive 2. To gain a tactical advantage over (a competitor, for example). Labels: transitive Example: Unscrupulous members offered special discounts, illegal rebates, and unauthorized underquotations to outflank their conference partners, and blamed their agents or 'invented' competition to justify these tactics. Example: Few expect the unrest to stop anytime soon. The government may hope to outflank the protest movement by painting them as unwilling to accept compromise, but even some of Lam’s allies have publicly said that the withdrawal was too little, too late.
Word: get the hang of Part of Speech: verb 1. To begin to understand or manage at a basic level; to learn to handle with some skill. Labels: colloquial, idiomatic Example: Driving feels awkward when you’re new to it, but it’s easy once you get the hang of it. Example: We got the hang of [caring for a baby], Kate and I, with some quiet, surprising guidance from a gentle male nurse whose touching lack of intrusion was so instinctive as to seem part of the pattern.
Word: thoroughgoing Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From thorough + going (adjective). Pronunciation: /ˈθʌɹəˌɡəʊɪŋ/, /ˈθʌɹəˌɡoʊɪŋ/, /-ɹoʊ/ 1. With great attention to detail; complete, thorough. Example: He did a thoroughgoing job of cleaning up the broken glass. Example: It must be reiterated, as, for the purpose of these Memoranda, the deep lesson of History and Time, that all else in the contributions of a nation or age, through its politics, materials, heroic personalities, military eclat, &c., remains crude, and defers, in any close and thorough-going estimate, until vitalized by national, original archetypes in literature.
Word: isosceles Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Borrowed from Latin īsoscelēs, from Ancient Greek ἰσοσκελής (isoskelḗs, “equal-legged”), from ἴσος (ísos, “equal”) + σκέλος (skélos, “leg”) + -ής (-ḗs, adjective suffix). See also iso-. Pronunciation: /aɪˈsɒsəliːz/, /aɪˈsɑsəliz/ 1. Having (at least) two sides of equal length, used especially of a triangle or trapezoid. Labels: not-comparable Example: Upon each exterior side draw an Isosceles Triangle of 480 Fathoms. Example: A right double pyramid is isosceles when the extremities of the vertex-edge are at the same distance from the plane of the base.
Word: deagglomeration Part of Speech: noun 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- English agglomeration English deagglomeration From de- + agglomeration. Pronunciation: /diːæˈɡlɒməɹeɪʃən/ 1. The process of breaking up or dispersing that which has agglomerated, or aggregated, or clustered together.
Word: dispersing Part of Speech: verb 1. present participle and gerund of disperse Labels: form-of, gerund, participle, present
Word: clustered Part of Speech: adj Pronunciation: /ˈklʌstəd/, /ˈklʌstɚd/ 1. Grouped into a cluster. Labels: not-comparable 2. Used as the clustering key of a clustered index. Labels: not-comparable
Word: clustered Part of Speech: verb Pronunciation: /ˈklʌstəd/, /ˈklʌstɚd/ 1. simple past and past participle of cluster Labels: form-of, participle, past Example: He was thinking; but the glory of the song, the swell from the great organ, the clustered lights, […], the height and vastness of this noble fane, its antiquity and its strength—all these things seemed to have their part as causes of the thrilling emotion that accompanied his thoughts.
Word: blackcap Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From black + cap. Pronunciation: /ˈblækˌkæp/ 1. A small Old World warbler, Eurasian blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla), which is mainly grey with a black crown. 2. Any of various species of titmouse (of the family Paridae), including the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus, syn. Parus atricapillus). Labels: UK, US, dialectal, obsolete Example: Other times the cat would run off to the hunting grounds, either the swamps or the Astroni, and when the hunters shot down an oriole or a great tit or a blackcap [translating capofuscolo], she collected them and presented them to the king with the same message. 3. An apple roasted until black, to be served in a dish of boiled custard. 4. The blackcap raspberry (Rubus leucodermis). Labels: Canada, US
Word: disagreement Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From dis- + agreement or disagree + -ment. Pronunciation: /dɪsəˈɡɹiːmənt/, /ˌdɪsəˈɡɹimənt/ 1. An argument or debate. Labels: countable Example: They had a bit of a disagreement about what color to paint the bedroom, but they have reached a compromise. Example: In any event, agreement or disagreement, joke or no joke, in my 28 years on the court I did not hear a voice raised in anger in that conference, nor were snide or personal remarks ever made. The discussion was professional, disagreements reflected legal differences on the merits, and the justices tried to find ways to reach court agreements. 2. A condition of not agreeing or concurring. Labels: uncountable Example: The theory shows considerable disagreement with the data. Example: The two sides were in disagreement.
Word: requirements Part of Speech: noun Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈkwʌɪəm(ə)nts/, /ɹɪˈkwaɪɹmənts/, /ɹɪˈkwɑɹmənts/ 1. plural of requirement Labels: form-of, plural
Word: bluethroat Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From blue + throat. 1. A small Old World passerine bird, of species Luscinia svecica, the male in spring having a bright blue throat.
Word: cut it close Part of Speech: verb 1. To barely complete something. Labels: colloquial Example: Driving 300 miles on one tank of gas was cutting it close, but we arrived safely. 2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cut, it, close.
Word: clodhoppers Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of clodhopper (especially referring to heavy or clumsy shoes) Labels: form-of, plural
Word: fulmar Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Icelandic fúlmár, from Old Norse fúlmár, from Old Norse fúll (“foul”) + már (“gull, mew”) (see English mew), evidently in reference to the foul-smelling vomit it ejects to deter predators. Pronunciation: /ˈfʊlmɑː(ɹ)/ 1. Either of two species of pelagic seabird in the genus Fulmarus, Fulmarus glacialis and F. glacialoides, which breed on cliffs. Example: In the southern districts, the Inuit hunted fulmars with bird darts from kayaks (Helms 1926). The Nipisat people may have hunted fulmar and great shearwater, probably using similar methods. Example: In particular, fulmars have the distinctive trait of vomiting half-digested fish oil when approached on the nest and should be given a wide berth wherever possible.
Word: bloodshot Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From blood + shot. 1. Reddened and inflamed because of congested blood vessels. Example: She said she was perfectly fine but I could tell she was tired; her eyes were all bloodshot. Example: Her back was toward the jungle, and so she did not see the grasses part, or the savage face that peered from between. Little, bloodshot, close-set eyes scanned her intently, roving from time to time about the open beach for indications of the presence of others than herself.
Word: BMA Part of Speech: name 1. Initialism of British Medical Association, a trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. Labels: UK, abbreviation, alt-of, initialism 2. Initialism of British Military Administration Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism
Word: BMA Part of Speech: verb 1. Beat my ass. Labels: Internet, abbreviation, vulgar Example: my sister found out i got back w my ex bf she gon bma when i get home😭
Word: there, there Part of Speech: intj 1. Conveys comfort; used to calm somebody or urge somebody to relax, especially when the person is crying. Example: "There, there," he said, as simply as though she had been a child of nine, "I'm here with you, little woman. This place certainly is enough to give anyone dreams about reptiles […]"
Word: twite Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Onomatopoeic. Pronunciation: /twaɪt/ 1. A small passerine bird, Linaria flavirostris (syn. Carduelis flavirostris), that breeds in northern Europe and across central Asia. Example: The Twite has the distinction of being the only European bird derived from the Tibetan fauna type. Example: Twites also breed in southwest and central Asia – at up to 3,500 m asl in Tibet – and it is supposed that the European relict populations became isolated during the retreat of the ice age (Voous 1960).
Word: twite Part of Speech: verb Pronunciation: /twaɪt/ 1. Obsolete form of twit. Labels: alt-of, obsolete
Word: wheatear Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Uncertain. Probably a back-formation from Middle English whit ers (“white arse”), after the prominent white rump of many species. Compare dialect forms white rump, white-tail. Possibly a compound of wheat + ear or white + ear. Attested since the seventeenth century as wheat-ears or wheatgear. Pronunciation: /ˈʍiːtɪəɹ/, /ˈwiːtɪəɹ/ 1. Any of various passerine birds of the genus Oenanthe that feed on insects, Example: What abundance of Hens, Ducks, Geese, Turkeys, Pigeons, and Larks? [...] Maychit, Stint, Sea-Plover, Pewits, Redshanks, Rayles, and Wheat-ears, Herrons, Cranes, Bitterns, Bustards, Puffins, God-wits, Example: great plenty of the birds so much admired at Tunbridge under the name of wheat-ears. By-the-bye, this is a pleasant corruption of white-a—se, the translation of the French name cul blanc, taken from their color; for they are actually white towards the tail. 2. Any of various passerine birds of the genus Oenanthe that feed on insects,
Word: wheatear Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Middle English whete-ere, equivalent to wheat + ear. Pronunciation: /ˈʍiːtɪəɹ/, /ˈwiːtɪəɹ/ 1. An ear of wheat. 2. A decorative pattern resembling an ear of wheat. 3. An anomalous form of carnation, producing small green ears instead of flowers.
Word: drum up Part of Speech: verb 1. To generate or encourage; to campaign for. Labels: idiomatic Example: The candidate gave speeches, shook hands, and kissed babies in an effort to drum up support before the election. Example: From 1910, to drum up custom, the Metropolitan would operate a luxury Pullman service from Verney Junction to Aldgate. 2. To prepare food or drink with improvised implements, e.g. while camping; especially, to make tea in something other than a tea kettle. Labels: UK, slang, transitive
Word: had better Part of Speech: verb Etymology: See better (adverb) 1. Should; ought to; need to; must. Labels: idiomatic, informal, with-infinitive Example: You had better finish that homework on time, if you want to get a good grade. Example: “Will we get it finished?” / “We had better.”
Word: go over Part of Speech: verb 1. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see go, over. Example: I'm going over to my friend's house. 2. To look at carefully; to scrutinize; to analyze. Labels: idiomatic, transitive Example: Please go over the reports to make sure we haven't missed anything. 3. To create a response or impression. Labels: idiomatic, intransitive Example: Playing a radio in the office did not go over well with his coworkers. 4. To spray paint graffiti over someone else's graffiti. 5. To encompass or cover (a subject). Labels: transitive Example: In first period, we're going over the basics of cell biology. 6. To score a try. Example: But in the closing stages Bishop spotted a gap to go over and Hook converted to set up a nervous finish for the Blues, who managed to hold on. 7. To pat down (someone) and then rob them. Labels: UK, dated, slang, transitive Example: That's who went over the butcher. 8. To turn out successful; to be well-received. Labels: dated, intransitive, slang Example: That song really went over with the audience. Example: The sex lottery went over big in its first try with number runners selling tickets and making the entire affair a very hush-hush production. 9. To convert to Roman Catholicism. Labels: dated, intransitive 10. To convert or switch sides. Labels: broadly, intransitive Example: He went over to the finance department's side in this dispute.
Word: fly on the wall Part of Speech: noun 1. A quiet, non-participating, or unseen observer; an eavesdropper or witness. Labels: idiomatic Example: James W. Gerard, ex-Ambassador to Germany, the first speaker of the evening, said that at that moment he would like to be a fly on the wall of the palace at Potsdam to hear what the Potsdam gang were saying about our soldiers. Example: I wish I'd been a little fly on his chamber wall when he found out that he had to go through the Michigan Child Custody Act!
Word: like rats from a sinking ship Part of Speech: prep_phrase 1. Quickly but futilely, away from a failing project.
Word: serein Part of Speech: noun Pronunciation: /səˈɹeɪn/, /səˈɹæn/ 1. Alternative form of serene (“light rainfall from a cloudless sky after sunset”). Labels: alt-of, alternative, uncountable Example: "She must have caught a chill from the serein, that's all!"
Word: every man for himself Part of Speech: phrase Pronunciation: /ˈɛv.(ə.)ɹi mæn fɔː(ɹ)hɪmˈsɛlf/ 1. A command, issued in case of shipwreck, that crew members are relieved of all duties and should try to save themselves. Example: Men, you have done your full duty. You can do no more. Abandon your cabin. Now it's every man for himself. 2. An expression of indifference, describing or advocating selfishness, lack of comradeship, etc. Labels: figuratively
Word: every man for himself Part of Speech: adj Pronunciation: /ˈɛv.(ə.)ɹi mæn fɔː(ɹ)hɪmˈsɛlf/ 1. Selfish. Labels: not-comparable Example: I quit show business because there was too much of an every-man-for-himself attitude going on. Example: There was an every-man-for-himself attitude during the time of the Great Depression in 1930s America.
Word: take it up the ass Part of Speech: verb 1. To be the recipient of anal sex. Labels: US, idiomatic, vulgar Example: She doesn't take it up the ass? Dealbreaker. 2. To be cheated or treated unfairly. Labels: US, idiomatic, vulgar Example: I've really been having to keep my head down to avoid really having to take it up the ass too hard at work.
Word: bleen Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Blend of blue + green; coined by American philosopher Nelson Goodman in 1955 to illustrate concepts in the philosophy of science Pronunciation: /bliːn/ 1. Of an object, blue when first observed before a specified time or green when first observed after that time. Labels: not-comparable
Word: brown noser Part of Speech: noun Etymology: A metaphorical image: when kissing the buttocks of another person, one's nose is liable to be covered in brown feces. 1. One who brownnoses (flatters or humors somebody in an obsequious manner for personal gain); one who sucks up; a bootlicker, dickrider, ass-kisser, sycophant. Labels: idiomatic Example: “Unbelievable. Boimler's cozying up with those brownnosers to get out of trash day? Such a great call.” “More trash for the rest of us. I smell adventure.” Example: “W-wait, why isn't Gumball in here with us?” [Laszlo chuckles] “Because Guillermo is the only one out of all of you that has ever shown me any kindness.” “[coughs] Brownnoser.” “And yet you all treat him so shabbily that even after all this time of waiting to become one of you... he's force to give up and take matters into his own hands.”
Word: Belfast confetti Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Slang, dating from the late 19th century. Much later made the title of a poem by Ciaran Carson. 1. Large shipbuilding rivets, nuts, bolts and other metal scrap used as missiles by Protestant shipyard workers during sectarian rioting in Belfast. Labels: slang, uncountable
Word: backhanded compliment Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Compound of backhanded + compliment. Similar figurative uses of backhanded are attested from at least the early 19th century. 1. An insult disguised as a compliment; a compliment which can be interpreted as an insult. Labels: idiomatic Example: "[…] regardless of what he may say to you, he respects your great learning, and, therefore, has immense confidence in your judgment. The poor dear cannot differentiate between erudition and wisdom." Mr. Philander, with a mildly puzzled expression on his face, turned to pursue Professor Porter, and in his mind he was revolving the question of whether he should feel complimented or aggrieved at Miss Porter's rather back-handed compliment. Example: Perhaps, finally, the Netherlands will shed itself of the backhanded compliment of being the best team never to win a world championship.
Word: BNWT Part of Speech: adj 1. Initialism of brand new with tags. Labels: abbreviation, alt-of, initialism, not-comparable
Word: Tubigrip Part of Speech: name Etymology: Trade name, from tube and grip. 1. An elasticated tubular bandage designed to provide support for sprains, strains and weak joints.
Word: whinchat Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From whin + chat (“type of songbird”). 1. A small Old World songbird, Saxicola rubetra, that feeds on insects.
Word: cameo lighting Part of Speech: noun 1. A sort of spotlight that accentuates a single person and possibly a few props in the scene. Labels: uncountable
Word: tricameral Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree English tri- Latin camera Proto-Italic *-ālis Latin -ālisbor. Old French -albor. ▲ Latin -ālis Old French -elbor. ▲ Latin -ālisbor. Middle English -al English -al English tricameral From tri- + Latin camera (“chamber”) + English -al. Pronunciation: /tɹaɪˈkaməɹəl/ 1. Having three legislative chambers. Labels: not-comparable
Word: cable box Part of Speech: noun 1. A set top box connecting a house to its cable service. 2. A device given out by some cable television services that allows the user to have more channels on their television than they would have without the cable box. 3. A descrambler used to descramble scrambled television channels on cable TV.
Word: carcinophobia Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From carcino- + -phobia. Pronunciation: /ˌkɑɹsɪnəˈfoʊbi.ə/, /ˌkɑːsɪnəˈfəʊːbi.ə/ 1. Inordinate dread of contracting cancer. Labels: uncountable
Word: carbon sequestering Part of Speech: noun 1. a process whereby trees and other plants remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and through photosynthesis, turn it into plant material Labels: uncountable
Word: capital grant Part of Speech: noun 1. A grant that helps to cover initial costs.
Word: business record Part of Speech: noun 1. A recording of business dealings that must be retrievable at a later date so that the business dealings can be accurately reviewed as required.
Word: stonechat Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From stone + chat. 1. Any of various small Old World passerine birds of the genus Saxicola that feed on insects.
Word: brown bag Part of Speech: noun Etymology: (presentation): From the brown paper bag traditionally used to carry one's own packed lunch from home. 1. A brown paper bag. 2. A short presentation or seminar on a given subject, especially one given at lunchtime. Labels: idiomatic Example: Did you attend the brown bag Tuesday on healthy exercise habits? Example: So what student would choose to work in Washington for zero compensation, with benefits listed as "brown-bags," "farewell reception" and "athletic and service opportunities"?
Word: brown bag Part of Speech: verb Etymology: (presentation): From the brown paper bag traditionally used to carry one's own packed lunch from home. 1. To carry one's packed lunch from home, either literally or figuratively in a brown paper bag or a lunchbox, rather than purchase it from a cafeteria or restaurant. Labels: ambitransitive, informal Example: I'm brown bagging it again this month because the combination of healthy plus inexpensive is hard to beat otherwise. 2. To consume alcohol in public from the bottle or can, while it is held concealed inside a brown paper bag, so as to avoid attention e.g. from the police. Labels: ambitransitive, informal Example: I'm brown bagging it again today because I haven't managed to kick this habit yet. 3. To plant seed saved from one's own harvest, as opposed to buying new seed from a seed company. Labels: ambitransitive, informal Example: I'm brown bagging it again this year because I don't need to be spending money on expensive hybrids.
Word: bricker Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From brick + -er. Pronunciation: /ˈbɹɪkɚ/ 1. A brickmaker. 2. A bricklayer.
Word: bretch Part of Speech: noun Pronunciation: /bɹɛt͡ʃ/ 1. Alternative form of breach. Labels: alt-of, alternative, obsolete
Word: brain worker Part of Speech: noun 1. Synonym of knowledge worker.
Word: brahmadanda Part of Speech: noun Etymology: From Sanskrit ब्रह्मन् (brahman, “Brahma”) + दण्ड (daṇḍa, “rod, staff”). Pronunciation: /ˌbɹɑː.məˈdʌn.də/, /ˌbɹʌh.məˈdʌn.də/ 1. Literally, the rod of Brahma; also used of bamboo rods carried by Indian ascetics. 2. A form of punishment, apparently social excommunication. 3. The spine.
Word: tatties Part of Speech: noun 1. plural of tatty Labels: form-of, plural
Word: homespun Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *ḱóymos Proto-Indo-European *tḱóymos Proto-Germanic *haimaz Proto-West Germanic *haim Old English hām Middle English hōm English home English spun English homespun From home + spun. Pronunciation: /ˈhoʊmˌspʌn/ 1. Spun in the home. Labels: not-comparable 2. Woven in the home. Labels: not-comparable 3. Made from homespun fabric. Labels: not-comparable, usually Example: homespun country garbs Example: He became more and more excited; he rose from the sofa, walked up and down the floor with hurried steps and fought with his hands in the air, till the light flickered hither and thither, while the sweeping tail of his long grey home-spun coat described long circles every time he swung himself round and raised himself on his longer leg, for, like Tyrtaeus and Peter Solvold of our parish, he was afflicted with a limp. 4. Plain and homely; unsophisticated and unpretentious. Labels: broadly, not-comparable Example: homespun wisdom Example: our homespun English proverb
Word: homespun Part of Speech: noun Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱey- Proto-Indo-European *-mos Proto-Indo-European *ḱóymos Proto-Indo-European *tḱóymos Proto-Germanic *haimaz Proto-West Germanic *haim Old English hām Middle English hōm English home English spun English homespun From home + spun. Pronunciation: /ˈhoʊmˌspʌn/ 1. Fabric made from homespun yarn; clothing made from it. Also, machine made fabrics (usually cottons) similar to homespun fabrics in that solids, plaids, or stripes are created by weaving dyed threads (rather than printing), so that both sides of the fabric look the same. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: There are four men, heavily bearded and more than a little dirty, and two young women, all of them busy with shovels in or around an opened grave and all dressed identically in shirts and trousers of tattered homespun. Example: By this time, his rough homespun had been cast off for a suit of buff and blue, with buckskin breeches, his muddy brogans for the latest top boots. 2. An unpolished, rustic person. Labels: countable, obsolete, uncountable Example: What hempen home-ſpuns haue we ſwaggering here, / So neere the Cradle of the Faierie Queene?
Word: Homer Part of Speech: name Etymology: From Latin Homērus, from Ancient Greek Ὅμηρος (Hómēros). Pronunciation: /ˈhəʊmə/, /ˈhoʊməɹ/ 1. An ancient Greek epic poet of the 8th century BCE, who is credited as the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Labels: countable, uncountable 2. A male given name from Ancient Greek. Labels: countable, uncountable Example: What’s this? “Extremely High Voltage”. Well, I don’t need safety gloves because I’m Homer Simp-*gets zapped to death* 3. A town, the county seat of Banks County, Georgia, United States. Labels: countable, uncountable 4. A town, the parish seat of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States. Labels: countable, uncountable 5. A number of townships in the United States, listed under Homer Township. Labels: countable, uncountable
Word: Homer Part of Speech: name Etymology: From Middle English [Term?], an occupational name for a helmet maker, or a variant of Holme. Pronunciation: /ˈhəʊmə/, /ˈhoʊməɹ/ 1. A surname from Middle English.
Word: Hispanism Part of Speech: noun 1. The study of the Spanish language or culture. Labels: countable, uncountable 2. A Spanish word, phrase or idiom used in another language. Labels: countable, rhetoric, uncountable
Word: Hindostan Part of Speech: name 1. Alternative spelling of Hindustan. Labels: alt-of, alternative
Word: Hindustan Part of Speech: name Etymology: Borrowed from Hindustani ہِنْدُوسْتان (hindūstān) / हिंदुस्तान (hindustān), itself from Classical Persian هِنْدُوسْتَان (hindūstān, “Indian subcontinent”). By surface analysis, Hindu + -stan. 1. India (Republic of India). Labels: colloquial 2. The entire region of the Indian subcontinent. Labels: dated Example: He did not wish to steal anything. He only desired to know what to steal, and, incidentally, how to get away when he had stolen it. He thanked all the Gods of Hindustan, and Herbert Spencer, that there remained some valuables to steal. Example: “The Government of Her Majesty the Queen, Empress of India, […] says the movement is ‘for the remission of tax, the advancement of Hindustan, and the strengthening of the British Government.’ 3. The northern (properly north central) region of India. Labels: obsolete
Word: hellion Part of Speech: noun Etymology: An alteration, under the influence of hell, of northern English/Scottish dialectal hallion (“scamp, worthless fellow”), of unknown origin. Pronunciation: /ˈhɛliən/ 1. An unruly, rowdy or mischievous person, especially a child. 2. An evil person. 3. The larva of the dobsonfly.
Word: hellion Part of Speech: adj Etymology: An alteration, under the influence of hell, of northern English/Scottish dialectal hallion (“scamp, worthless fellow”), of unknown origin. Pronunciation: /ˈhɛliən/ 1. Cursed, ill-fated. Labels: not-comparable
Word: hellacious Part of Speech: adj Etymology: Unclear origins; perhaps from hell + -acious Pronunciation: /hɛˈleɪʃəs/ 1. horrible, awful, hellish, agonizing, difficult. Example: Because he throws so many hellacious punches, he has the chance of knocking out any fighter on any given night. 2. nasty, repellent. 3. Remarkable, unbelievable, unusual. Labels: slang
Word: eat humble pie Part of Speech: verb Etymology: The spoken phrase a numble pie (a pie made from the entrails of a deer) was rebracketed as an umble pie, then written as (a) humble pie, after which the figurative meaning developed. 1. To admit one's faults; to make a humiliating apology. Labels: idiomatic, intransitive Example: They were good-natured enough out of their cups, and ate their humble-pie with very good appetites at a reconciliation dinner which Colonel W. had with the 44th, and where he was as perfectly stupid and correct as Prince Prettyman need be. Hang him! Example: Polly had a spice of girlish malice, and rather liked to see domineering Tom eat humble-pie, just enough to do him good, you know.
Word: get into someone's pants Part of Speech: verb 1. To have sex with someone, especially for the first time. Labels: colloquial, idiomatic Example: Remember that day? First day I was there. I knew that I couldn't get into your pants unless I said… um… what did I say? Oh yeah, “May I have my bill please, I have to leave?” Example: The call had come to her at the diner where she worked, and in her dreams, Norville, the short-order cook who had always been trying to get into her pants in those days, turned to her again and again, holding out the telephone.
Word: core hours Part of Speech: noun 1. The fixed block of time during which an employee is expected to be at work; excludes flexitime and leave. Labels: plural, plural-only
Word: hypnotisation Part of Speech: noun 1. Alternative spelling of hypnotization. Labels: alt-of, alternative
Word: humanitarian Part of Speech: adj Etymology: From humanity + -arian (suffix indicating an advocate of or believer in something), possibly modelled after Unitarian (“Christian who does not believe in the doctrine of the Trinity; pertaining to Unitarianism”) (see noun sense 2 and verb sense 2). Pronunciation: /hjʊˌmæ.nɪˈtɛː.ɹɪ.ən/, [-ɛə.ɹi.ən], /hjuˌmæ.nəˈtɛ.ɹi.ən/, /ˌhjuː.mæ.nɪˈtɛː.ɹɪ.ən/ 1. Relating to people's welfare. Example: So far as the followers of Jesus have woven the humanitarian teachings of their master into the living fibre of their own daily lives, the Christian religion has been a blessing and a civilizer. Example: But though personified, the function of Wisdom is mainly humanitarian: her delights are with the sons of men (Prov[erbs] viii. 31, 32). 2. Relating to people's welfare. Example: [T]his most painful condition [a fractured arm], [...] was brought about through the humanitarian act of saving, and restoring to life, the angelic form of a creature whose very existence was a gigantic balm of Gilead to the lacerated body of our hero, [...] Example: Dr. John Fothergill, eighteenth century Quaker physician, was eminent in the practice of medicine, active in the religious Society of Friends, and prominent in the humanitarian and charitable philanthropies of his time. 3. Of or pertaining to the belief that Jesus Christ is fully human and not divine. Labels: rare Example: I might further object that ſome Humanitarians would tell you that the doctrine of the atonement is perfectly compatible with the ſimple humanity of Chriſt, ſo that to every perſon of the Humanitarian perſuaſion the former tenet does not appear "mockery and deluſion." Example: [Y]ou muſt have recourſe to pretty ſtrong figure to reconcile that belief to humanitarian tenets, from this beautiful and ſublime chapter. 4. Synonym of humanist (“relating to humanism”). Labels: historical Example: By the study of natural laws, Humanitarian philosophers know how to distinguish those thoughts, desires and actions which are rewarded, from those that are corrected, and Humanitarian philosophers are thus, next to the God of Nature, the safest guides and greatest benefactors of mankind; for, not a single individual, still less Society, can improve without the Humanitarian philosophy, as it alone is based on the only infallible criterion.