Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2017/June

1

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throw cold water on v

(idiomatic) Of an achievement, emotion, idea, suggestion, etc.: to belittle or dismiss; to cast doubt upon; to debunk.

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2

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Cinquecentist adj

Of or pertaining to the art of Italy in the sixteenth century. Today is Festa della Repubblica or Republic Day, Italy’s national day.

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3

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bigly adv

(now rare, modern uses nonstandard) Strongly, with great force. (now rare) In a blustering or boastful manner; haughtily, pompously. The fantasy comedy film Big was released on this date in 1988.

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4

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nepenthes n

A drug mentioned in Homer's Odyssey (c. 8th century B.C.E.) as bringing relief from anxiety or grief; hence, any drug or substance seen as bringing welcome forgetfulness or relief. A Southeast Asian carnivorous plant of the genus Nepenthes; a monkey cup or tropical pitcher plant.

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5

6

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one-upmanship n

(idiomatic) The art or practice of successively outdoing a competitor. (idiomatic) A succession of instances of outdoing a competitor.

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7

8

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fishify v

(transitive) To change (flesh) to fish; to transform into a fish. (figuratively) To make as wet as a fish; to drench with water. Today is World Oceans Day, a day recognized by the United Nations to highlight the importance of conserving and protecting the world’s oceans.

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9

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bah humbug interj

(humorous) Expressing cynicism, disillusionment or distrustfulness; and specifically a dislike of Christmas and its celebrations and festivities. English author Charles Dickens, whose 1843 novella A Christmas Carol featured the character Ebenezer Scrooge who hates Christmas and calls it a “humbug”, died on this day in 1870.

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10

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hung parliament n

(government, politics) A parliament in which no single political party has an outright majority. The general election in the United Kingdom that took place on 8 June 2017 resulted in a hung parliament.

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11

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shoefie n

(photography, slang, neologism) A photograph of one's own shoes taken while one is wearing them. On this day 20 years ago in 1997, the first photographs known to have been shared on a public network using a mobile phone were sent by technology innovator Philippe Kahn using a phone he had jury-rigged with a digital camera. The photographs were of his newborn daughter Sophie.

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12

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killer poke n

(computing) Any method of inducing physical harm to a computer or peripheral by software means, especially by inserting invalid values into a control register or by building up harmonic oscillations in a hard disk, etc.

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13

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leapfrog v

(transitive) To jump over some obstacle, as in the game of leapfrog. (transitive) To overtake. (intransitive) To progress. (transitive, chiefly British, law) Of a case: to appeal or allow to be appealed directly to a supreme court, bypassing an intermediate appellate court. (transitive, military) To advance by engaging the enemy with one unit while another moves further forward.

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14

15

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logion n

(theology) A traditional saying of a religious leader. (specifically, Christianity) A saying that is attributed to Jesus but which is not in the Bible. Today is Corpus Christi in 2017, a festival honouring the Eucharist observed by the Roman Catholic Church and other Christian denominations.

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16

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rent-seeking n

(economics) The attempt to profit by manipulating the economic or political environment, for example, by seeking subsidies.

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17

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parliament n

(government, politics) Meanings relating to a political body authorized to exercise governmental powers. An institution whose elected or appointed members meet to debate the major political issues of the day and usually to exercise legislative powers and sometimes judicial powers. A group of representatives of the people elected or appointed to serve as a parliament (in sense 1 above) for a certain period of time. In this sense the word is commonly used with an ordinal number (for example, first parliament and 12th parliament) or a descriptive adjective (for example, Long Parliament, Short Parliament and Rump Parliament). A flock of owls or rooks. (historical) Parliament cake, a type of gingerbread. Today is Iceland’s national day. Its Althing, founded in 930, is regarded as the oldest parliamentary institution in the world.

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18

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weevil n

Any of several small herbivorous beetles in the superfamily Curculionoidea, many having a distinctive snout. Any of several small herbivorous beetles in the family Curculionidae belonging to the superfamily Curculionoidea. Any of several similar but more distantly related beetles such as the biscuit weevil (Stegobium paniceum). (figurative, derogatory) A loathsome person.

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19

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anomaloscope n

(ophthalmology) An instrument used to test for color blindness by measuring quantitative and qualitative anomalies in color perception. German physiologist Willibald A. Nagel, who invented the anomaloscope, was born on this day in 1870.

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20

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cravat n

A wide fabric band worn as a necktie by men having long ends hanging in front, like an ascot tie. (historical) A decorative fabric band or scarf worn around the neck by women. (surgery) A bandage resembling a cravat, particularly a triangular bandage folded into a strip. Paris Fashion Week for men’s fashion starts tomorrow in 2017.

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21

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midnight sun n

The phenomenon occurring when the Sun does not set but only approaches the horizon at midnight; it occurs near the summer solstice in the polar regions. The June solstice falls on this day in 2017.

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22

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lagniappe n

(Louisiana, Mississippi, Trinidad and Tobago, uncommon) An extra or unexpected gift or benefit, such as that given to customers when they purchase something.

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23

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linocut n

(art, printing) A type of woodcut in which a block of linoleum is used for the relief surface; the design cut into the block.

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24

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drayage n

Transportation by dray. (by extension) The transport of goods over a short distance, particularly from a terminal such as an ocean port to another destination, usually as part of a longer transportation of the goods. A fee paid for the provision of such transportation.

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25

26

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Georgian adj

[…] Of, from, or characteristic of the reigns of Kings George I and George II of Great Britain, and George III and George IV of the United Kingdom (1714–1830). George IV of the United Kingdom died on this day in 1830, bringing the Georgian era to an end.

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27

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standee n

Somebody who is forced to stand, for example, on a crowded bus. A free-standing, rigid print (usually life-sized), for instance of a celebrity, often displayed for advertising and promotional purposes; a cut-out.

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28

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honda n

(western US) A closed loop or eyelet at one end of a lariat or lasso, through which the other end of the rope is passed to form a much larger loop. (western US) A grommet or other device intended to strengthen or otherwise improve a simple rope honda.

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29

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chunder v

(Australia, New Zealand, slang) To throw up, to vomit. Colin Hay, the lead vocalist of the Australian rock band Men at Work, was born on this day in 1953. The group’s song “Down Under” (1980; re-released 1981) contains the famous lines “I come from a land down under / Where beer does flow and men chunder”.

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