Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2019/May

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1

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synaesthesia n

(neurology, psychology) A neurological or psychological phenomenon whereby a particular sensory stimulus triggers a second kind of sensation. (by extension) The association of one sensory perception with, or description of it in terms of, a different perception that is not experienced at the same time. (arts, literature) A literary or artistic device whereby one kind of sensation is described in the terms of another. Russian journalist and mnemonist Solomon Shereshevsky, who was said to experience a powerful form of synaesthesia in which stimulation of one of his senses produced a reaction in all the others, died on this day in 1958.

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2

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turn turtle v

(intransitive) Especially of a boat or ship, or some other vehicle: to turn upside down. (intransitive, surfing) To roll upside down with one's surfboard (usually a longboard) to allow a wave, especially a wave that has already broken, to pass over. (intransitive, figuratively) To fail; to go belly up. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiered as comic book characters this month 35 years ago in 1984.

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3

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Betteridge's law proper n

(journalism) An adage stating that any headline ending in a question mark can be correctly answered by the word "no". Today is World Press Freedom Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression.

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4

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walking carpet n

(slang, derogatory or humorous) An exceptionally hairy person. May the Fourth – oops, the Force – be with you! Today is observed as Star Wars Day by fans of the franchise.

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5

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lustrum n

(Ancient Rome, religion, historical) A ceremonial purification of all the people, performed every five years after the taking of the census; a lustration. (by extension, literary) A period of five years.

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7

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calumny n

A falsification or misrepresentation intended to disparage or discredit another. False accusations or charges brought to tarnish another's reputation or standing.

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9

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system n

A collection of organized things; a whole composed of relationships among its members. (derogatory) Preceded by the word the: the mainstream culture, controlled by the elites or government of a state, or a combination of them, seen as oppressive to the individual. (computing) A set of hardware and software operating in a computer. (mathematics) A set of equations involving the same variables, which are to be solved simultaneously. (music) A set of staves linked by a brace that indicate instruments or sounds that are to be played simultaneously. (physiology) A set of body organs having a particular function. A method or way of organizing or planning. Venezuelan orchestral conductor, educator, and politician José Antonio Abreu, who founded the non-profit classical music education programme called El Sistema, was born on this date 80 years ago in 1939.

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11

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brubru n

Also more fully as brubru shrike: a bird in the bushshrike family found in sub-Saharan Africa (Nilaus afer). Today, the second Saturday of May in 2019, is the first of the two World Migratory Bird Days in the year. These days were established by the Secretariats of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals to highlight the importance of protecting migratory birds and their habitats.

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13

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slip-up n

(idiomatic) A (small) error or mistake; a (minor) misstep.

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17

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fjord n

A long, narrow, deep inlet between cliffs. Today is Norwegian Constitution Day, which celebrates the signing of the Constitution of Norway in Eidsvoll on this day 205 years ago in 1814.

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19

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gnomon n

An object such as a pillar or a rod that is used to tell time by the shadow it casts when the sun shines on it, especially the pointer on a sundial. [from mid 16th c.] An object such as a pillar used by an observer to calculate the meridian altitude of the sun (that is, the altitude of the sun when it reaches the observer's meridian), for the purpose of determining the observer's latitude. (geometry) A plane figure formed by removing a parallelogram from a corner of a larger parallelogram. (mathematics, by extension) A number representing the increment between two figurate numbers (“numbers equal to the numbers of dots in geometric figures formed of dots”).

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20

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radiole n

(zoology) The spine of a sea urchin. [from late 19th c.] (zoology) A heavily ciliated feather-like tentacle occuring in clusters on the crowns of certain tubeworms, especially those of the order Canalipalpata (the fan-head worms), used for feeding and respiration. Today is European Maritime Day, which seeks to raise European citizens’ awareness of the seas and their importance.

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