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Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2022/December

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Word of the day
for December 1
subnival adj (chiefly botany)
  1. Of a habitat: of an altitude, latitude, or type just below that which would be permanently covered by snow (the snow line).
  2. Growing or capable of growing, or occuring, underneath snow; subnivean.
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Word of the day
for December 2
baby duck syndrome n
  1. (computing, humorous) The tendency of computer users to think the system (software or usage paradigm) they originally started using is better than others.

  Today is World Computer Literacy Day, which was launched by Indian company NIIT to encourage the development of computing skills, especially among women and children in India.

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Word of the day
for December 3
built different adj
  1. (originally African-American Vernacular, idiomatic, slang) Able to do things which others cannot; extremely talented or unusual. [...]

  Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which is recognized by the United Nations to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights, and well-being of persons with disabilities.

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Word of the day
for December 4
muddy adj
  1. Covered or splashed with, or full of, mud (“wet soil”).
  2. Of water or some other liquid: containing mud or (by extension) other sediment in suspension; cloudy, turbid.
  3. Of or relating to mud; also, having the characteristics of mud, especially in colour or taste.
  4. (euphemistic) Soiled with feces.
  5. (archaic) Of an animal or plant: growing or living in mud.
  6. (figuratively)
    1. Dirty, filthy.
    2. Not clear.
      1. Of a colour: not bright: dirty, dull.
      2. Of an image: blurry or dim.
      3. Of light: cloudy, opaque.
      4. Of sound (especially during performance, recording, or playback): indistinct, muffled.
      5. Of speech, thinking, or writing: ambiguous or vague; or confused, incoherent, or mixed-up; also, poorly expressed.
      6. (chiefly literary, poetic) Of the air: not fresh; impure, polluted.
    3. Originally, morally or religiously wrong; corrupt, sinful; now, morally or legally dubious; shady, sketchy.
    4. (archaic) Of a person or their facial expression: angry, sad, or sulky.
    5. (obsolete) Slightly drunk; tipsy. [...]
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Word of the day
for December 5
scarecrow n
  1. An effigy, typically made of straw and dressed in old clothes, fixed to a pole in a field to deter birds from eating crops or seeds planted there.
  2. (by extension, derogatory) A person regarded as resembling a scarecrow (sense 1) in some way; especially, a tall, thin, awkward person; or a person wearing ragged and tattered clothes.
  3. (dated) Synonym of crow scarer (“a farmhand employed to scare birds from the fields”)
  4. (figuratively)
    1. Anything that appears terrifying but presents no danger; a paper tiger.
    2. (military, World War II, historical) Military equipment or tactics used to scare and deter rather than cause actual damage.
  5. (British, dialectal, obsolete)
    1. The black tern (Chlidonias niger).
    2. The hooded crow (Corvus cornix).

scarecrow v (transitive)

  1. To cause (a person, their body, etc.) to look awkward and stiff, like a scarecrow (noun sense 1).
    1. To splay (one's arms) away from the body, like the arms of a scarecrow.
  2. To frighten or terrify (someone), as if using a scarecrow.
  3. (archaic) To spoil the appearance of (something, such as the landscape or a view), as scarecrows may be regarded as doing.

  Today is declared by the United Nations to be World Soil Day to recognize the importance of soil as a vital part of nature and a contributor to human well-being.

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Word of the day
for December 7
musty adj
  1. Affected by dampness or mould; damp, mildewed, mouldy.
  2. Having an odour or taste of mould; also (generally), having a stale or unfresh odour or taste.
  3. Characteristic of or relating to mould or mouldiness.
  4. (figuratively)
    1. Of attitudes, ideas, writing, or other abstract things: no longer fresh or interesting; outdated, stale.
    2. Of a person: boring and unadventurous; also, old-fashioned, stuck in the past.
    3. (archaic except Northern England (northwest)) Bad-tempered, grumpy, irritable. [...]
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Word of the day
for December 8
publican n
  1. (chiefly British) The landlord (manager or owner) of a public house (“a bar or tavern, often also selling food and sometimes lodging; a pub”).
  2. (Australia, New Zealand, by extension) The manager or owner of a hotel.

[...]

  1. (Ancient Rome, historical) A tax collector, especially one working in Judea and Galilee during New Testament times (1st century C.E.) who was generally regarded as sinful for extorting more tax than was due, and as a traitor for serving the Roman Empire.
  2. (by extension, archaic) Any person who collects customs duties, taxes, tolls, or other forms of public revenue.
  3. (figuratively, archaic)
    1. One regarded as extorting money from others by charging high prices.
    2. (Christianity) A person excommunicated from the church; an excommunicant or excommunicate; also, a person who does not follow a Christian religion; a heathen, a pagan.
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Word of the day
for December 9
sophisticate v
  1. (transitive)
    1. To make (something) less innocent or natural; to artificialize.
    2. To make (something) more sophisticated (“complex, developed, or refined”); to develop, to refine.
    3. (also reflexive) To make (oneself or someone) more sophisticated (“experienced in the ways of the world, that is, cosmopolitan or worldly-wise”); to cosmopolitanize.
    4. (also figuratively) To alter and make impure (something) by mixing it with some foreign or inferior substance, especially with an intention to deceive; to adulterate; (generally) to corrupt or deceive (someone, their thinking, etc.).
    5. To change the meaning of (something) in a deceptive or misleading way.
    6. (archaic) To apply an artificial technique to (something).
  2. (intransitive) To practise sophistry (“the (deliberate) making of arguments that seem plausible but are fallacious or misleading”). [...]
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Word of the day
for December 10
non-refoulement n
  1. (international law) The principle that a person (particularly a refugee) should not be returned to an area (chiefly their country of origin) where they would face mistreatment.

  Today is Human Rights Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to emphasize the importance of human rights and to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the first global enunciation of such rights, on this day in 1948.

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Word of the day
for December 11
kaleidoscope n
  1. An instrument consisting of a tube containing mirrors and loose, colourful beads or other objects; when the tube is looked into and rotated, a succession of symmetrical designs can be seen.
  2. (figuratively) A constantly changing series of colours or other things.

kaleidoscope v

  1. (intransitive) To move in shifting (and often attractive or colourful) patterns.

  The British scientist David Brewster, who invented the kaleidoscope and coined its name, was born on this day in 1781.

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Word of the day
for December 12
dictionary n
  1. A reference work with a list of words from one or more languages, normally ordered alphabetically, explaining each word's meanings (senses), and sometimes also containing information on its etymology, pronunciation, usage, semantic relations, and translations, as well as other data.
  2. (preceded by the) A synchronic dictionary of a standardised language held to only contain words that are properly part of the language.
  3. (by extension) Any work that has a list of material organized alphabetically; e.g., biographical dictionary, encyclopedic dictionary.
  4. (computing) An associative array, a data structure where each value is referenced by a particular key, analogous to words and definitions in a physical dictionary.

dictionary v

  1. (transitive) To look up in a dictionary.
  2. (transitive) To add to a dictionary.

  Happy birthday to us! Wiktionary went online on this day 20 years ago in 2002.

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Word of the day
for December 13
saddle n
  1. A seat for a rider, often made of leather and raised in the front and rear, placed on the back of a horse or other animal, and secured by a strap around the animal's body.
    1. A similar implement used to secure goods to animals; a packsaddle.
    2. Synonym of harness saddle (“the part of a harness which supports the weight of poles or shafts attaching a vehicle to a horse or other animal”)
    3. A cushion used as a seat in a cart or other vehicle.
    4. The immovable seat of a bicycle, motorcycle, or similar vehicle.
    5. (by extension)
      1. Chiefly preceded by the: horse-riding as an activity or occupation.
      2. Synonym of saddle brown (“a medium brown colour, like that of saddle leather”)
        saddle brown:  
  2. Something resembling a saddle (sense 1) in appearance or shape. [...]

saddle v

  1. (transitive)
    1. To put a saddle (noun sense 1) on (an animal).
    2. To put (something) on to another thing like a saddle on an animal.
    3. (figuratively)
      1. To enter (a trained horse) into a race.
      2. (often passive voice) Chiefly followed by with: to burden or encumber (someone) with some problem or responsibility.
      3. Chiefly followed by on or upon: to place (a burden or responsibility) or thrust (a problem) on someone.
      4. (archaic) To control or restrain (someone or something), as if using a saddle; to bridle, to harness, to rein in.
      5. (obsolete, rare) To get (someone) to do a burdensome task.
    4. (woodworking) To cut a saddle-shaped notch in (a log or other piece of wood) so it can fit together with other such logs or pieces; also, to fit (logs or other pieces of wood) together with this method.
    5. (obsolete)
      1. To put something on to (another thing) like a saddle on an animal.
  2. (intransitive, chiefly Canada, US) Often followed by up.
    1. To put a saddle on an animal.
    2. Of a person: to get into a saddle.

  Today is celebrated by some people in the United States as the National Day of the Horse, which recognizes the contribution of horses to the economy, history, and character of the country.

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Word of the day
for December 14
burnish v
  1. (transitive)
    1. To make (something, such as a surface) bright, shiny, and smooth by, or (by extension) as if by, rubbing; to polish, to shine.
    2. Of a stag: to remove the velvet (“skin and fine fur”) from (its antlers) by rubbing them against something; to velvet.
    3. (figuratively) To make (someone or something) appear positive and highly respected.
  2. (intransitive)
    1. To become bright, glossy, and smooth; to brighten, to gleam, to shine forth.
    2. (figuratively) To appear positive and highly respected.

burnish n

  1. (countable)
    1. A shine of something which has been polished; a lustre, a polish.
    2. A shiny layer applied to a surface or other thing.
  2. (uncountable) The making of something bright, shiny, and smooth by, or (by extension) as if by, rubbing; (countable) an instance of this; a burnishing, a polishing, a shining. [...]
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15 edit

 

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Word of the day
for December 15
secern v (literary)
  1. (transitive)
    1. (archaic) To separate or set apart (someone or something from other persons or things).
    2. (by extension) To separate (something from other things) in the mind; to discriminate, to distinguish.
    3. (physiology, archaic) Synonym of secrete (“to extract or separate (a substance) from the blood, etc., for excretion or for the fulfilling of a physiological function”)
  2. (intransitive)
    1. Of a person or thing: to become separated from others.
    2. (physiology, rare) To secrete a substance.
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Word of the day
for December 17
gonnabe n
  1. (informal) One who is on the path to becoming famous or important.
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Word of the day
for December 18
far-flung adj
  1. Distant or remote in relationship, space, or time.
  2. Widely distributed, wide-ranging, or widespread.

  Today is International Migrants Day, which was established by the United Nations in 1990 to highlight the challenges faced and contributions made by migrants, including internally displaced persons.

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Word of the day
for December 19
victory n
  1. (uncountable) The condition or state of having won a battle or competition, or having succeeded in an effort; (countable) an instance of this.
  2. (Roman mythology) Alternative letter-case form of Victory (“(uncountable) the Roman goddess of victory, the counterpart of the Greek goddess Nike; also (countable), an artistic depiction of her, chiefly as a winged woman”)

victory interj

  1. Used to encourage someone to achieve success, or to celebrate a success or triumph.

victory v

  1. (transitive, obsolete, rare) To defeat or triumph over (someone or something).

  The final of the 2022 FIFA World Cup took place yesterday in Qatar, resulting in victory by Argentina over France.

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Word of the day
for December 20
broadcaster n
  1. (agriculture)
    1. A machine used to broadcast or spread seeds, fertilizer, etc.
    2. (obsolete) A person who sows seeds by scattering; also, one who promotes sowing seeds in this manner instead of by drilling (“making holes in the soil and placing seeds in them”).
  2. (broadcasting)
    1. A piece of equipment used to transmit audio and/or video content, or messages, to be received by radios or televisions, over the internet, etc.
    2. An organization or station that engages in the activity of such broadcasting.
    3. A person whose job it is to effect such broadcasts; specifically, one who presents radio or television programmes (especially documentaries or news programmes); a presenter.
  3. (computing) A piece of equipment used to transmit data over a computer network.

  A happy 90th birthday to the BBC World Service, which is the world’s largest external broadcaster in terms of reception area, language selection, and audience reach. It was launched on 19 December 1932 as the “Empire Service”.

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21 edit

 

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Word of the day
for December 21
milieu n
  1. An environment or setting; a medium.
    1. (specifically) A social environment or setting.
  2. A group of people with a common point of view; a social class or group.
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Word of the day
for December 23
well-wisher n
  1. Someone who extends good wishes, or expresses sympathy, to someone else.
  2. (obsolete, rare) Followed by to: someone who has an ambition to be or become something. [...]
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24 edit

 

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Word of the day
for December 24
like turkeys voting for Christmas phrase
  1. (British, simile, humorous) Of an action: self-defeating or serving to bring about a situation detrimental to the person performing the action.

  Have yourself a merry little Christmas Eve (unless you’re a turkey)!

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Word of the day
for December 25
jingle bell n
  1. A small, hollow, spherical metal bell with a narrow slit opening or small holes, containing a loose ball or rod as a clapper, which is attached to a horse's harness as a signal, or (music) used as a musical instrument.

  Merry Christmas from all of us at the English Wiktionary!

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Word of the day
for December 27
whilom adv
  1. (archaic except literary) At some time in the past; formerly, once upon a time.
  2. (obsolete)
    1. At times, on occasion, sometimes.
    2. (rare) Preceded by of or this: for some time that has passed.

whilom adj

  1. (archaic except literary) At some time in the past; former, sometime.
  2. (obsolete) Of a person: deceased, late.

whilom conj (archaic except British, dialectal and literary)

  1. During the same time that; while.
  2. Up to the time that; till, until.
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28 edit

 

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Word of the day
for December 28
indolence n
  1. Habitual laziness or sloth.
  2. (pathology) Lack of pain in a tumour.
  3. (obsolete)
    1. A state in which one feels no pain or is indifferent to it; a lack of any feeling.
    2. A state of repose in which neither pain nor pleasure is experienced.
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29 edit

 

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Word of the day
for December 29
reniform adj
  1. (chiefly biology, mineralogy) Synonym of kidney-shaped (“having an approximately circular or elongated ovoid shape with an inward curve or indentation on one side”)
    1. (botany) Of a leaf: kidney-shaped, with the petiole attached at the notch.
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30 edit

 

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Word of the day
for December 30
blastpipe n
  1. (mechanical engineering, rail transport) A pipe forming part of the exhaust system of a steam locomotive that discharges exhaust steam from the cylinders up into the smokebox beneath the chimney in order to increase the draught through the firebox; this speeds up the release of smoke through the chimney.
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31 edit

 

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Word of the day
for December 31
Godspeed interj
  1. (literary) Used, especially at a parting, to express the wish that the outcome of the actions of a person (typically someone about to start a journey or a daring endeavour) is positive for them.

Godspeed n (literary)

  1. (uncountable) The wishing of someone a smooth journey, or success, especially at a parting; (countable) a statement expressing this.
  2. (countable, figuratively)
    1. (archaic) Chiefly in in the Godspeed of: the most important part of something, or point at which something happens; also, the last minute or last moment.
    2. (originally Ireland) In back of Godspeed: a distant, remote, or unknown place.

  Happy New Year’s Eve from all of us at the English Wiktionary!

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