Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2024/May

2024
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1

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worky adj (informal)

Characterized by or pertaining to work. Especially of attire: appropriate for work; businesslike. Requiring much work; laborious. Tending to be very serious about work; diligent, industrious. (obsolete) Showing the effect of much effort and work; intricate, involved. [...] Today is celebrated as International Workers’ Day or Labour Day in many countries to recognize the achievements and contributions of workers. The American Federation of Labor chose this date to commemorate a demonstration in support of workers striking for an eight-hour work day, which began on this day in 1886.

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2

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smell the barn v

(intransitive, chiefly US, idiomatic) To act with renewed energy or speed or to experience heightened anticipation as one approaches a destination, goal, or other desired outcome.

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3

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pen picture n (idiomatic)

A written description, often biographical. (art, archaic) A picture drawn with a pen. 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. The Windhoek Declaration, a statement of press freedom principles by African newspaper journalists, was adopted on this day in 1991.

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4

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Yoda condition n

(programming, informal) A logical condition with the usual order of operands reversed for various reasons, such as avoiding accidental misuse of = (assignment) instead of == (equality), a mistake that is harder to spot when using the normal order of operands. 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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dawn chorus n

Birdsong by a large number of birds occurring in the early morning. (electromagnetism, radio) Radio interference sometimes experienced at sunrise. Today, the first Sunday of May in 2024, is International Dawn Chorus Day, which was originally organized by the Urban Wildlife Trust (now the Wildlife Trust for Birmingham and the Black Country) to encourage people to listen to birdsong and engage in birdwatching. The British naturalist Chris Baines, one of the founders of the Trust, was born on Sunday, 4 May 1947.

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6

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descend v

Senses relating to moving from a higher to a lower position. (transitive) To pass from a higher to a lower part of (something, such as a flight of stairs or a slope); to go down along or upon. (transitive) Of a flight of stairs, a road, etc.: to lead down (a hill, a slope, etc.). (transitive, archaic) To move (someone or something) from a higher to a lower place or position; to bring or send (someone or something) down. (intransitive) To physically move or pass from a higher to a lower place or position; to come or go down in any way, such as by climbing, falling, flowing, walking, etc.; to move downwards; to fall, to sink. (astrology) Of a zodiac sign: to move away from the zenith towards the horizon; to sink; also, of a planet: to move to a place where it has less astrological significance. (astronomy) Of a celestial body: to move away from the zenith towards the horizon; to sink; also, to move towards the south. (biology, physiology) Of a body part: to move downwards, especially during development of the embryo; specifically, of the testes of a mammal: to move downwards from the abdominal cavity into the scrotum. (chemistry, obsolete) Of a liquid substance: to distil out from another substance and gather at the bottom of a container; also, to distil a substance to obtain another liquid substance in this manner. (intransitive) To slope or stretch downwards. (intransitive, chiefly historical) To alight from a carriage, a horse, etc.; also, to disembark from a vessel; to land. (intransitive, figurative) To come or go down, or reduce, in intensity or some other quality. Of a physical thing (such as a a cloud or storm) or a (generally negative) immaterial thing (such as darkness, gloom, or silence): to settle upon and start to affect a person or place. In speech or writing: to proceed from one matter to another; especially, to pass from more general or important to specific or less important matters to be considered. Chiefly followed by into or to: of a situation: to become worse; to decline, to deteriorate. Chiefly followed by on or upon: to make an attack or incursion, from or as if from a vantage ground; to come suddenly and with violence. Chiefly followed by on or upon: to arrive suddenly or unexpectedly, especially in a manner that causes disruption or inconvenience. (reflexive) To come down to a humbler or less fortunate, or a worse or less virtuous, rank or state; to abase or lower oneself; to condescend or stoop to something. (reflexive, chiefly poetic or religion) Chiefly in the form descend into (or within) oneself: to mentally enter a state of (deep) meditation or thought; to retire. (mathematics) Of a sequence or series: to proceed from higher to lower values. (music) To pass from a higher to a lower note or tone; to fall in pitch. Senses relating to passing down from a source to another thing. (transitive, obsolete, rare) To trace (a lineage) from earlier to later generations. (intransitive) Of a characteristic: to be transmitted from a parent to a child. (intransitive, often passive voice) Chiefly followed by from or (obsolete) of: to come down or derive from an ancestor or ancestral stock, or a source; to originate, to stem. (intransitive, chiefly law) Of property, a right, etc.: to pass down to a generation, a person, etc., by inheritance. [...]

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7

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kugel n

A traditional savoury or sweet Jewish dish consisting of a baked pudding of pasta, potatoes, or rice, with vegetables, or raisins and spices. [...] A traditional hanging ornament of German origin made of coloured glass, usually spherical but also produced in other shapes such as bunches of grapes and drops.

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8

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whither adv (formal, archaic except literary or poetic)

Interrogative senses. To what place; where. (figurative, also humorous) To what (future) cause, condition or state, reason, etc.; where, where next; also (obsolete) to what extent; how far. Relative senses. To which place; also (after a noun denoting a place) to which. To the place in or to which. (generally) In or to any place to which; to whatever place; wherever. whither n (formal, archaic except literary or poetic) A place to which someone or something goes; also, a condition to which someone or something moves. [...]

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9

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derelict n

(uncountable) Property abandoned by its former guardian or owner; (countable) an item of such property. (uncountable, specifically, law) Property abandoned at sea with no hope of recovery and no expectation of being returned to its owner; (countable) an item of such property, especially a ship. (countable, dated) An abandoned or forsaken person; an outcast, a waif. (countable, by extension, derogatory) A homeless and/or jobless person; a vagrant; also, a person who is (perceived as) negligent in their hygiene and personal affairs. (countable, chiefly US) A person who is negligent in performing a duty. derelict adj Given up by the guardian or owner; abandoned, forsaken. (specifically) Of a ship: abandoned at sea; dilapidated, neglected; of a spacecraft: abandoned in outer space. (figurative) Adrift, lost. (chiefly US) Negligent in performing a duty; careless, deficient, neglectful, unfaithful. [...]

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10

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embolden v (transitive)

To render (someone) bolder or more courageous; to encourage, to hearten. (typography) To format (text) in boldface.

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11

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syrinx n

(music) A set of panpipes. (by extension) (archaeology, Egyptology) Chiefly in the plural: a narrow channel cut in rock, especially in Ancient Egyptian burial chambers. (neurology, pathology) Any of several abnormal tube-shaped structures in the body, especially a rare, fluid-filled neuroglial cavity in the brain stem or within the spinal cord. (ornithology, zootomy) The voice organ in birds, located at or near where the trachea and the bronchi join. Today, the second Saturday of May in 2024, 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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12

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apple of someone's eye n

(idiomatic) The object of somebody's affections; a person (or sometimes a thing) that someone strongly prefers; a favourite, a loved one. Today, the second Sunday of May in 2024, is celebrated in many countries as Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis first held a memorial ceremony at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia, U.S.A. (now the International Mother’s Day Shrine) to honour her deceased mother and all mothers on Sunday, May 10, 1908.

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15

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child's play n

(idiomatic) Something particularly easy or simple. Today is the International Day of Families, which is recognized by the United Nations to promote awareness of issues relating to families and to increase knowledge of the demographic, economic, and social processes affecting families.

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16

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broad daylight n

Abundant natural illumination in daytime, producing clear visibility; hence, daytime. (figurative) Chiefly preceded by in: the full view of observers during the day. Today is the International Day of Light, which is recognized by the United Nations to emphasize the importance of light science and technology in sustainable development, and to celebrate the place of light in art, culture, and education. It marks the day in 1960 when the American engineer and physicist Theodore Maiman successfully fired the first laser.

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20

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melliferous adj

(botany) Of a plant or its parts: bearing any substance (such as nectar or pollen) which is collected by bees to produce honey. (by extension) Producing honey. (figurative) Honeyed, sweet. Today is World Bee Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to emphasize the importance of bees and other pollinators, the threats they face and their contribution to sustainable development. Anton Janša, a pioneer of modern apiculture born in Carniola (now part of Slovenia), was baptized on this day 290 years ago in 1734.

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25

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milliner n

(archaic) A person who sells (women's) apparel, accessories, and other decorative goods, especially those originally manufactured in Milan. (specifically) A person involved in the design, manufacture, or sale of hats for women. milliner v (transitive, archaic) To manufacture (women's apparel, specifically hats); also, to supply (someone) with women's apparel, specifically hats. (figurative) To adorn or decorate (something). The London-based Irish hat designer Philip Treacy, described by Vogue magazine as “perhaps the greatest living milliner”, celebrates his birthday tomorrow; he was born on 26 May 1967.

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26

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exsanguinate v

(transitive) To drain (a living or dead body, or (medicine, surgery) a body part) of blood. To kill (a person or animal) by means of blood loss. (intransitive) To bleed profusely; also, to die by means of blood loss. To cause blood to drain from a body or body part, or profuse bleeding. The book Dracula by the Irish author Bram Stoker, was first published on this day in 1897.

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29

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Mount Everest proper n

A mountain in the Himalayas, on the border of Solukhumbu district, Koshi, Nepal and Tingri County, Shigatse, Tibet Autonomous Region, China; the world's highest mountain. Mount Everest n (figurative) An endeavour that is very demanding yet rewarding; also, a thing which is the highest achievement, challenge, etc.; the epitome, the pinnacle, the ultimate. The mountaineers Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who were members of a British expedition, became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest—the highest mountain in the world—on this day in 1953.

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30

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ne'er cast a clout till May be out proverb

(UK, dialectal) Do not change from winter clothes to summer clothes until June, as there is often a sudden cold snap in May.

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31

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contain multitudes v

(intransitive, idiomatic) To have a complex and apparently paradoxical nature; to be inconsistent, especially in a way that is ultimately admirable or noble. The American poet Walt Whitman, from whose work “Song of Myself” (1855) the term derives, was born on this day 205 years ago in 1819.

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