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

2019
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3

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flare v

(transitive) To cause to burn. (transitive) To cause inflammation; to inflame. (transitive, intransitive) To open outward in shape. (transitive, intransitive, aviation) To (operate an aircraft to) transition from downward flight to level flight just before landing. (intransitive) To blaze brightly. (intransitive) To shine out with a sudden and unsteady light; to emit a dazzling or painfully bright light. (intransitive, figuratively) To shine out with gaudy colours; to be offensively bright or showy. (intransitive, figuratively) To suddenly happen or intensify. (intransitive, figuratively) To suddenly erupt in anger. (intransitive, obsolete) To be exposed to too much light.

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4

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cachexia n

(pathology) A systemic wasting of muscle tissue, with or without loss of fat mass, that accompanies a chronic disease. Today is World Cancer Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to raise awareness of cancer and to encourage its prevention, detection, and treatment.

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5

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who would have thunk it phrase

(colloquial, sometimes sarcastic) A rhetorical question used to express incredulity: who would have guessed it?; who would have thought that would happen?

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6

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koha n

(New Zealand) A Māori tradition of reciprocal giving of gifts. (New Zealand, by extension) A voluntary donation given for a service that has been provided. Today is Waitangi Day, the national day of New Zealand.

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7

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finesse v

(transitive, chiefly Canada, US, politics) To evade (a problem, situation, etc.) by using some clever argument or strategem. (transitive, card games) To play (a card) as a finesse. (transitive, intransitive) To handle or manage carefully or skilfully; to manipulate in a crafty way. (intransitive, card games) To attempt to win a trick by finessing. (intransitive, croquet, obsolete) To play a ball out of the way of an opponent.

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8

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pipe n

(music) A wind instrument consisting of a tube, often lined with holes to allow for adjustment in pitch, sounded by blowing into the tube. […] A rigid tube that transports water, steam, or other fluid, as used in plumbing and numerous other applications. […] (Australia, colloquial, now historical) An anonymous satire or essay, insulting and frequently libellous, written on a piece of paper which was rolled up and left somewhere public where it could be found and thus spread, to embarrass the author's enemies.

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9

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gassy adj

Having the nature of, or containing, gas. (specifically) Of a beverage: containing dissolved gas (usually carbon dioxide); fizzy. (specifically) Of a person: tending to burp; burpy. (specifically) Of a person: tending to release flatus; flatulent. Of food or drink: tending to cause flatulence. (figuratively, informal) Tending to be long-winded or wordy, especially in a boastful and vain manner.

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10

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body camera n

A video recording system worn on the body, typically used by law enforcement officers to record their interactions with the public, and gather video evidence at crime scenes.

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11

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boffin n

(Australia, British, informal) An engineer or scientist, especially one engaged in technological or military research. (Australia, British, informal, by extension) A person with specialized knowledge or skills, especially one who is socially awkward; (in a weaker sense) an intellectual; a smart person. Today is designated by the United Nations as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science to recognize the critical role that women and girls play in science and technology communities.

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12

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living fossil n

(evolutionary theory) Any species discovered first as a fossil and believed extinct, but which is later found living; an organism that has remained unchanged over geological periods. (evolutionary theory) Any living species which very closely resembles fossil relatives in most anatomical details. English biologist, geologist, and naturalist Charles Darwin, who coined the term and who is best known for his contributions towards the science of evolution, was born on this day 210 years ago in 1809.

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13

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caressive adj

Having the nature of a caress; gentle, soothing. (linguistics) Of a diminutive: indicating affection or endearment. caressive n (linguistics) A type of diminutive indicating affection or endearment.

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14

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love interest n

Especially of a character in film or literature: one who is of interest as a (potential) partner in love. A romantic relationship; a romance. (film, literature, specifically) A romantic plot or subplot in a film or book. Happy Valentine’s Day from all of us at the Wiktionary!

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15

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meet cute v

(intransitive, informal) Of characters in a story or people in real life: to meet each other in an adorable, amusing, or cute way.

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16

17

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hobbyist n

A person who is interested in an activity or a subject as a hobby. Edward Stanley Gibbons, the British stamp dealer who founded the Stanley Gibbons company, died on this day in 1913.

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18

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husbandry n

The occupation or work of a husbandman or farmer; the cultivation of crops and the raising of livestock; agriculture. The prudent management or conservation of resources. (now chiefly nautical) Administration or management of day-to-day matters. (obsolete) Agricultural or cultivated land. Today, the third Monday of February in 2019, is celebrated as Family Day in some parts of Canada.

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19

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rainmaker n

Someone or something that causes or attempts to cause rain to fall. An African or Native American medicine man who seeks to induce rain through performing rituals. A person who seeks to induce rainfall through scientific methods, such as cloud seeding. (originally Canada, US, figuratively, informal) A person having the ability to generate business, raise funds, or otherwise engineer success for a company, organization, etc. (baseball, informal) A batted ball that is hit very high into the air.

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20

21

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analphabet n

A person who does not know the letters of the alphabet; a partly or wholly illiterate person. Today is International Mother Language Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.

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22

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vamp v

(transitive) To patch, repair, or refurbish. (transitive) Often as vamp up: to fabricate or put together (something) from existing material, or by adding new material to something existing. (transitive) To cobble together, to extemporize, to improvise. (transitive, intransitive, music, specifically) To perform a vamp (“a repeated, often improvised accompaniment, for example, under dialogue or while waiting for a soloist to be ready”). (transitive, shoemaking) To attach a vamp (to footwear). (transitive, intransitive, now dialectal) To travel by foot; to walk. (intransitive) To delay or stall for time, as for an audience. […] (transitive) To seduce or exploit someone.

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23

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navel-gazing n

Contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation. (derogatory) Excessive focus on oneself; self-indulgent introspection. (sometimes derogatory) (Disproportionate) concentration on a single issue.

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24

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histrionic adj

Of or relating to actors or acting. (by extension) Excessively dramatic or emotional, especially with the intention to draw attention. The 91st Academy Awards ceremony, which honours the best films of 2018, takes place on this day in 2019.

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25

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stance n

The manner, pose, or posture in which one stands. One's opinion or point of view. A place to stand; a position, a site, a station. (specifically, climbing) A foothold or ledge on which to set up a belay. (Scotland) A place for buses or taxis to await passengers; a bus stop, a taxi rank. (Scotland) A place where a fair or market is held; a location where a street trader can carry on business. (obsolete, rare) A stanza.

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26

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haul v

(transitive) To transport by drawing or pulling, as with horses or oxen, or a motor vehicle. (transitive) To draw or pull something heavy. (transitive) To carry or transport something, with a connotation that the item is heavy or otherwise difficult to move. (transitive, figuratively) To drag, to pull, to tug. (transitive, figuratively) Followed by up: to summon to be disciplined or held answerable for something. (intransitive) To pull apart, as oxen sometimes do when yoked. (transitive, intransitive, nautical) To steer (a vessel) closer to the wind. (intransitive, nautical) Of the wind: to shift fore (more towards the bow).

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27

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pronoia n

(philosophy, theology) Divine providence, foreknowledge, foresight. (historical, Byzantine Empire) An imperial grant to an individual of temporary fiscal rights in the form of land, incomes or taxes from land, fishing rights, etc., sometimes carrying with it an obligation of military service. […] (psychology) A belief (sometimes regarded as irrational) that people conspire to do one good.

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28

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carbonado n

(dated) Meat or fish that has been scored and broiled. […] A dark, non-transparent, impure form of polycrystalline diamond (also containing graphite and amorphous carbon) used in drilling. Today is Día de Andalucía, which commemorates the day in 1980 when a referendum led to Andalusia becoming an autonomous community of Spain.

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