Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2021/November

2021
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1

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fastness n

(uncountable) The quality or state of being fast (in various senses). The quality or state of being strongly attached; firmness, secureness, tenacity. (specifically) The ability of a dye to withstand fading. The quality or state of moving quickly; quickness, rapidity, swiftness. The quality or state of having an extravagant lifestyle or immoral habits. (archaic) Of a fortress or other place: the quality or state of being secure from access or attack; safety, security. (obsolete) The quality or state of being firm, hard, or solid; firmness, hardness, solidity. (countable) Something that is fast, or that causes someone or something to be fast (in various senses). (also figuratively) A fortified or secure place; a fortress, a stronghold. (obsolete except British, regional) Something used to fasten or tie; a fastener or fastening.

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2

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on high prepositional phrase

To a high position; or up in, or to, the sky; above. (specifically, chiefly Christianity, literary) Up in, or to, Heaven. (humorous) In authority, influence, or power. Today is All Souls’ Day in Western Christianity, a day of prayer and remembrance for the souls of those who have died.

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3

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groundly adj

(archaic, rare) Firmly grounded; solid; of education: complete, thorough, well-grounded. groundly adv (archaic, rare) In a firmly grounded manner; solidly; also, to the very ground or bottom; deeply, profoundly; completely, thoroughly.

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4

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éminence grise n

(idiomatic) A secret or unofficial decision-maker. François Leclerc du Tremblay or Père Joseph, a French Capuchin friar who was the confidant and agent of Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister of France under Louis XIII, was born on this day in 1577. The term was first used to refer to du Tremblay’s influence over the Cardinal (who bore the honorific of Eminence), and the colour of his habit.

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5

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gravelly adj

Full of, covered with, or similar to gravel or pebbles. Of a voice: unpleasantly harsh or rasping. (pathology) Caused by or involving gravel (“kidney stones”). (obsolete) Full of or covered with sand; sandy.

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6

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pastille n

An often round and somewhat flat flavoured candy or sweet. Any small, usually round and somewhat flat, granular piece of material; a tablet. (specifically, historical) A small pellet containing aromatic substances, burned to diffuse a fragrance or to disinfect or fumigate. (pharmacy) (historical) A medicinal pill, originally made of compressed herbs. A candy- or sweet-like lozenge, which, when sucked, releases substances that soothe a sore throat, and sometimes vapours to help unblock the nose or sinuses. [...]

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7

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discaire n

(dance, music) Alternative spelling of disquaire (“disc jockey”) The French disc jockey, record producer, and songwriter David Guetta was born on this day in 1967.

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8

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fitful adj

(obsolete) Characterized by fits (convulsions or seizures). (by extension) Characterized by sudden bursts of activity with periods of inactivity in between; intermittent, irregular, unsteady.

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9

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quefrency n

(signal processing) The inverse of the distance between successive lines in a Fourier transform, measured in seconds. Today is the eve of the World Science Day for Peace and Development, which is recognized by the United Nations to highlight the important role of science in society. The day was proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization 20 years ago in 2001.

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10

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one-armed bandit n

(originally US, gambling) A gaming machine having a long arm-like handle at one side that a player pulls down to make reels spin; the player wins money or tokens when certain combinations of symbols line up on these reels. The American engineer Charles Fey, who invented the slot machine that made automatic payouts, died on this day in 1944.

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11

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voivodeship n

(countable, uncountable) The office, position, rank, or title of a voivode (“a local ruler or official in various parts of central and eastern Europe; an administrative chief in modern Poland”). (countable, uncountable) The jurisdiction of a voivode, comparable to a countship or a county. (countable) The highest-level administrative subdivision of Poland, comparable to a province or state. Today is Narodowe Święto Niepodległości or National Independence Day in Poland, which commemorates the restoration of the nation’s sovereignty following World War I on this day in 1918.

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12

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tongue-tied adj

Having tongue-tie or ankyloglossia (“a congenital oral anomaly in which the lingual frenulum (a membrane connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth) is unusually short and thick, decreasing mobility of the tongue and affecting eating, speech, etc.”). (figuratively) Prevented from or unable to express oneself clearly or fluently, or freely; at a loss for words, speechless. Reluctant to speak up; reserved, reticent. (chiefly poetic) Physically unable to speak; dumb, mute.

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13

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spangle n

A small, flat piece of sparkling metallic or metal-like material with a hole which is sewn on to a garment, etc., for decoration; a sequin. Any small sparkling object. A shiny particle of a mineral. (figuratively) A star. (by extension) A point of light; also (rare), a glitter, a sparkle. A speckle or spot, especially on the body of an animal. Any of a number of swallowtail butterflies (genus Papilio); specifically Papilio protenor. [...] spangle v (transitive) (also figuratively) To fix spangles or sparkling objects to (something); to bespangle. (figuratively) To adorn or decorate (something). (intransitive) To flash, glitter, or sparkle.

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14

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honeydew n

(uncountable) A sweet, sticky substance deposited on leaves and other plant parts by insects (especially aphids and scale insects) feeding on plant sap, or by fungi. (by extension) (uncountable) A sweet liquid substance resembling the substance mentioned in sense 1, such as honey, nectar, or manna in the Bible. (uncountable) A blackish mould (often called sooty mould) produced by fungi of the order Dothideales, feeding on the substance mentioned in sense 1. (uncountable, originally US) In full honeydew tobacco: a fine sort of tobacco moistened with a sweet substance (originally molasses). (countable) Short for honeydew melon (“a melon from the Cucumis melo Inodorus cultivar group, with sweet, light green or white flesh and a smooth greenish-white or yellow rind”). (uncountable) A light green colour, like the flesh of some honeydew melons. honeydew:   (countable, figuratively) Something that is enjoyable or pleasant. honeydew adj Of a light green colour, like the flesh of some honeydew melons.

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15

16

17

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vouch v

(transitive) To call on (someone) to be a witness to something. To cite or rely on (an authority, a written work, etc.) in support of one's actions or opinions. To affirm or warrant the correctness or truth of (something); also, to affirm or warrant (the truth of an assertion or statement). To bear witness or testify to the nature or qualities (of someone or something). To back, confirm, or support (someone or something) with credible evidence or proof. (archaic) Synonym of vouchsafe (“to condescendingly or graciously give or grant (something)”) (archaic or obsolete) To assert, aver, or declare (something). (law) In full vouch to warrant or vouch to warranty: to summon (someone) into court to establish a warranty of title to land. Followed by over: of a vouchee (a person summoned to court to establish a warranty of title): to summon (someone) to court in their place. (obsolete) To guarantee legal title (to something). (intransitive) Often followed by for. To bear witness or testify; to guarantee or sponsor. To provide evidence or proof. To express confidence in or take responsibility for (the correctness or truth of) something. vouch n (archaic or obsolete) An assertion, a declaration; also, a formal attestation or warrant of the correctness or truth of something.

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18

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epiphenomenon n

An activity, process, or state that is the result of another; a by-product, a consequence. (philosophy, psychology) A mental process or state that is an incidental by-product of physiological events in the brain or nervous system. (pathology) A symptom that develops during the course of a disease that is not connected to the disease. Today, the third Thursday of November in 2021, is World Philosophy Day, which was first recognized by the United Nations in 2002 to emphasize the enduring value of philosophy for the development of human thought.

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19

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four score and seven years ago adv

(idiomatic, often humorous) Used (sometimes sarcastically) to indicate that a past event being mentioned is particularly important: a long time ago; many years ago. This phrase begins the Gettysburg Address, which was made by the United States President Abraham Lincoln on this day in 1863.

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20

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poliorcetics plural n

(military) The art of siege warfare, namely, that of conducting or resisting a siege; siegecraft. The Siege of Malta during World War II ended on this day in 1942 after almost two and a half years.

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21

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rocky adj

Abounding in, or full of, rocks; consisting of rocks. Like a rock; rigid, solid. Of an animal or plant: having a habitat around on on rocks. (figuratively, archaic) Not easily affected or impressed; hard; obdurate; unfeeling. [...] Easily rocked; unstable. (figuratively) Encountering many problems; difficult, troubled; also, in danger or distress. (originally US) Of a person: ill, or unsteady (for example, as a result of a shock). [...] In the style of rock music. The Academy-Award-winning film Rocky, a rags-to-riches story about a boxer named Rocky Balboa, premiered on this day in New York City 45 years ago in 1976.

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22

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kingmaker n

(politics) Someone who has strong influence over the choice of a leader. (by extension, game theory) A player who is unable to win but powerful enough to decide which of the other viable players will eventually win. Richard Neville, 16th Earl of Warwick, was born on this day in 1428. Kingmaker was originally an epithet given to him for his role in deposing and appointing kings Henry VI and Edward IV.

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23

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chorus n

(Ancient Greece, historical) A group of singers and dancers in a theatrical performance or religious festival who commented on the main performance in speech or song. A song performed by the singers of such a group. (by extension, chiefly British, theater, historical) An actor who reads the prologue and epilogue of a play, and sometimes also acts as a commentator or narrator; also, a portion of a play read by this actor. A group of singers performing together; a choir; specifically, such a group singing together in a musical, an opera, etc., as distinct from the soloists; an ensemble. (by extension) A group of people in a performance who recite together. An instance of singing by a group of people. (figuratively) A group of people or animals who make sounds together. The noise or sound made by such a group. (music) A piece of music, especially one in a larger work such as an opera, written to be sung by a choir in parts (for example, by sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses). A part of a song which is repeated between verses; a refrain. The main part of a pop song played after the introduction. A group of organ pipes or organ stops intended to be played simultaneously; a compound stop; also, the sound made by such pipes or stops. (often attributively) A feature or setting in electronic music that makes one instrument sound like many. (Christianity) A simple, often repetitive, song intended to be sung in a group during informal worship. (jazz) The improvised solo section in a small group performance. chorus v (transitive) To sing (a song), express (a sentiment), or recite or say (words) in chorus. To express concurrence with (something said by another person); to echo. (rare) To provide (a song) with a chorus or refrain. (intransitive) To sing the chorus or refrain of a song. To sing, express, or say in, or as if in, unison. To echo in unison another person's words. Of animals: to make cries or sounds together. For some Christian churches, yesterday was the feast day of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of musicians.

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24

25

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repast n

(countable) (archaic or literary) A meal. (obsolete) A period of refreshment or rest. (uncountable) (archaic) Food or drink that may be consumed as a meal. (archaic, figuratively) Something that is intellectually or spiritually nourishing. (obsolete) The consumption of food; also, refreshment obtained from eating; (generally) refreshment; rest. repast v (transitive) (archaic) To supply (an animal or person) with food; to feed. (archaic, figuratively) To provide (a person) with intellectual or spiritual nourishment; to enlighten, to feed. (also reflexive, obsolete) To refresh (oneself or someone) through eating and drinking. (intransitive, obsolete, also figuratively) Usually followed by on or upon: to take food and drink; to feast, to feed. Happy Thanksgiving! Today, the fourth Thursday in November in 2021, is Thanksgiving Day in the United States and some other countries.

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26

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cheshirization n

(phonology, rare) Synonym of transphonologization (“a type of sound change whereby a phonemic contrast that used to involve a certain feature evolves in such a way that the contrast is preserved, yet becomes associated with a different feature”) The English author Lewis Carroll’s book Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland which introduced the Cheshire cat, a fictional feline which disappeared leaving only its smile, was published on this day in 1865.

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27

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gingerly adv

In a cautious and delicate manner; (very) carefully or cautiously. (obsolete) Chiefly of dancing or walking: done with small, dainty steps; daintily; also, with excessive delicacy; affectedly, mincingly. gingerly adj Often of movements: very careful, cautious, or delicate. (obsolete) Often of a person or the way they move: dainty, delicate; also, excessively delicate; affected, mincing.

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28

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verve n

Enthusiasm, rapture, spirit, or vigour, especially of imagination such as that which animates an artist, musician, or writer, in composing or performing.

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29

30

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kyle n

(Scotland) A narrow arm or channel of the sea between an island and the mainland, or between two islands. Today is Saint Andrew’s Day, Scotland’s national day.

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