Idiom of the Day
- like death warmed upIn a state or appearance of extreme ill health. (Often preceded by "look" or "feel.") Watch the video
- dealbreakerA specific issue or thing that will cause an agreement, deal, or relationship to fail or be terminated. Watch the video
Word of the Day
- peignoirDefinition: (noun) A woman's loose-fitting dressing gown. Synonyms: neglige, wrapper, housecoat. Usage: The tears came so fast to Mrs. Pontellier's eyes that the damp sleeve of her peignoir no longer served to dry them. Discuss
- cerumenDefinition: (noun) A soft yellow wax secreted by glands in the ear canal. Synonyms: earwax. Usage: A buildup of cerumen was irritating Billy's ear, so his mother gently cleaned the area with a cotton swab.
Word Origins
- statesnation, country - A nation is made up of states—and a country is a nation defined geographically. More...political map - Shows the boundaries of cities, states, and countries. More...statistic - Comes from a German noun describing knowledge dealing with the constitutions and resources of the states of the world. More...booster name - A nickname for […]
- proteinalbumen, albumin - Albumen is the white of an egg, from Latin albus, "white"; albumin is a protein within the albumen. More...protein - Pronounced PRO-teen or PRO-tee-un, it comes from Greek proteios, "primary," as these compounds are essential to all living organisms. More...protoplasm - A mixture of organic and inorganic substances, such as protein and […]
- soldierbombardier - First denoted a soldier in charge of a bombard, an early form of cannon. More...functional shift - The process by which words change parts of speech without the addition of a prefix or suffix, as in soldier on, the verb, being created from soldier, the noun. More...guerrilla, gorilla - Guerrilla is from a […]