Picture of the day for January 1, 2018

Wikipedia picture of the day on January 1, 2018: Although there are no seasons in space, this cosmic vista invokes thoughts of a frosty winter landscape. http://ift.tt/2CwFgce

Brooklynite: Word of the day for January 1, 2018

Brooklynite , n :
A native or inhabitant of Brooklyn, New York. On New Year’s Day in 1898, 120 years ago, Brooklyn was consolidated with other cities, boroughs, and counties to form what is now New York City.

Picture of the day for December 31, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 31, 2017: Fireworks in the Sea Port of Sochi, Krasnodar Krai, Russia http://ift.tt/2CrodIi

hemerology: Word of the day for December 31, 2017

hemerology , n :
The study of calendars, especially with a view to identifying propitious days. Happy New Year’s Eve from all of us at the Wiktionary!

Picture of the day for December 30, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 30, 2017: A juvenile green monkey (Chlorocebus sabaeus) from The Gambia. http://ift.tt/2CqDDNa

cognate accusative: Word of the day for December 30, 2017

cognate accusative , n :
(grammar) An object of kindred sense or derivation; specifically, that which may adverbially follow an intransitive verb (for example, the word death in “to die the death”).

ensete: Word of the day for December 29, 2017

ensete , n :
Ensete ventricosum, a species of flowering plant in the banana family Musaceae, the root of which is used for food and other purposes.

Picture of the day for December 29, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 29, 2017: Rotring S0214750 bow compass with Rapidograph 0.5 mm technical pen drawing 1.5–15 mm diameter circles http://ift.tt/2zJmB9Z

wurley: Word of the day for December 28, 2017

wurley , n :
(chiefly South Australia) An Australian indigenous shelter made from small branches with the leaves still attached. (chiefly South Australia, by extension) A settlement made up of such shelters. On this day in 1836, John Hindmarsh, the first Governor of South Australia, announced that South Australia had been created a British province, and that both the indigenous population and settlers would be equally protected by the law. For some years the date was commemorated as Proclamation Day, until the holiday was changed to the first otherwise working day after Christmas Day (usually 26 December).

Picture of the day for December 28, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 28, 2017: 2 x Saab JAS-39 Gripen and 2 x Aero L-159 of the Czech Air Force, based at AFB Čáslav, inflight. http://ift.tt/2BZz8w6

dragline excavator: Word of the day for December 27, 2017

dragline excavator , n :
Any of several very large vehicles used for lifting, especially in the process of mining: basically an excavator which drags its bucket to fill it.

Picture of the day for December 27, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 27, 2017: Snowboarder Sergey Lapushkin at Slopestyle LG/FIS World Cup 2012, Stoneham ski resort, Quebec, Canada. http://ift.tt/2DiQobP

St. Stephen's Day: Word of the day for December 26, 2017

St. Stephen's Day , proper n :
(Christianity) A Christian holiday commemorating Saint Stephen the protomartyr (first Christian martyr; died 34 C.E.), falling immediately after Christmas Day (on December 26 in the Western Church and on December 27 in the Eastern Orthodox Church).

Picture of the day for December 26, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 26, 2017: Cablecar type Funifor Arabba Porta Vescovo in Italy http://ift.tt/2n6sWYv

Yuletide: Word of the day for December 25, 2017

Yuletide , n :
(dated) The period of celebration of a pre-Christian festival associated with the (northern) winter solstice, later absorbed into the festival of Christmas. (dated) The period around Christmas; the Christmas season, Christmastime; specifically, Christmas itself. (Australia, regional) The period of southern winter in the middle of the year, sometimes celebrated in the colder, snowy regions of Australia with allusions to Christmas, which originated as a marketing gimmick. Merry Christmas from all of us at the Wiktionary!

Picture of the day for December 25, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 25, 2017: Nativity of Christ at the winged altar of the parish- and pilgrimage church Kefermarkt, Upper Austria. Anonymous master (Master of the Kefermarkt Altarpiece), around 1497. http://ift.tt/2DHZX55

carol: Word of the day for December 24, 2017

carol , n :
(historical) A round dance accompanied by singing. A ballad or song of joy. (specifically) A (usually traditional) religious or secular song sung at Christmastime. Have yourself a merry little Christmas Eve!

Picture of the day for December 24, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 24, 2017: Union Square, San Francisco is a public plaza. Here, it is decorated for Christmas with a skating rink and a Christmas tree. This view is from the public rooftop terrace at the flagship store of Macy's West. http://ift.tt/2pkACLt

pappardelle: Word of the day for December 23, 2017

pappardelle , plural n :
A broad form of fettuccine, or a narrow form of lasagne, traditionally eaten with a meat sauce (especially one made with hare).

Picture of the day for December 23, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 23, 2017: Sculpture “Zwei Pferde für Münster” (Stephan Huber, 2002) at the LVM building, Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, GermanyThe second horse is inside the building and in the background from this angle. http://ift.tt/2pejxT8

etendue: Word of the day for December 22, 2017

etendue , n :
(optics) A conserved property of the light in an optical system which characterizes how "spread out" the light is in terms of angle and area: it is the product of its cross-sectional area (normal to the direction of propagation) and the solid angle it subtends.

Picture of the day for December 22, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 22, 2017: Inside the Agra Fort, India http://ift.tt/2p8kvR1

on ice: Word of the day for December 21, 2017

on ice , prepositional phrase :
(idiomatic) Not being used; temporarily unavailable or suspended; on hold. Of an entertainment normally performed on a stage: performed by ice skaters as an ice show. Of a sporting or other contest: in a state of assured victory for the leading contestant. […] The winter solstice in the Northern Hemisphere falls on this day in 2017.

Picture of the day for December 21, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 21, 2017: Aurora australis dancing over an LED illuminated igloo giving a blue tinge to the color of snow. http://ift.tt/2kS5k9f

Shangri-La: Word of the day for December 20, 2017

Shangri-La , n :
A place of complete bliss, delight, and peace, especially one seen as an escape from ordinary life; a paradise. British author James Hilton, who coined the word in his 1933 novel Lost Horizon, died on this day in 1954.

Picture of the day for December 20, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 20, 2017: Barbed wire of a fence, Dülmen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany http://ift.tt/2CFqIpp

unguligrade: Word of the day for December 19, 2017

unguligrade , n :
(zoology) An animal that walks on hooves. Today is celebrated as National Day of the Horse in the United States.

Picture of the day for December 19, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 19, 2017: Sand lizard female (Lacerta agilis). Ukraine http://ift.tt/2CYNlpD

fit as a fiddle: Word of the day for December 18, 2017

fit as a fiddle , adj :
(simile, colloquial) Perfectly fit; in excellent condition or health. The Italian luthier Antonio Stradivari died on this day in 1737.

Picture of the day for December 18, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 18, 2017: Main reredos of the Chapel of the Rosary in St Domingo church in the Historic Center of Quito, Ecuador. The catholic temple was constructed between 1540 and 1688 following the plans of architect Francisco Becerra. The baroque chapel, dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, is the most featurable in the church and was painted by priest Pedro Bedón at the beginning of the 17th century. http://ift.tt/2kGY28i

Picture of the day for December 17, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 17, 2017: Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus lateralis), Bryce Canyon, Utah (USA). http://ift.tt/2k4AFpt

cromulent: Word of the day for December 17, 2017

cromulent , adj :
(humorous) Fine, acceptable or correct; seamless, relevant, legitimate or authentic; nonanomalous. The animated sitcom The Simpsons, from which the word originates, premiered on this date in 1989.

Picture of the day for December 16, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 16, 2017: Zedelnig mountain (2,330 metres (7,640 ft)) and alpine pasture Jamnigalm in the Tauern Valley near Mallnitz, High Tauern National Park, Carinthia http://ift.tt/2BwCIwJ

adermatoglyphia: Word of the day for December 16, 2017

adermatoglyphia , n :
The rare congenital absence of epidermal ridges (fingerprints). The autosomally dominant genetic disorder which causes this condition.

greensand: Word of the day for December 15, 2017

greensand , n :
(geology) A greenish sandstone containing glauconite.

Picture of the day for December 15, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 15, 2017: Fog and frost on the Lysekil railway at Gåseberg in Lysekil Municipality, Sweden. The railway was inaugurated in 1913 and is still in use. http://ift.tt/2AGCUJX

retroussé: Word of the day for December 14, 2017

retroussé , adj :
Turned up, as in describing the nose.

Picture of the day for December 14, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 14, 2017: First sunbeams sweep over a winter landscape. Path between Put van Nederhorst and Langweerderwielen. Location, Langweerderwielen (Langwarder Wielen) and surroundings, De Fryske Marren, Friesland, Netherlands. http://ift.tt/2yoGdiO

angle parking: Word of the day for December 13, 2017

angle parking , n :
A form of roadside car parking where the parking spaces are arranged at an acute angle to the direction of approach, allowing the driver to enter a space easily and later reverse back out.

Picture of the day for December 13, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 13, 2017: Two Soviet MiG-29 aircraft en route to an air show in British Columbia, Canada, are intercepted by F-15 Eagle aircraft of the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing. The Soviet MiG-29s are, for the first time, traveling to the Abbotsford International Airshow in Abbotsford, BC, Canada, to participate in the August 1989 airshow. The USAF F-15 Eagle interceptors actively guarding North American and United States of America's airspace are with the 21st Tactical Fighter Wing, headquartered at Elmendorf Air Force Base (AFB), Alaska, USA. http://ift.tt/2AfJJhb

Wiktionary: Word of the day for December 12, 2017

Wiktionary , proper n :
A collaborative project run by the Wikimedia Foundation to produce a free and complete dictionary in every language. The dictionaries, collectively, produced by that project. A particular version of this dictionary project, written in a certain language, such as the English-language Wiktionary (often known simply as the English Wiktionary). Happy birthday to us! Wiktionary went online on this day in 2002.

Picture of the day for December 12, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 12, 2017: Malachite kingfisher (Corythornis cristatus) on Lake Baringo, Kenya. To celebrate Jamhuri Day which marks Kenya's establishment as a republic on 12 December 1964. http://ift.tt/2z2jb4Y

Picture of the day for December 11, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 11, 2017: Night view of Berlin Hauptbahnhof (English: Berlin Central Station), main railway station in Berlin, Germany. The station came into full operation in May 2006 and is located on the site of the historic Lehrter Bahnhof, which was opened in 1871 as the terminus of the railway linking Berlin with Lehrte (location near Hanover), which later became Germany's most important east-west main line. In 1987, it was extensively renovated to commemorate Berlin's 750th anniversary, and again in 2006 to its current appearance. http://ift.tt/2AJquO8

scree: Word of the day for December 11, 2017

scree , n :
(uncountable) Loose stony debris on a slope. (uncountable, by extension) Similar debris made up of broken building material such as bricks, concrete, etc. (countable) A slope made up of loose stony debris at the base of a cliff, mountain, etc. Today is designated by the United Nations General Assembly as International Mountain Day to highlight the importance of sustainable mountain development.

putter: Word of the day for December 10, 2017

putter , v :
(intransitive) To be active, but not excessively busy, at a task or a series of tasks. […] (intransitive) To produce intermittent bursts of sound in the course of operating.

Picture of the day for December 10, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 10, 2017: X-ray crystallography is a tool used for identifying the atomic and molecular structure of a crystal. The movement of the machine during 80 second scan can give different view on how relatively slow scientific measurements can look frozen in time by shutter speed of 90 seconds. http://ift.tt/1QP2nSH

genticide: Word of the day for December 9, 2017

genticide , n :
(rare) The killing of a race or nation of people; the slaughter of an ethnic group; a genocide. (rare) The killing of a kinsman or kinswoman; the murder of a blood relative. Today, the anniversary of the adoption of the Genocide Convention in 1948, is recognized by the United Nations as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.

Picture of the day for December 9, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 9, 2017: Orthetrum luzonicum, Tricolored Marsh Hawk, is a medium sized dragonfly with blue, yellow and brown markings. This is a juvenile male. http://ift.tt/2kGwSBV

glaciology: Word of the day for December 8, 2017

glaciology , n :
(geography) The study of ice and its effect on the landscape, especially the study of glaciers. Norwegian explorer Carl Anton Larsen, after whom the Larsen Ice Shelf in Antarctica is named, died on this day in 1924.

Picture of the day for December 8, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 8, 2017: Großhadern is a Munich U-Bahn station on the U6, opened in 1993. http://ift.tt/2jrDX5P

afflatus: Word of the day for December 7, 2017

afflatus , n :
A sudden rush of creative impulse or inspiration, often attributed to divine influence. The Roman orator and philosopher Cicero, who first used the related Latin word adflātū in the “inspiration” sense in his work De Natura Deorum (The Nature of the Gods, 44 B.C.E.), died on this day in 43 B.C.E.

Picture of the day for December 7, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 7, 2017: HMS Belfast (C35) ship on the River Thames and Tower Bridge in London before sunrise http://ift.tt/2iurjSJ

demulcent: Word of the day for December 6, 2017

demulcent , adj :
(also figuratively) Soothing or softening.

Picture of the day for December 6, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 6, 2017: Panoramic view of Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg, Russia. http://ift.tt/2BEf51r

Picture of the day for December 5, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 5, 2017: View of a path and the Miscanti lake, altiplano of the Antofagasta Region, northern Chile. The brackish water lake, located in Los Flamencos National Reserve, is separated from Miñiques Lake by a lava flow from an eruption of Miñiques volcano. http://ift.tt/2jfsrdN

quarry: Word of the day for December 5, 2017

quarry , n :
[…] (uncountable) A part of the entrails of a hunted animal, given to the hounds as a reward. (uncountable) An animal, often a bird or mammal, which is hunted. (countable) An object of search or pursuit.

Picture of the day for December 4, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 4, 2017: "Umschreibung" is an art installation by Olafur Eliasson in Munich. Here the spiral stairs are seen from below at night. http://ift.tt/2iIgVL3

froth at the mouth: Word of the day for December 4, 2017

froth at the mouth , v :
To spew saliva as froth. (figuratively) To rage, to vent one's anger.

Picture of the day for December 3, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 3, 2017: Phacelia tanacetifolia in Kirchspiel, Dülmen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany http://ift.tt/2AqNhOz

telemark: Word of the day for December 3, 2017

telemark , n :
(uncountable, skiing) Telemark skiing, a method of skiing using the telemark turn and a binding that only connects the boot to the ski at the toes. (countable, skiing) A telemark turn.

Picture of the day for December 2, 2017

Wikipedia picture of the day on December 2, 2017: Wire-tailed swallow, Hirundo smithii, feeding the offspring. http://ift.tt/2i8cRzG

bardo: Word of the day for December 2, 2017

bardo , n :
(Tibetan Buddhism) The state of existence between death and subsequent reincarnation. American author George Saunders, whose novel Lincoln in the Bardo won the 2017 Man Booker Prize, was born on this day in 1958.