Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, January 2, 2019)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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pent-up
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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PhrasesGrammatical phrases are groups of two or more words that work together to perform a single grammatical function in a sentence. What is an appositive phrase? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 AmphisbaenaThe amphisbaena appears in Greek and Roman mythology as a scaled or feathered poisonous serpent with a head at each end of its body, thus enabling it to move either backward or forward with ease. Its name is, in fact, derived from the Greek words amphis, meaning "both ways," and bainein, "to go." Ever vigilant, the monster never allows both of its heads to sleep at the same time. According to myth, the amphisbaena was formed from the blood of what dreaded mythological figure? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 Discovery of the Planet Vulcan Is Announced (1860)To account for inconsistencies between Mercury's predicted and observed orbital path, French astronomer Urbain Jean Joseph Leverrier postulated that a tiny, hypothetical planet, which he named Vulcan, was present within Mercury's orbit. Sightings of Vulcan were reported until 1878, and Leverrier died believing he had discovered another planet. Eventually, however, the orbital anomalies were explained by Einstein's general theory of relativity. After what was the hypothetical planet named? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Mehmed IV (1642)After the deposition and murder of his father, Sultan Ibrahim, 7-year-old Mehmed IV ascended the throne of the Ottoman Empire. Chaos and corruption followed, and though grand vizier Mehmed Köprülü managed to restore order, the empire suffered severe setbacks. In 1683, the Turks besieged Vienna but were repulsed by King John III of Poland, and a Holy League was formed to carry the war into Ottoman territory. Mehmed was deposed after a Turkish defeat by Charles V of Lorraine. Who succeeded him? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 Caught up in life, you see it badly. You suffer from it or enjoy it too much.Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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honey-mouthed— Smooth, soothing, and sweet in voice, especially in a persuasive or seductive manner or intent. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Haiti Ancestors' Day (2024)In Haiti, the Independence Day festivities that occur on the first day of the year continue into the second with Jour des Aieux (Ancestors' Day), an occasion for remembering the founders of Haiti and those who sacrificed their lives during the revolution of the early 19th century. A large meal often accompanies the day's festivities, and military processions may also take place on Ancestors' Day. In years past, particularly during the reign of President François Duvalier (1971–1986), the executive leader used this day to broadcast speeches to the nation. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: yesterdayhestern, hesternal - Hestern or hesternal means "pertaining to yesterday." More... nudiustertian - Pertaining to the day before yesterday. More... pridian - "Of or relating to a previous day or yesterday; former." More... yesterday - The yester of yesterday and yesteryear was a word on its own, meaning "yesterday," but by Old English it had become a collocation with "day." More... | |