July 6, 2016
Word of the Day
|
|
|
Definition:
|
(noun) A slender double-reed instrument; a woodwind with a conical bore and a double-reed mouthpiece. |
| Synonyms: |
oboe |
| Usage: |
What hautboys and Zamora bagpipes we shall hear, what tabors, timbrels, and rebecks! |
Idiom of the Day
—
The absolute, unequivocal truth. (I.e., as if spoken by God Himself.)
More...
|
Article of the Day
|
|
|
During World War I, shell shock was considered a psychiatric illness resulting from injury to the nerves during combat. The condition is now known as combat stress reaction, a military term used to categorize a range of behaviors resulting from the stresses of battle. Symptoms include fatigue, slowed reaction time, indecision, disconnection from one's surroundings, and the inability to prioritize. Why did some argue during the Vietnam War that distressed soldiers should be sent back to combat?
More...
|
This Day in History
Explosion and Fire Destroy Piper Alpha Drilling Platform (1988)
|
Discuss
|
|
|
Piper Alpha was a North Sea oil production platform operated by Occidental Petroleum that sank into the sea after a series of explosions and a massive fire, killing 167 men. Only 59 of the workers survived. The initial blast is believed to have resulted from the activation of a pump that was missing a safety valve. A poorly planned evacuation process exacerbated the disaster. Why did nearby platforms continue to pump gas and oil to Piper Alpha after it was engulfed in flames?
More...
|
Today's Birthday
|
|
|
Kellerman was an Australian professional swimmer, vaudeville and film star, and writer. Her 1907 performance of "water ballet" is often credited with popularizing the sport of synchronized swimming. Kellerman was also known for advocating the right of women to wear one-piece bathing suits and was once famously arrested for indecency for doing so herself. In 1908, a Harvard University professor named her the "Perfect Woman" because of the similarity of her physical attributes to what figure?
More...
|
Today's Holiday
|
|
|
Rath Yatra is an outpouring of tens of thousands of pilgrims to honor Jagannath, Lord of the Universe, in Puri in the state of Orissa, India. During the festival, wooden images of Jagannath, his brother, Balbhadra, and his sister, Subhadra, are taken in procession in three huge chariots or carts that look like temples and are called raths. They go from the Jagannath Temple to be bathed at Gundicha Mandir, a temple about a mile away. This is such a popular festival because all castes are considered equal, and everyone has to eat the food prepared by low caste men at the shrine.
More...
|
Quote of the Day
|
|
|
Churchmen in peace and quiet pray to Heaven for the welfare of the world, but we soldiers and knights carry into effect what they pray for...Thus are we God's ministers on earth and the arms by which his justice is done therein.
Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)
|
In the News
'Welcome to Jupiter!' NASA's Juno Space Probe Arrives at Giant Planet
|
Discuss
|
|
|
NASA says it has received a signal from 540 million miles across the solar system, confirming its Juno spacecraft has successfully started orbiting Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system. "Welcome to Jupiter!" flashed on screens at mission control at ...
More...
|
Mobile apps from TheFreeDictionary.com
|
The classic free version, downloaded more than 6 million times!
- Multiple dictionaries, encyclopedias, and thesauruses in one place.
- 14 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Norwegian, Greek, Arabic, Polish, Turkish, and Russian.
- Online translations of English into more than 40 languages, plus dozens of other translation options.
|
|
|
|
The PRO version, with expanded offline content.
- No ads.
- A more comprehensive English offline dictionary, plus 13 other offline dictionaries: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Norwegian, Greek, Arabic, Polish, Turkish, and Russian.
- Offline translations of English into more than 40 languages, plus dozens of other offline translation options.
- Plus all the content of the classic free app!
|
|
|
|
