Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2023/June

2023
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1

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atelier n

A studio or workshop, especially for an artist, designer, or fashion house. The French fashion designer Yves Saint Laurent died on this day 15 years ago in 2008.

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2

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spaghetti n

(countable, uncountable) A type of pasta made in the shape of long thin strings. (by extension, countable, uncountable) A dish that has spaghetti (sense 1) as a main part of it, such as spaghetti bolognese. (by extension, countable) Denoting Italianness. (derogatory, informal) An Italian person. (film) Short for spaghetti western (“a motion picture depicting a story of cowboys and desperadoes set in the American Old West, but produced by an Italian-based company and filmed in Europe, notably in Italy”). (by extension, uncountable, informal, often attributively) Something physically resembling spaghetti (sense 1) in appearance or consistency, or in being tangled. (electrical engineering) Electrical insulating tubing or electrical wiring. (road transport) Roads forming a complex junction, especially one with multiple levels on a motorway. (uncountable, figuratively, informal) Something confusing or intricate. (programming, derogatory, informal) Short for spaghetti code (“unstructured or poorly structured program source code, especially code with many GOTO statements or their equivalent”). [...] spaghetti v (informal) (transitive) (humorous) To serve (someone) spaghetti (noun sense 1). To cause (someone or something) to become, or appear to become, longer and thinner; to stretch. To cause (something) to become tangled. (intransitive) (humorous) To eat spaghetti (noun sense 1). To become, or appear to become, longer and thinner. To become tangled. Today is Festa della Repubblica or Republic Day, Italy’s national day.

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3

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pedal pushers n (plural only)

(originally US) Women's casual trousers, usually fairly form-fitting, that end at the calves. Today is World Bicycle Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to highlight the bicycle as a simple, affordable, and sustainable form of transport.

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4

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emeritus adj

(often postpositive) Retired, but retaining an honorific version of a previous title. emeritus n A (male) person who is retired from active service or an occupation, especially one who retains an honorific version of a previous title. (rare) An honorific version of a previous title.

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5

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understory n (chiefly American spelling)

(architecture, dated, also figuratively) A story of a building below the stories generally used for residence or work. (ecology, also attributively) The (layer of) plants that grow in the shade of the canopy of a forest above the forest floor. Today is World Environment Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to promote worldwide awareness of the need and action to protect the environment. The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, Sweden, began on this day in 1972.

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6

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ushanka n

A traditional Russian fur cap with earflaps. Today is UN Russian Language Day, one of six such days established by UNESCO to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity and to promote the equal use of its working languages. The Russian novelist and poet Alexander Pushkin, regarded as the father of modern Russian literature, was born on this day in 1799.

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7

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wash one's hands of v

(transitive, idiomatic) To absolve oneself of responsibility or future blame for (something); to refuse to have any further involvement with (something). Today is World Food Safety Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to raise awareness about and promote global food safety.

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8

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white whale n

Synonym of beluga (“the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas), a cetacean found in the Arctic Ocean”) Any whale of the family Monodontidae, which comprises the beluga whales and narwhals (Monodon monoceros), and some extinct species. (figuratively) An obsession, a monomania. (collectible card games) A printing plate used to manufacture a particular sports card, that is then issued as a collectible itself. Today is World Oceans Day, a day recognized by the United Nations to highlight the importance of conserving and protecting the world’s oceans.

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9

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unparished adj

(British, Ireland, Christianity) Not designated as a parish (“an administrative part of a diocese that has its own church”). (England) Of an area: not in a civil parish (“an administrative subdivision of a borough or local government district”), or not having a parish council or town council.

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10

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Maxwellisation n

(physics) The property of exhibiting a Maxwellian distribution (or Maxwell–Boltzmann distribution), especially as regards the speed of a particle. (British, law) A process whereby a person criticized in an official inquiry is given an opportunity to read and respond to the criticisms before the report of the inquiry is published. The word derives from the surnames of the British media proprietor and fraudster Robert Maxwell, who was born on this day 100 years ago in 1923, and the Scottish scientist James Clerk Maxwell who was born on 13 June 1831.

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11

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rheumy adj

Of, relating to, or made of rheum (“thin or watery discharge of mucus or serum”); watery. Producing rheum from the mucous membranes; (also figuratively) especially of the eyes: filled with rheum; watery. (literary, poetic, obsolete) Especially of the air: damp, moist.

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12

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deplorable adj

To be deplored. To be felt sorrow for; worthy of compassion; lamentable. Deserving strong condemnation; shockingly bad, wretched. [...]

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13

14

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epistemic adj

(philosophy) Of or relating to cognition or knowledge, its scope, or how it is acquired. (by extension, linguistics) Of or relating to how cognition or knowledge is expressed in language. (philosophy) Of or relating to epistemology (“the branch of philosophy dealing with the study of knowledge”); epistemologic or epistemological.

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15

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glacis n

A gentle incline. (geomorphology) A gentle sloping landform created by the deposition or erosion of material. (military) (architecture, also figuratively) A gentle incline in front of a fortification which protects it from cannon fire and exposes attackers to more effective return fire from defenders. In full glacis plate: the angled armour plate on the front of a tank which protects it from projectiles; also (often nautical), such a plate protecting an opening (for example, on a ship). (post) A device for sorting mail which slides parcels across a sloped surface.

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16

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wring v

(transitive) Often followed by out: to squeeze or twist (something moist) tightly so that liquid is forced out. To squeeze water from (an item of wet clothing) by passing through a wringer. (also figuratively) Often followed by from or out: to extract (a liquid) from something wet by squeezing, twisting, or otherwise putting pressure on it. (also figuratively) To hold (someone or something) tightly and press or twist; to wrest. To clasp and twist (hands) together due to distress, sorrow, etc. To bend or strain (something) out of its position; to wrench, to wrest. To contort or screw up (the face or its features). To twist or wind (something) into coils; to coil. Of a thing (such as footwear): to pinch or press (a person or part of their body), causing pain. (archaic or British, dialectal, also figuratively) To cause (someone or something) physical harm, injury, or pain; specifically, by applying pressure or by twisting; to harm, to hurt, to injure. (figuratively) To cause (tears) to come out from a person or their eyes. To cause distress or pain to (a person or their heart, soul, etc.); to distress, to torment. To obtain (something) from or out of a person or thing by extortion or other force. To use effort to draw (a response, words, etc.) from or out of someone; to generate (something) as a response. (obsolete) To afflict or oppress (someone) to enforce compliance; to extort. (obsolete) To cause (someone) to do something or to think a certain way. (obsolete) To change (something) into another thing. (obsolete) To give (teachings, words, etc.) an incorrect meaning; to twist, to wrest. (obsolete, reflexive) To put (oneself) in a position by cunning or subtle means; to insinuate. (materials science) To slide (two ultraflat surfaces) together such that their faces bond. (intransitive) To be engaged in clasping and twisting (especially the hands), or exerting pressure. To twist the body in or as if in pain; to writhe. (figuratively) To contend, to struggle; also, to strive, to toil. To experience distress, pain, punishment, etc. (mining) Of a lode: to be depleted of ore; to peter or peter out. (obsolete) To make a way out with difficulty.

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17

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fixedly adv

In a fixed manner. Firmly, resolutely. Without changing one's expression; unchangingly. Without shifting one's gaze; intently, steadily.

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18

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kangatarian n

A non-vegetarian who, for ethical reasons, does not eat meat from animals other than kangaroos, because they are sourced from the wild and not farmed. Today is designated as Sustainable Gastronomy Day by the United Nations to highlight the role that gastronomy can play in promoting sustainable development.

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19

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priceless adj

So precious as not to be obtainable or sold at any price; invaluable. (figuratively) Held in high regard; treasured. (informal) Absurd, ridiculous. (informal) Very amusing, hilarious. (informal, often ironic) Excellent, fantastic, wonderful. (literally, uncommon) Without a price assigned. (obsolete) Of no value; valueless, worthless.

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20

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music to someone's ears n

(idiomatic) A spoken expression or a sound which is pleasing; specifically, some good news, or welcome information or remarks. The Fête de la Musique (also known as World Music Day), which originated in France in 1982 and is now celebrated around the world, takes place tomorrow.

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21

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Mummerset n (humorous)

An imaginary rural county in the West Country of England. (often theater) An invented English language dialect used by actors that mimics a stereotypical West Country rural accent. The Glastonbury Festival, a festival of contemporary performing arts including cabaret, circus, comedy, dance, music, and theatre, begins in Pilton in Somerset, England, United Kingdom, today in 2023.

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22

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blag v (British, Ireland, informal)

(transitive) To obtain (something) for free, particularly by guile or persuasion. (specifically) To obtain (confidential information) by impersonation or other deception; also, to deceive (someone) into disclosing confidential information. To obtain (something desired), or avoid (something undesired), through improvisation or luck; to fluke, to get away with. To use guile or persuasion on (someone); also, to deceive or perpetrate a hoax on (someone). (Polari) To meet and seduce (someone) for romantic purposes, especially in a social situation; to pick up. (intransitive) To speak persuasively or with guile to obtain something. blag adj (British, informal) Not genuine; fake. blag n (British, informal) An attempt to obtain, or the means of obtaining, something by guile or persuasion; a trick. An act of deceiving; a con, a deception, a hoax. [...]

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23

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burnt offering n

(biblical) A slaughtered animal offered and burnt on an altar as an atonement for sin. (religion, by extension) Any similar sacrifice to a deity or deities, or to a deceased person. (humorous) Overcooked food.

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24

25

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shipworm n

Any of several wormlike marine molluscs (not true worms) of the family Teredinidae that bore through the wooden hulls of ships and other woody material immersed in salt water; specifically, the naval shipworm or turu (Teredo navalis), the type species of the genus Teredo. Today is the Day of the Seafarer, which was established by the International Maritime Organization in 2010 and recognized by the United Nations to acknowledge the contributions made by seafarers to international seaborne trade, the world economy, and civil society.

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26

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barmy adj (archaic)

Containing, covered with, or pertaining to barm (“foam rising upon beer or other malt liquors when fermenting, used as leaven in brewing and making bread”). (figuratively) Bubbling with activity or excitement; active, excited. [...] barmy adj (British, Ireland, informal) Crazy, mad; also, eccentric, odd, strange. Very foolish. [...]

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27

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purblind adj (literary)

Of a person: having impaired vision; partially blind; dim-sighted. Of the eyes: unable to see well, especially due to old age; weak. (figuratively) Of a person: lacking in discernment or understanding; dim-witted, unintelligent. Of a place: poorly illuminated; dark, dim. (obsolete) Completely blind. Having one eye blind. Near-sighted, short-sighted; myopic. (rare) Far-sighted, long-sighted; hypermetropic. purblind n A person who has impaired vision or is partially blind. purblind v (transitive, literary, often passive voice) To cause (someone) to have impaired vision or become partially blind.

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28

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gaydar n

(slang) The supposed ability to detect whether or not a person is gay by observing that person's appearance, mannerisms, etc. On this day in 1969, members of the LGBT community refused to cooperate or go with police who raided the Stonewall Inn in New York City, beginning spontaneous, violent demonstrations now known as the Stonewall riots, a key moment in the fight for LGBT rights in the US.

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29

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mahout n

(South Asia) An elephant trainer, keeper, and driver. mahout v (transitive) To drive (an elephant or elephants). (intransitive) To drive elephants. Today is the International Day of the Tropics, which is recognized by the United Nations to highlight the important role that countries in tropical areas of the world play in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, and to raise awareness about the challenges faced by these areas. The first State of the Tropics Report by twelve tropical research institutions was launched on this day in 2014.

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30