Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2017/February

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dais n

A raised platform in a room for a high table, a seat of honour, a throne, or other dignified occupancy; a similar platform supporting a lectern, pulpit, etc., which may be used to speak from. (historical, northern British) A bench, a settle, a pew. (obsolete) An elevated table in a hall at which important people are seated; a high table.

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mana n

Power, prestige; specifically, a form of supernatural energy in Polynesian religion that inheres in things or people. (fantasy roleplaying games) Magical power. Today is Waitangi Day, the national day of New Zealand.

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interrobang n

The nonstandard punctuation mark ‽ (a combination of ? and !), which may be used at the end of a sentence to express excitement or disbelief, or to indicate that it is a rhetorical question. American advertising executive Martin K. Speckter, who invented the symbol and coined its name, died in 1988 on the 14th of this month.

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abderitism n

(philosophy) The theory that the human race's morality will never advance beyond its present state. German philosopher Immanuel Kant, who coined the German word Abderitismus from which the English word is derived, died on this day in 1804.

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tachycardia n

A rapid resting heart rate, especially one above 100 beats per minute. Happy Valentine's Day from all of us at Wiktionary!

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Sturm und Drang n

A proto-Romantic movement in German literature and music which occurred from the late 1760s to the early 1780s, emphasizing individual subjectivity and the free expression of emotions. Turmoil; a period of emotional intensity and anxiety. German dramatist Friedrich Maximilian von Klinger, whose 1776 play Sturm und Drang lent its name to the phrase, was born on this day in 1752.

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fictive kin n

(anthropology, ethnography) Someone who, though unrelated by birth or marriage, has such a close emotional relationship with another that they may be considered part of the family. Today is Family Day in some parts of Canada in 2017.

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logrolling n

(US) The rolling of logs from one place to another; an occasion when people meet to help each other roll logs. (US, lumberjacking) The act of balancing on a log floating on a river to guide it downstream, often involving rolling it using one's feet; birling. (US, sports) A sport in which two people balance on a log floating in a body of water, each one aiming to cause the opponent to fall off by rolling or kicking the log. (US, politics, figuratively) A concerted effort to push forward mutually advantageous legislative agendas by combining two items, either or both of which might fail on its own, into a single bill that is more likely to pass. (US, figuratively) Mutual recommendation of friends' or colleagues' services or products, such as book recommendations in literary reviews.

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shovelware n

(computing, slang, derogatory) A haphazard collection of software assembled in terms of quantity rather than quality. (media, slang) Traditional media content, such as printed news reports, republished hastily on the Internet without considering the needs and capabilities of that medium.

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dressing room n

A room used for dressing or changing clothes. A small room adjoining a domestic bedroom where people may dress or undress in privacy. A room in a theatre or other performance venue in which performers may change costumes and apply makeup. A changing room at a recreational or sports venue. The 89th Academy Awards ceremony, at which Oscars will be given to recognize excellence in cinematic achievements in the United States film industry, takes place today in 2017.

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anosmic adj

(medicine) Having anosmia; lacking a sense of smell. (zoology) Lacking olfactory organs; anosmatic. Today is Anosmia Awareness Day, a day to spread awareness about the loss of smell.

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millstone n

A large round stone used for grinding grain. (geology) A coarse-grained sandstone used for making such stones; millstone grit. (figurative) Often in a millstone round one's neck (referring to Matthew 18:6 in the Bible): a heavy responsibility that is difficult to bear.

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