Definition: (noun) A cabinet containing an automatic record player; records are played by inserting a coin.
Synonyms: jukebox.
Usage: When they arrived at the dance hall, the professional musicians were dismayed by the presence of the popular nickelodeon.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
New guidelines by the organization that oversees medical residency programs for new doctors in the United States will soon allow first-year residents to work shifts as long as 24 hours, eight hours more than the current limit. The Accreditation Council for Graduate … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
When Poland declared its independence in 1918 in the aftermath of WWI, its borders—like many at that time—were not formally determined. By 1920, war had broken out over conflicting expansionist attempts between Soviet Russia and Poland, which wanted its 1772 border restored. The Peace of Riga treaty split contested land between Poland and the Soviets, setting the border and effectively halting Russian expansion into Europe. Where were Poles left on the wrong side of the border sent in the 1930s? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Updike was a prolific American author whose novels and stories usually deal with the tensions and frustrations of middle-class life. Published between 1961 and 1990, his four famous “Rabbit” novels follow an ordinary American man through the latter decades of the 20th century. Updike is one of the few authors to have won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction more than once. He was also a respected literary critic who championed young authors and espoused what five rules for literary criticism? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Tapeworms are parasitic flatworms of the class Cestoda that live in the digestive tracts of vertebrates and steal vital nutrients from their hosts. Most human tapeworm infestations result from the consumption of contaminated meat or fish that has not been properly cooked. An adult tapeworm consists of a knoblike head, or scolex, equipped with hooks for attaching to the intestinal wall of the host, a neck region, and a series of flat, rectangular body segments. How long can tapeworms grow to be? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) An indication of something important or calamitous about to occur.
Synonyms: omen, prognostication, presage, prodigy.
Usage: The soldier looked to the sky for a portent and was gripped with fear when he read his future in the clouds.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
For a space program that’s made impressive strides in recent years, the early death of Chandrayaan-1 likely came as a disappointment. The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) expected this lunar orbiter – the country’s first – to last for two years when … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Taken at the end of the Vietnam War, Slava “Sal” Veder’s Burst of Joy became a symbol of the widespread sentiment in America that the horrors of war were over and military families could begin the healing process. The photo captures the return home of Lt. Col. Robert Stirm, who had been shot down over North Vietnam and held as a prisoner of war for over five years. It shows his children running to greet him on the tarmac, his daughter with open arms. Why was the reunion bittersweet? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Liber and Libera were ancient Roman fertility deities, worshipped along with Ceres. The triad of Ceres, Liber, and Libera was identified with the Greek deities Demeter, Dionysus, and Persephone. At the festival held in honor of Liber and Libera on March 17, young Roman boys who had come of age wore the toga virilis for the first time. In the ancient Italian town of Lavinium, a whole month was consecrated to Liber. The various rituals carried out during this time were designed to ensure the growth of newly planted seeds. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
A practicing attorney, Jones was only an amateur golfer, yet in 1930 he became the only man to win four major golf championships in a single year and the only sports figure to be honored with two New York City ticker-tape parades. At 28, he had already won 13 major championships. He was hailed for his sportsmanship when he lost a major tournament by one stroke after calling a penalty on himself for an infraction that no one else saw. What was the infraction, and what tournament did he lose? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary