Definition: (adjective) Likely to spread and cause an epidemic disease.
Synonyms: pestiferous, plaguey.
Usage: I have a notion, and more than a notion, that I shall never pass back alive through these pestilential swamps.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
Surrounded by farmland and plantations in the small village of Teluk Kemang Sungai Lilin in South Sumatra, a boy, just 8 years old, sits smiling with his mother. But this boy has a tumultuous past and a reputation that precedes him, having … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Now one of the most populous and diverse counties in the US, Los Angeles was first founded by Spanish governor Felipe de Neve and settled by missionaries. Its original name was El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora de los Angeles de Porciuncula, or The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels of Porciuncula. It became part of the US in the 1840s and is today a global hub for culture and technology. Located on the volatile Pacific Ring of Fire, Los Angeles has about how many earthquakes every year? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Founded in 1948, Jubilee Days began as a celebration of the harvest and of God’s blessings on the community. It has since become a celebration of the unique heritage of Zion, Illinois. The town was founded in 1901 by the reverend John Alexander Dowie, organizer of the Christian Catholic Church. He died in 1907 and was succeeded by Wilbur Glenn Voliva. Past festivals have included arts and crafts fairs, 5k runs, mayor’s prayer breakfasts, Zion queen’s pageants, Civil War reenactments, and parades. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Bruckner was an Austrian composer who established a reputation as a virtuoso organist in Vienna. However, as a composer, he gained recognition slowly. He was 60 before he achieved fame with his 1884 Symphony No. 7 in E Major, one of nine that he completed. Socially awkward and eccentric, he developed a pattern of courting much younger women without success. Bruckner once accidentally alienated an influential critic after getting mixed up in a feud between what two famous composers? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Human beings produce three basic types of tears: basal tears, which lubricate the eye to keep it clear of dust; reflex tears, which wash out irritants, like onion vapors, that come into contact with the eye; and psychic tears, which result from strong emotions or physical pain and have a different chemical makeup than those created for lubrication. Though tearing as an emotional reaction is considered by many to be a uniquely human phenomenon, some studies suggest that what animals cry too? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Attracting and holding interest as if by a spell.
Synonyms: mesmeric, mesmerizing, spellbinding.
Usage: For a moment she tore her gaze from the hypnotic fascination of that awful face and breathed a last prayer to her God.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
Tests of the futuristic hyperloop transport system have managed to propel one of its pods at 355km/h (220mph). The tests establish a new record for the technology only days after a separate prototype hit 324km/h. Hyperloop puts pods in an airless … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Qatar, located on a small peninsula in the Persian Gulf, became a British protectorate in 1916. It remained under British control for more than 50 years, a period during which oil was discovered there and Qatar rapidly modernized. In 1968, Britain declared that it would disengage from the region, and Qatar joined a federation of nearby states. However, disputes arose, and, in 1971, Qatar became an independent state. Prior to the discovery of oil there, Qatar was noted for what unusual industry? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This event pays tribute to the green chili (as it is more commonly spelled outside of New Mexico), New Mexico’s state vegetable. The small town of Hatch is the center of the chili-growing industry. At festival time, the aroma of chilis permeates the town, and a marvelous variety of chilis in all forms can be purchased: dried red chilis in ornamental braids called ristras, chili salsa, chili jelly, chili wine, and chili con carne. Besides food, the festival features the crowning of a Green Chile Queen, a skeet shoot, a fiddling contest, a cook-off, and a ristra-making contest. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary