Definition: (adjective) Of laws and regulations; designed to protect trade and commerce from unfair business practices.
Synonyms: antimonopoly.
Usage: Government antitrust laws prevented the technology company from merging with its only competitor.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Daytona 500 is the richest of the four biggest NASCAR Sprint Cup races. It’s the final event of Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, which lasts more than two weeks. The speedway is a 2.5-mile oval, and racers must complete 200 laps. The Daytona Speedway, which has a seating capacity of 102,900, has been operating since 1959, but stock-car racing at Daytona dates back to 1936, and car racing has been going on here since the early days of cars. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In the fictional Star Trek universe, the Vulcan nerve pinch is a technique used mainly by members of the humanoid species known as Vulcans to render an opponent unconsciousness by pinching the subclavian nerve at the base of his neck with all four fingers opposing the thumb. In computing, the phrase is used as slang term referring to certain keyboard combinations—such as Control+Alt+Delete. What politician was once accused of using the Vulcan Nerve Pinch in an altercation with a rapper? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A deceitful and unreliable scoundrel.
Synonyms: knave, rapscallion, rascal, rogue, scallywag.
Usage: What a brazen-fac’d varlet art thou, to deny thou knowest me!
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
St. Polycarp (c. 69-c. 155) was a disciple of St. John the Evangelist. He became bishop of Smyrna in 96 and, when the persecution of Christians was ordered by Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, he was condemned to be burned at the stake. But according to legend, the fire formed an arch over his head and his body was left unharmed. When a spear was plunged into his heart, so much blood poured out that it quenched the flames. It was the martyrdom of St. Polycarp that gave rise to one of Christianity’s richest traditions: the annual commemoration of the anniversary of a saint’s death. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Cuteness—kawaisa—is a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture that first emerged in the 1970s, when teenage girls developed a new writing style using big, round characters decorated with hearts, smiley faces, and the like. To capitalize on this growing trend, companies launched cute merchandise lines. Today, cute elements can be found almost everywhere in Japan, as evidenced by the fact that even police departments have cute mascots. How has All Nippon Airways made its planes cuter? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The manananggal is a mythical creature of Filipino folklore usually described as an older woman capable of severing her upper body from her lower half and then taking flight with huge bat-like wings. The creature is said to hunt at night, sucking the blood of its unsuspecting victims with its proboscis-like tongue. Like vampires, the manananggal detests garlic, and smearing it on its lower body while the upper part is away will result in the creature’s death. How does one become a manananggal? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Financially ruined.
Synonyms: bankrupt.
Usage: The struggling grocery store was forced to lay off several employees to avoid going belly-up.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
A portmanteau of the words “architecture” and “ecology,” arcology refers to a set of architectural principles concerning the design of enormous habitats meant to accommodate an extremely high human population density. These largely hypothetical “hyperstructures” are designed to contain a variety of residential, commercial, and agricultural facilities intended to minimize individual human environmental impact. What existing structures incorporate principles of arcology in their design? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary