Definition: (adjective) So lacking in interest as to cause mental weariness.
Synonyms: boring, ho-hum, irksome, tedious, tiresome, wearisome, dull, slow.
Usage: He envied Joe, down in the village,… fantastically and gloriously drunk and forgetful of Monday morning and the week of deadening toil to come.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
The Northwest Folklife Festival is an international four-day event started in 1972 in Seattle, Washington. The emphasis is on amateur performers and ethnicity, with some 100 countries represented. Events include music and dance on 17 stages; demonstrations by artisans of such skills as leather tanning, boatbuilding, blacksmithing, and broom making; and an International Food Village that offers food from more than 30 nations. The festival spans the Memorial Day weekend, starting on Friday and winding up on Monday. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Existing only in theory, a vacuum is space without matter in it. The most nearly perfect vacuum exists in intergalactic space, which is estimated to contain less than one molecule per cubic meter. By comparison, air at sea level contains about 30 billion billion molecules per cubic centimeter. Several kinds of pumps have been devised for removing the molecules from a space, but even the best man-made vacuums still contain matter. What eight-legged creature can survive for days in a vacuum? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments.
Synonyms: menacing, ominous, sinister, baleful, forbidding.
Usage: Number 3, Lauriston Gardens wore an ill-omened and minatory look.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
A prayer wheel is a mechanical device used by Tibetan Buddhists as an equivalent to the recitation of a mantra. It consists of a rod upon which is mounted a hollow metal cylinder inscribed with or containing a prayer. Each turn of the wheel is considered equivalent to orally reciting the prayer. Variants to the handheld prayer wheel are large cylinders that can be moved by hand or kept in continuous motion by windmills or waterwheels. What is an Internet-operated prayer wheel? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) An exclusive circle of people with a common purpose.
Synonyms: clique, ingroup, camp, pack.
Usage: This little coterie of friends was composed of seven famous men, who possessed many talents in common, being poets and musicians, alchemists, philosophers, and mostly hard drinkers as well.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
Homo sapiens began migrating out of Africa and across Eurasia and Australia about 70,000 years ago. These first human migrations were caused by changing climate, landscape, and food supply. Contemporary migration is predominantly economically motivated and the product of wide income disparities between different countries. In 2010, the number of international migrants was estimated at 214 million. If this number continues to grow at the same pace, it could reach how many million by 2050? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) A negotiator who acts as a link between parties.
Synonyms: intercessor, intermediary, mediator.
Usage: A skilled go-between can prove invaluable to businesses when negotiations become hostile or contentious.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
This national holiday in Chile is often called Dia de las Glorias Navales (“The Day of the Glorious Navy”). From 1879 to 1881, the Chilean navy fought an alliance of Peru and Bolivia in the War of the Pacific. The Chilean victory in the Battle of Iquique on May 21, 1879 was a turning point in a war that Chile eventually won decisively. The holiday is celebrated throughout Chile with festivals, military parades, and speeches. Sporting events, including boat and bicycle races, are held in honor of the holiday. Many people dress in traditional costumes as a symbol of national pride. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The giant impact hypothesis—the favored scientific hypothesis for the formation of the Moon—proposes that the Moon was created from the debris of a collision between a young Earth and a Mars-sized celestial body. Evidence for the hypothesis includes Moon samples indicating that its surface was once molten, the Moon’s apparently relatively small iron core and lower density than that of Earth, and evidence of similar collisions in other solar systems. What evidence is inconsistent with the theory? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary