Definition: (adjective) Capable of or tending to change in form or quality or nature.
Synonyms: changeable.
Usage: The concierge warned me that the island’s mutable weather patterns could interfere with our plans for an outdoor wedding, but our big day turned out to be sunny and mild.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The Penitentes, or penitents, are a lay brotherhood of religious flagellants who often participate in Passion plays dramatizing the events of the last days in the life of Jesus. One of the most complete and colorful Passion plays is the one staged in Tzintzuntzan in the state of Michoacán, Mexico. Performed in an olive grove near the church, the play begins at noon on the Thursday preceding Easter with a representation of the Last Supper and continues until midnight on Good Friday. The penitents wear black loincloths and face-coverings, carrying heavy crosses in imitation of Jesus. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Every 12 years, Hindu pilgrims gather at four sacred sites where, according to Hindu mythology, four drops of the nectar of immortality were accidentally spilled from a pot that the gods and demons were fighting over. During the festival, pilgrims ritually bathe in the river Ganges to wash away sins of their past lives and pray to escape the cycle of reincarnation. The Kumbh Mela is thought to be the largest periodic human gathering in the world. How many people attended the festival in 2001? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Of or relating to or proceeding from the sense of touch.
Synonyms: haptic, tactual.
Usage: Hannah’s velvet couch was such a tactile delight that she often chose to sleep on it rather than her bed.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (adjective) Not representing or imitating external reality or the objects of nature.
Synonyms: abstract, nonfigurative.
Usage: The focal point of the living room was a massive, nonobjective painting that looked to me like nothing more than a chaotic mess of colors and splotches.
Source: The Free Dictionary
Held on the island-province of Marinduque with participants wearing masks and costumes of Roman soldiers, Moriones tells the story of the legendary Roman soldier Longinus. As he pierced the side of the crucified Jesus, a drop of the blood cured his blindness. Many local men take part in the play, performing the roles of Roman soldiers. They wear large wooden masks covered with black beards and painted with enormous black eyes. The Roman soldiers lead Longinus to a scaffold, but he continues to declare his faith in Christ. The Moriones cut his head off and carry it through town. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Though the arabesque motif most likely originated with the works of Hellenistic craftsmen in Asia Minor, the complex, linear style of decoration became typical of Islamic ornamentation around 1000 CE and thus became associated with Arab culture. It is characterized by symmetric, interlacing geometric patterns with flowing lines and often incorporates flower or animal motifs and Arabic calligraphy. Why are mistakes in the complicated, repetitive patterns sometimes made intentionally? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In southern India, Caitra Purnima is a time for Hindus to worship Chitra Gupta, also known as “the scribe of the gods.” Tradition holds that while Brahma was meditating, Chitra Gupta was brought into being. He serves as the scribe to Yama, the ruler and judge of the dead; some Hindus believe that Chitra Gupta maintains the accounts of their good and bad deeds in the Agrasamdhani (main records). At Kanchipuram, near Madras in Tamil Nadu State, the image of Chitra Gupta is taken out in a procession. Devotees bathe in the holy waters of the River Chitra, which flows from the nearby hills. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
A mockumentary is a fictional production filmed in the style of a documentary, often for comedic or dramatic effect. An early example of the genre is a 3-minute spoof report on the Swiss spaghetti harvest aired by the BBC as an April Fools’ joke in 1957. Perhaps the most well-known mockumentary is 1984’s This is Spinal Tap, which follows a fictional heavy-metal band. Other famous examples include The Blair Witch Project and Borat. What TV shows are considered mockumentaries? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) Poor handwriting.
Synonyms: scrawl, scribble, scratch.
Usage: The pharmacist struggled to decipher Dr. Clark’s cacography on my prescription and eventually had to call his office to get some clarification.
Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary