Definition: (noun) The floor just above the ground floor of a building.
Synonyms: mezzanine.
Usage: While waiting for our room to be prepared, we sat down for a cup of coffee in the entresol of the hotel.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
A fossil from south Wales has finally been identified as a new ancient species of small lizard. The reptile would have shared its home with other dinosaurs 200 million years ago, in what would become the Vale of Glamorgan. The fossilised remains were … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Hailed as a milestone in American pop culture, the Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show attracted a record 73 million viewers—the majority of Americans watching television that night. As the band’s first concert in the US, the event effectively marked the beginning of the “British Invasion.” The band opened with “All My Loving” in front of hundreds of screaming teenage fans. What caption accompanied John Lennon’s name when it appeared on-screen over a close-up of his face? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Carnival is the largest popular festival in Brazil, and the most extravagant celebration takes place in Rio de Janeiro, where, since the 1930s, the parades, pageants, and costume balls go on for four days, all accompanied by the distinctive rhythm of the samba. The whole city is decorated with colored lights and streamers, and impromptu bands play on every street corner. The high point of the Carioca (as the natives of Rio are known) Carnival is the parade of the samba schools (Escola de Samba), which begins on Carnival Sunday and ends about midday on Monday. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
As the first governor of the Indiana Territory, Harrison negotiated treaties with Native Americans that ceded millions of acres of land to the US. In response, Tecumseh organized an uprising, which Harrison engaged at the famous Battle of Tippecanoe. He went on to lead forces in the War of 1812, recapturing Detroit from the British. Originally a Virginia aristocrat, he won the 1840 US presidential election by emphasizing his tough frontiersman image, only to die of what after a month in office? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
The idea that a slice of fresh lemon could taste sweet may seem ludicrous, but the berry of the Synsepalum dulcificum plant, also known as miracle fruit, can make that a reality. When eaten, the small red berry releases a glycoprotein called miraculin, which binds to the tongue’s taste buds and makes bitter and sour foods consumed over the next few hours taste sweet. Researchers are working to develop a miracle fruit sweetener that could benefit people suffering from what disorder? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (verb) Force or drive back.
Synonyms: drive back, fight off, rebuff, repel.
Usage: The soldiers are armed and prepared to repulse any attack.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
With new space missions come new and improved capabilities. And for those interested in what’s happening to the ice on Planet Earth, we have two ventures this year that are going to make a major contribution to our understanding. Ice is the “climate … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Two years after his record-setting win at the Epsom Derby, the acclaimed Irish racehorse Shergar was loaded into a trailer at gunpoint and abducted by a gang of masked men. At that time, the retired 1981 “European Horse of the Year” commanded a stud fee upwards of £50,000 and was thus extremely valuable. The horse’s owners refused to pay the demanded ransom, and police were unable to find him. Shergar was never seen again. Who may have taken him, and what is believed to have been his fate? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Hari-Kuyo is a requiem service for needles held throughout Japan. The services are attended not only by tailors and dressmakers but also by people who sew at home. Traditionally, a shrine is set up in the Shinto style. On the top tier are offerings of cake and fruit, on the second tier there is a pan of tofu, and the bottom tier is for placing scissors and thimbles. People insert their broken or bent needles in the tofu while offering prayers of thanks to the needles for their years of service. A hari-kuyo is also held in Kyoto on Dec. 8. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary