Definition: (verb) To cause transformation of (a liquid or sol, for example) into or as if into a soft, semisolid, or solid mass.
Synonyms: clot.
Usage: The medical students watched blood coagulate as part of their lesson in clotting reactions.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
For women with low-risk pregnancies, babies delivered at home with a midwife are at no greater risk of harm than those born in a hospital with a midwife’s assistance, an Ontario study has found. The three-year study of almost 23,000 pregnancies found the … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
To account for inconsistencies between Mercury’s predicted and observed orbital path, French astronomer Urbain Jean Joseph Leverrier postulated that a tiny, hypothetical planet, which he named Vulcan, was present within Mercury’s orbit. Sightings of Vulcan were reported until 1878, and Leverrier died believing he had discovered another planet. Eventually, however, the orbital anomalies were explained by Einstein’s general theory of relativity. After what was the hypothetical planet named? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
In Haiti, the Independence Day festivities that occur on the first day of the year continue into the second with Jour des Aieux (Ancestors’ Day), an occasion for remembering the founders of Haiti and those who sacrificed their lives during the revolution of the early 19th century. A large meal often accompanies the day’s festivities, and military processions may also take place on Ancestors’ Day. In years past, particularly during the reign of President François Duvalier (1971-1986), the executive leader used this day to deliver radio and television speeches to the nation. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
After the deposition and murder of his father, Sultan Ibrahim, 7-year-old Mehmed IV ascended the throne of the Ottoman Empire. Chaos and corruption followed, and though grand vizier Mehmed Köprülü managed to restore order, the empire suffered severe setbacks. In 1683, the Turks besieged Vienna but were repulsed by King John III of Poland, and a Holy League was formed to carry the war into Ottoman territory. Mehmed was deposed after a Turkish defeat by Charles V of Lorraine. Who succeeded him? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
David Hasselhoff is an American actor, singer, and songwriter. Though “The Hoff” spent a six-year stint on The Young and the Restless, he is best known for his roles in Knight Rider and Baywatch. During the late 1980s, he enjoyed significant musical success, particularly in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. In 1994, Hasselhoff was scheduled to perform a pay-per-view concert that would hopefully reignite his US musical career. What major news event diverted his viewers? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Definition: (noun) An ornamental drapery hung across a top edge, as of a bed, table, or canopy.
Synonyms: cornice, pelmet, valance board.
Usage: Large valances of silk, embroidered with flowers of gay colors, which were rather faded, fell from the wide windows.
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Source: The Free Dictionary
Nicolas Cage has returned a stolen dinosaur skull, and no, this is not the plot of National Treasure 3. According to Reuters, the star bought a Tyrannosaurus bataar skull for $276K from a gallery, which is being returned to Mongolia. Cage agreed to … Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
Edwin Hubble worked as a basketball coach and teacher, served in World War I, and studied law before focusing his energies on astronomy. On January 1, 1925, he made a groundbreaking announcement, declaring that fuzzy “nebulae” seen earlier with less powerful telescopes were not part of our galaxy but were actually galaxies themselves. With the findings now known as Hubble’s law, he was also the first to provide evidence to support what theory about the universe? Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary
This is the “festival of festivals” in Japan, and it is celebrated for several days. Government offices, banks, museums and most businesses are closed from New Year’s Day, a national holiday, through January 3. For weeks before New Year’s, people clean house and purchase new clothes for the children. On New Year’s Day, it’s customary to pray at the household altar and to eat special foods, such as small, round, gooey rice cakes called mochi. Herring roe is eaten for fertility, black beans for health, dried chestnuts for success, and porgy and prawns are omens of happiness. Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary