Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, May 18, 2016)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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fecund
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Negative AdverbsNegative adverbs and negative adverbials are used to modify the meaning of a verb, adjective, other adverb, or entire clause in a negative way. What are double negatives? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Towers of SilenceAccording to Zoroastrian tradition, a dead body is unclean and must be disposed of in a safe manner. To prevent the pollution of earth or fire, dead bodies are placed atop a tower, where they are exposed to the sun and birds of prey. The towers are circular raised structures with nearly flat roofs that are divided into three concentric rings; one ring is designated for the bodies of men, one for women, and one for children. Who coined the term "tower of silence"? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 First Ascent of Lhotse (1956)Reaching 27,890 ft (8,501 m), Lhotse is the fourth highest mountain on Earth. Tibetan for "south peak," it is located in the Himalayas on the Nepal-Tibet border and is connected to Mount Everest by a 25,000-ft (7,620-m) ridge. The first ascent of the mountain was made by Swiss climbers Fritz Luchsinger and Ernest Reiss in 1956. Thirty years later, what mountaineer summited Lhotse, becoming the first climber to have ascended all 14 mountains on Earth that peak more than 8,000 m above sea level? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Gertrude Käsebier (1852)Käsebier was one of the most influential American photographers of the early 20th century and a promoter of photography as a career for women. She photographed famous figures like the sculptor Auguste Rodin and American showman Buffalo Bill, but she is best known for her evocative images of motherhood and portraits of Native Americans. In 1899, Alfred Stieglitz declared her "the leading artistic portrait photographer of the day," but a decade later, he was speaking out against her work. Why? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 It is a melancholy truth that even great men have their poor relations.Charles Dickens (1812-1870) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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fashionably late— Arriving after the arranged time to a meeting or event that does not require strict punctuality, especially so as to give the appearance of nonchalance or having been preoccupied by other social engagements. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Preakness Stakes (2019)The Preakness Festival or Maryland Preakness Celebration culminates in the running of the Preakness Stakes, the "middle jewel of the Triple Crown" of horseracing—the other two being the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. Held at Baltimore's Pimlico Race Course, the Preakness was first run on May 27, 1873. The festival leading up to the race features recreational, sporting, and cultural events—including hot air balloons, a 5K run, and a parade. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: yesterdayhestern, hesternal - Hestern or hesternal means "pertaining to yesterday." More... nudiustertian - Pertaining to the day before yesterday. More... pridian - "Of or relating to a previous day or yesterday; former." More... yesterday - The yester of yesterday and yesteryear was a word on its own, meaning "yesterday," but by Old English it had become a collocation with "day." More... | |