Word of the Day March 31, 2016 con (noun, verb, adjective) LISTEN As a verb, con means 'to trick or deceive' or 'to persuade by deception.' As an adjective, con describes someone or something that is dishonest and deceitful. As a noun, a con is a lie or a trick. In slang, a con is a criminal who is in prison. A con can also be a reason not to do something and, as an adjective, it can describe the position of being against something. Example sentences • Bill was sentenced to five years in jail […]
Monthly Archives
March 2016
Word of the Day March 30, 2016 dish (noun, verb) LISTEN We need to do the dishes! A dish is a plate for serving food and also the food contained in it, or a meal. Dishes, always in the plural, refers to all the plates, cups, and cutlery used when eating, as well as the pots and pans used to cook the food—in other words, everything that needs to be washed at the end of the meal. As a slang term, dish means 'an attractive person.' Informally, as a verb, dish means 'to tell somebody the gossip about something.' Example sentences […]
Word of the Day March 29, 2016 fudge (noun, verb) LISTEN Chocolate fudge Fudge is a type of soft candy made of sugar, butter, and milk. As a verb, fudge means 'to make or do something clumsily,' ' 'to avoid an issue,' or 'to falsify.' Fudge is also a mild exclamation of annoyance. Example sentences • Fudge is one of my favorite desserts! • Emily didn't have time to do her homework properly, so she fudged it. • The politician fudged the question, as always! • That business owner ended up in court after she was caught fudging […]
Word of the Day March 28, 2016 swipe (verb, noun) LISTEN Swiping a card A swipe is a strong sweeping hit or blow—for example, with a golf club or cricket bat. Informally, a swipe is harsh criticism or a cutting remark. As a verb, to swipe means 'to hit with a sweeping blow' or, informally, 'to steal.' Swipe also means 'to slide a magnetic card through a card reader' or 'to move your fingers across a touch screen.' Example sentences • With a swipe of her club, the golfer sent the ball flying toward the green. • […]
Word of the Day March 25, 2016 grate (verb, noun) LISTEN Grated cheese Most commonly, grate means 'to reduce something to small pieces by rubbing it against a sharp surface with small holes.' But grate also means 'to make a harsh, annoying sound by rubbing two things together' and it is used figuratively to mean that something or someone has an irritating effect. As a noun, grate is a frame of metal bars, used in fireplaces or stoves, or a metal framework in windows. Example sentences • Henry grated some cheese to go on top of the pizza. […]
Word of the Day March 24, 2016 foil (noun, verb) LISTEN A person fencing, using a foil. Foil is a roll of extremely thin sheet metal used mainly to wrap food. It is also a person or a thing that serves as a contrast and makes another person or thing look better. As a verb, to foil means 'to frustrate and prevent the success of a plan.' A foil is also a flexible sword used in the sport fencing. Example sentences • Jamie wrapped the leftovers in foil and put them in the fridge. • In famous comic […]
Word of the Day March 23, 2016 slum (noun) LISTEN A slum, often in the plural form slums, is a usually an overpopulated part of a city where people live in extremely poor conditions. The word is common, but inhabitants of these areas often do not like their neighborhood to be referred to this way because of its derogatory connotation. Slum is used figuratively to talk about any place where living conditions are unpleasant or dirty. Example sentences • Many poor people live in the slums and can't afford to move to a different neighborhood. • You should see […]
Word of the Day March 22, 2016 bench (noun, verb) LISTEN A couple sitting on a bench A bench is a long seat for three or four people, often found in parks and public spaces. It is also a judge's seat and it is used figuratively as a symbol of a judge's power. In sports, it is the seat where the team members who are not playing sit. As a verb, in US English, to bench somebody means 'to remove somebody from a sports game,' but it is also used informally to mean 'to remove someone from any other situation.' […]
Word of the Day March 21, 2016 curse (noun, verb) LISTEN A woman cursing at other drivers A curse is something that is said to cause someone misfortune or, figuratively, something that causes pain and trouble. It also means 'swearword.' As a verb, to curse means both 'to wish misfortune upon someone or something' or 'to say one or more swearwords.' In addition, it means 'to complain about something, possibly using swearwords.' Example sentences • The witch put a curse on the whole village and they had nothing but bad luck after that. • This year, […]
WordReference.com Online Language Dictionaries Word of the Day March 18, 2016 nag (verb, noun) LISTEN Teenagers often think their parents are nagging them. Nag is a word used informally among native speakers. It means 'to annoy by constant demands or criticism,' or 'to be the cause of pain, irritation, or unease.' Even more informally, a nag is a person who nags and irritates other people all the time. Example sentences • Every summer my husband nags me about putting on sunblock; he's right of course, because I burn easily and I always […]