A buck is the male of an antelope, deer, rabbit and other animals and, in US English, the skin of buck deer used as leather (in UK English, this would be “buckskin,” which can also be used in US English). Figuratively, we can call a young and spirited man a buck, although…
A slot is a thin and narrow opening for receiving something, such as a piece of paper or a coin, and also a place or position in a sequence, series, or schedule. Informally, it’s also a job opening. As a verb, to slot is to make a slot in something, to put something into a slot, or to fit someone or something into a schedule…
You’ve probably heard “lock” a lot lately as part of the word “lockdown.” We’ll tell you about several meanings of “lock” and also exactly what “lockdown” is and share a video with you showing how people are finding new ways to connect while socially distancing. Are you finding creative ways to get through lockdown?
A shed is a small rough structure built up for shelter or storage and also a large structure that is open at the sides. Unrelatedly, the verb to shed means ‘to pour or let fall,’ when we are talking about liquid, especially blood or tears, ‘to drop out or off naturally,’ when we are talking about hair, skin, or leaves or flowers, and ‘to give or send forth,’ when we are talking about light. If we are talking about rain or liquid, it can also mean…
A bolt is a type of screw used to hold things together, a movable side bar used to lock a door and also the part of the lock drawn back by a key. Informally, a bolt is a sudden escape. It is also a thunderbolt or a lightningbolt. As a verb, to bolt means ‘to fasten with a bolt’ and also ‘to make a sudden escape.’ In US English, in relation to politics, it means to….
You might know already that a skirt is a piece of clothing that hangs downward from the waist and is not joined between the legs, and also the part of a dress that hangs from the waist. As a slang term in US English, a woman can be called a skirt (in UK English, we would say “a bit” or “a piece” of skirt), but this would usually be considered offensive. In the plural, skirts or outskirts are…