WordReference Word of the Day

A bush is a low plant that grows near the ground or several shrubs that look like a single plant. Anything that resembles this, like a thick bit of hair, can be called a bush. An unclear area covered with plants is also a bush and the bush is used to talk about…

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Folk, usually in the plural form folks in US English but more commonly as folk (but used with a plural verb) in UK English, means ‘people in general’. It can also mean ‘people of a particular group’, when used with an adjective. In sociology, folk…

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A bond is something that binds things together or an agreement or feeling that unites two people. A strong promise is a bond and so is an agreement in which someone guarantees to pay an amount of money before a specific day or the money paid as a…

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A hump is a rounded lump that sticks up, like the one on the back of a camel. A low rise over the ground’s surface is also called a hump. As a verb to hump means ‘to raise the back as to form a hump,’ like some animals do when they’re scared or annoyed. Informally, in US English…

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To ooze means ‘to flow or pass slowly,’ when we are talking about a liquid or moisture or a wet substance, and also ‘to let out gradually.’ More generally and not only regarding liquid, to ooze means ‘to appear or disappear gradually.’ To show or display some quality is also…

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A brand is the commercial name of a product, often indicated by a stamp or trademark. It is also a mark put on skin with a hot iron (now this is usually only used on animals, but historically it was common to use it on human prisoners or enslaved people). A stigma, or any…

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As you probably know a cap is something we use to cover our head or a hat that signals someone’s occupation or rank. The lid or top of a bottle or container is also a cap and a cap can also be a summit. The upper limit of…

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A thread is a long, thin cord or fiber. In a narrative or in speech, it is something that connects parts of a sequence, running through the whole thing, you might know that meaning from emails or Internet posts as well, meaning ‘a series of messages dealing with the same topic.’ Threads, always in the plural, is…

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To tow means ‘to pull or haul with a chain, rope, or other device’ and the noun tow refers to the act of towing, to the thing being towed (especially when it is a boat or boats), and also to the vehicle that tows something. More broadly, a…

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To nibble means ‘to bite off a small piece of something’ or ‘to eat or chew in very small bits.’ It also means ‘to bite lightly’, as some animals do when they’re playing or as people might do affectionately. As a noun, a nibble is a small piece of food and the act of…

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