Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2025/April

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1

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arsenation n
(chemistry, dated) Conversion of a substance to, or reaction of a substance with, an arsenate (“a salt or ester of arsenic acid”). To celebrate April Fools’ Day, we are featuring—oh, get your head out of the gutter!
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2

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kissing ball n
A hanging ornament, often used as a Christmas decoration, made by arranging plant parts, especially sprigs of holly or mistletoe, and evergreen leaves, into a ball shape. To celebrate April Fools’ Day, we are featuring—oh, get your head out of the gutter!
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3

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haboob n
A violent duststorm or sandstorm in the deserts of Arabia, North Africa, India, or North America. To celebrate April Fools’ Day, we are featuring—oh, get your head out of the gutter!
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4

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kiss-her-in-the-buttery n
Synonym of wild pansy (“Viola tricolor, a European wildflower with medicinal properties, which was formerly believed to ease heartache”) To celebrate April Fools’ Day, we are featuring—oh, get your head out of the gutter!
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5

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snowcock n
Any of several species of bird in the genus Tetraogallus of the pheasant family Phasianidae, native to mountain regions of Eurasia. To celebrate April Fools’ Day, we are featuring—oh, get your head out of the gutter!
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6

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muscle memory n
(physiology) The physiological adaptation of the body to repetition of a specific physical activity, resulting in increased subconscious neuromuscular control when performing that activity again. Today is the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace, which is recognized by the United Nations to celebrate the power of sport to drive community development and social change, and to foster peace and understanding. The first Olympic Games of the modern era began in Athens, Greece, on this day in 1896.
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7

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cannulize v (American and Oxford British spelling)
(transitive, medicine) Synonym of cannulate (“to insert a cannula (“tube to drain or inject fluid”) into (a body part such as a cavity, organ, or vessel (especially a vein))”). (intransitive, anatomy, embryology) Of a body part: to assume the form of a thin tube. Today is recognized by the United Nations as World Health Day to draw attention to global health issues. It marks the founding of the World Health Organization on this day in 1948.
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8

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lawfare n
(informal) The bringing of legal proceedings against an opponent, often only to attack, harass, or intimidate. The tongue-in-cheek International Be Kind to Lawyers Day created by Steve Hughes falls on this day in 2025, the second Tuesday of April.
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9

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timorous adj
Tending to be easily frightened; shy, timid. (archaic) Feeling fear; afraid, fearful, frightened. (UK, dialectal) Fastidious in dressing. Fired with intense feeling; passionate. Hard to manage; difficult, tiresome. (obsolete) Causing dread or fear; dreadful, terrible. Humble, modest; also, showing reverence; respectful, reverent, reverential.
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10

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Gatsbyesque adj
Suggestive of Jay Gatsby, the titular character of the novel The Great Gatsby (1925): enigmatic; extravagant; nouveau riche, etc. The American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby was first published on this day 100 years ago in 1925.
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11

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moonstruck adj
(archaic) Of a person: crazy or insane, originally supposedly due to the influence of the Moon. (figurative) Showing irrational behaviour, especially of a romantic or sentimental nature; in an entranced or distracted state, especially due to being in love. (obsolete except UK, regional) Made physically sick, or (like fish) unsuitable for food, by the supposed effect of moonlight. Today is the eve of the International Day of Human Space Flight, which is recognized by the United Nations to celebrate the start of the space era, to reaffirm space science and technology’s contributions towards achieving sustainable development goals, and to emphasize the need to maintain outer space for peaceful purposes. It commemorates the first human space flight by the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, which took place on 12 April 1961.
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12

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sororal adj
Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of a sister or sisters; sisterlike, sisterly. (archaic) Related through a sister. The 130th anniversary of the establishment of Chi Omega, the largest women’s sorority organization in the world, at the University of Arkansas was a week ago on 5 April 1895.
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13

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purveyor n
One who purveys (“furnishes, provides; gets, procures”); a supplier; specifically, one in the business of supplying food or other necessary material goods; a provisioner. (UK, historical) An officer who obtained provisions such as accommodation and food for the household of a monarch or some other high-ranking person; also, an officer in charge of obtaining provisions for an army, a city, etc. (figurative) A person or group that promotes or spreads an idea, a viewpoint, etc. (obsolete) One who arranges or prepares something; an arranger, an orchestrator, a preparer.
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14

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contrarian n
A person who likes or tends to express a contradicting viewpoint, especially from one held by a majority of people, usually because of nonconformity or spite. (finance) A financial investor who tends to have an opinion of market trends at variance with most others. contrarian adj Liking or tending to express a contradicting viewpoint, especially from one held by a majority of people. (finance) Having an opinion of market trends at variance with most others.
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15

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draw v
Senses relating to depicting or representing. (transitive) To produce (a figure, line, picture, representation of something, etc.) with a piece of chalk, a crayon, a pen, a pencil, or other instrument. (transitive) To carve or shape (something) by cutting off thin pieces. (transitive) To make (a comparison or contrast) between two or more things; to compare; to contrast, to distinguish. (transitive) Now chiefly in the form draw up: to compose or write (a piece of text, especially a formal document). (transitive) Often followed by on or upon and the person or institution providing the money: to write (a bill, cheque, or draft) to authorize payment of money. (transitive, figurative) To depict (something) linguistically; to portray (something) in words; to describe. (transitive, agriculture) To create (a furrow) by pulling a plough through soil. (transitive, obsolete) To arrange or devise (something); to contrive. To produce (a three-dimensional figure of something); to model, to mould, to sculpt. (intransitive) To produce an image of something with a piece of chalk, a crayon, a pen, a pencil, or other instrument; to make a drawing or drawings. [...] Today, the anniversary of the day Italian Renaissance polymath Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452, is declared by the International Association of Art to be World Art Day to celebrate the fine arts.
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16

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prudence n
(uncountable) The quality or state of being prudent: circumspection and good judgment in knowing how best to act; (countable, archaic) an instance of this. (uncountable, specifically) Synonym of frugality (“the quality of avoiding unnecessary expenditure; economy, parsimony, thrift, thriftiness”). (uncountable, obsolete) Synonym of providence (“preparation for the future; foresight”). Synonym of wisdom (“an element of personal character that enables one to distinguish the wise from the unwise; wise advice”)
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17

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bane n
(countable) A cause of misery or ruin. (countable, archaic) Chiefly in the names of poisonous plants or substances: a poison. (uncountable, chiefly poetic) Misery, woe; also doom, ruin; or physical injury, harm. (uncountable, UK, dialectal, veterinary medicine) A disease of sheep in which breakdown of tissue occurs; rot. (obsolete) (countable) A person or thing that causes death or destruction; a killer, a murderer, a slayer. (uncountable) Death; destruction; (countable) an instance of this. bane v (transitive) (archaic) To physically injure (someone or something); to harm, to hurt. (figurative) To cause (someone) misery or ruin; to socially or spiritually injure (someone). (UK, dialectal, veterinary medicine) To cause (sheep) a disease, especially the rot (“a disease in which breakdown of tissue occurs”). (obsolete) To kill (a person or animal), especially by poison. [...]
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18

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simplex adj
(dated) Having a single structure; not composite or complex; undivided, unitary. (anatomy, historical) Of an eye: (supposedly) having pigment on only the posterior surface of the iris and not the anterior surface, and thus appearing blue; this was later found to be inaccurate, as eye colour is due to the amount of pigment in the anterior surface of the iris; also, of eye pigmentation: present only on the posterior surface of the iris; and of a person: having eyes with this form of pigmentation. (computing, telecommunications) Of a circuit or device: involving signals which travel in one direction at a time; unidirectional. (genetics) Of a polyploid organism: having one dominant allele at a given locus on all homologous chromosomes. Coordinate terms: duplex, nulliplex, triplex (archaic or obsolete) Synonym of heterozygous (“of an organism: having two different alleles in a given gene”). (linguistics) Of a word: having no (derivational) affixes; simple, monomorphemic, uncompounded. (originally and chiefly US) Of an apartment (or, sometimes, another type of property): having only one floor or storey; single-storey. simplex n (algebraic topology, geometry) A generalization of a triangle or tetrahedron to an arbitrary dimension, the generalization being the simplest possible convex polytope for a given dimension; more accurately, the convex hull of $n+1$ linearly independent points in $n$ -dimensional space. (linguistics) A word which is not compound and contains no derivational affixes (inflectional affixes are usually disregarded); a monomorphemic word. (grammar, archaic) In full simplex sentence: in transformational grammar: a simple sentence which is the product of a few transformations; a kernel sentence. (originally and chiefly US) An apartment (or, sometimes, another type of property) having only one floor or storey; a single-storey property. The Dutch mathematician Pieter Hendrik Schoute, who is thought to have coined the mathematical sense of the word in German, died on this day in 1913.
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19

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deride v
(transitive) To laugh at or mock (someone or something) harshly; to ridicule, to scorn. (intransitive, obsolete) To laugh in a harshly mocking manner.
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20

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Easter term n
(historical) Synonym of Paschal term (“the fourteenth day of the first lunar month of spring, formerly used in calculating dates”). (law) The third term of the legal year, running from April to May, during which the upper courts of England and Wales, and Ireland, sit to hear cases. (by extension, education) The summer term of the University of Cambridge, and other educational institutions, running from April to June; equivalent to Trinity term at the universities of Oxford and Dublin. The term was modelled after the legal term, but does not begin and end on the same dates. Today is Easter Sunday in Western Christianity in 2025. It celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
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21

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astrognosy n
(astronomy, archaic) Knowledge of the stars, especially the fixed stars; the branch of astronomy dealing with the fixed stars. Today is the start of International Dark Sky Week in 2025. Founded in 2003 by high school student Jennifer Barlow of Midlothian, Virginia, U.S.A., it takes place during the week of the new moon in April, and people are encouraged to turn off lights to observe the night sky without light pollution.
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22

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GOOS adj
Of paper: blank and usable on one side but not the other; also, of a container: intended for holding such paper. Today is Earth Day, a day for observing the need to protect the Earth. United States senator Gaylord Nelson first proposed holding a nationwide environmental teach-in on this day 55 years ago in 1970.
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23

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King's English proper n
(chiefly England) Often preceded by the: spoken or written English regarded as used and safeguarded by the King of England; standard English characterized by correct grammar and what is thought of as proper usage of words and expressions, and (when spoken) formal British pronunciation. Today is UN English Language Day, one of six such days established by UNESCO to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity and to promote the equal use of its working languages. The date is the death anniversary, and traditionally celebrated as the birthdate, of the English playwright William Shakespeare (1564–1616), and is also Saint George’s Day, the feast day of the patron saint of England; and World Book Day, which promotes reading, publishing, and copyright.
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24

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tabloid n
(archaic) A small, compressed portion of a chemical, drug, food substance, etc.; a pill, a tablet. (figurative) A compact or compressed version of something; especially something having a popular or sensational nature. (aviation, historical) A small biplane manufactured by the Sopwith Aviation Company and used during World War I (1914–1918). (nautical) In full tabloid cruiser: a small yacht used for cruising. (newspapers) A newspaper having pages half the dimensions of a broadsheet, especially characterized as favouring stories of a popular or sensational nature over serious news. (Canada, US, printing) A paper size 11 × 17 inches (279 × 432 millimetres) in dimensions. tabloid adj In the form of a tabloid (noun sense 2 and sense 2.3): compressed or compact in size. (figurative) Resembling the style of journalism generally associated with a tabloid newspaper: appealing to unsophisticated people, sensational, etc. tabloid v (transitive) To express (something) in a compact or condensed manner, especially in the style of journalism generally associated with a tabloid newspaper (appealing to unsophisticated people, sensational, etc.). (newspapers) To convert (a newspaper) into a tabloid (noun sense 2.3) format. The first issue of the United Kingdom tabloid the Daily Express was published on this day 125 years ago in 1900.
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25

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Gallipoli proper n
A peninsula in Turkey, north of the Dardanelles, between the Aegean and Marmara seas. (by ellipsis, historical) The Gallipoli Campaign (1915–1916) in World War I. (dated) Synonym of Gelibolu: a town and municipality of Turkey located on the Gallipoli peninsula (sense 1). (also attributive) A town in Lecce, Apulia, Italy. Today is ANZAC Day in Australia, New Zealand, and Tonga, which commemorates the contributions and sacrifices of those who have served in wars, conflicts, and peacekeeping operations. The Gallipoli campaign, which led to major casualties for Australian and New Zealand forces during World War I, started on this date 110 years ago in 1915.
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26

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visualize v (American and Oxford British spelling)
(transitive) To perceive (something) visually; to see. To depict (something) in a way which can be seen. To form a mental picture of (something); to picture (something) in the mind; to envisage. (chiefly medicine) To make (a hidden or unclear body part, process, or object) visible by optical methods (such as endoscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, or X-rays), or other techniques. (intransitive) To perceive something visually. To form a mental picture of something; to picture something in the mind. Today is World Intellectual Property Day, which is commemorated by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to raise awareness about the impact of intellectual property in everyday life, and to celebrate creativity and the contributions of creators and innovators towards the development of societies. The WIPO Convention entered into force on this day 55 years ago in 1970.
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27

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phylactery n
(Judaism) Either of two small leather cases containing scrolls with passages from the Torah, traditionally worn by a Jewish man (one on the arm (usually the left) and one on the forehead) and now sometimes by a woman at certain morning prayers as a reminder to obey the law as set out in the Bible; a tefilla. (figurative, chiefly derogatory) A profession of faith, or religious or traditional observance; also, a reminder. (archaic) A fringe which an Israelite was required to wear as a reminder to obey the law as set out in the Bible; (by extension) any fringe or border. (archaic) Synonym of amulet (“a protective charm or ornament”). (by extension, fantasy, roleplaying games) An enchanted object used (for example, by a lich) to contain and protect the owner's soul. (art, historical) A scroll with words on it depicted as emerging from a person's mouth or held in their hands, indicating what they are singing or speaking; a banderole, a speech scroll. (figurative) A list or record. (Christianity, historical, obsolete) Synonym of reliquary (“a container to display or hold religious relics”)
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28

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flimsy adj
Likely to bend or break under pressure; easily damaged; frail, unsubstantial. Of clothing: very light and thin. (figurative) Of an argument, explanation, etc.: ill-founded, unconvincing, weak; also, unimportant; paltry, trivial. Of a person: lacking depth of character or understanding; frivolous, superficial. (obsolete) Of a person, their physical makeup, or their health: delicate, frail. flimsy n (dated or historical) A thing which is ill-founded, unconvincing, or weak. (also attributive, uncountable) Thin typing paper used together with carbon paper in a typewriter to make multiple copies of a document; (countable) a sheet of such paper. (by extension) A document printed or typed on such paper. (naval slang, countable) A service certificate. (slang, countable) A banknote; (uncountable) paper money. (newspapers, uncountable) The text to be set into pages of magazines, newspapers, etc.; copy. (UK, military slang) A hexahedral metal container with a capacity of four imperial gallons (about 18 litres) used by the British Army during World War II to hold fuel. flimsy v (transitive) To make (something) likely to be easily damaged. (dated or historical) To type or write (text) on a flimsy (“sheet of thin typing paper used together with carbon paper in a typewriter to make multiple copies of a document”) (noun sense 2). (figurative) To treat (someone or something) as paltry or unimportant; to demean, to underestimate. Today is the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which is recognized by the United Nations to promote awareness about work-related accidents and diseases. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Act came into effect on this day 55 years ago in 1970, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration was formed on this day in 1971.
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29

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bento box n
A partitioned, traditionally lacquered, lunchbox in which a bento (“Japanese takeaway lunch”) is served. Synonym of bento (“a Japanese takeaway lunch served in a box”) Today is Shōwa Day in Japan, a day to reflect on the turbulent reign of the late Emperor Hirohito—born on this day in 1901—during which the country experienced totalitarianism as well as post-war reconstruction and a transition to democracy.
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30

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Franciscan n (Christianity, originally Roman Catholicism)
A friar of the religious order founded by Saint Francis of Assisi in 1209, now known as the Order of the Friars Minor. A friar or nun of a religious order based on the rule of Francis of Assisi's original order, such as (Roman Catholicism) the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin (for men), Order of Friars Minor Conventual (men), Order of Saint Clare (women), or the Third Order of Saint Francis (men and women); or (Protestantism) certain orders in some Protestant churches, especially the Anglican Church and the Lutheran Church. Franciscan adj (Christianity) Of or pertaining to Saint Francis of Assisi. Of or pertaining to (Roman Catholicism) the Order of the Friars Minor, or (Protestantism, Roman Catholicism) to another religious order based on the rule of Francis of Assisi's original order. Pope Francis died on 21 April, and was laid to rest in the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome on 26 April 2025.
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