analysis of verse into metrical patterns


a poetic rhythm that imitates the rhythm of speech


(prosody) a group of 2 or 3 syllables forming the basic unit of poetic rhythm


a metrical unit with stressed-unstressed-unstressed syllables


a metrical unit with unstressed-stressed syllables


a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed-stressed syllables


a metrical unit with unstressed-stressed-unstressed syllables (e.g., `remember')


a metrical unit with stressed-unstressed syllables


a metrical unit with stressed-stressed syllables


a metrical unit with unstressed-unstressed syllables


a verse line having eight syllables or a poem of octosyllabic lines


correspondence in the sounds of two or more lines (especially final sounds)


oewn-alliteration-n oewn-initial_rhyme-n oewn-beginning_rhyme-n oewn-head_rhyme-n

use of the same consonant at the beginning of each stressed syllable in a line of verse

initial rhyme such as 'around the rock the ragged rascal ran'


the repetition of similar vowels in the stressed syllables of successive words


the repetition of consonants (or consonant patterns) especially at the ends of words


`ended' and `blended' form a double rhyme


a stanza form having seven lines of iambic pentameter; introduced by Chaucer


a stanza of eight lines of heroic verse with the rhyme scheme abababcc


an imperfect rhyme (e.g., `love' and `move')


a use of language that creates a literary effect (but often without regard for literal significance)


an abrupt change within a sentence from one syntactic structure to another


the omission of conjunctions where they would normally be used


the repeated use of the same word or word pattern as a rhetorical device


repetition of the final words of a sentence or line at the beginning of the next


repetition of a group of words in reverse order


recapitulation of the main ideas of a speech (especially in reverse order)


repetition of the ends of two or more successive sentences, verses, etc.


the doubling of a word or phrase (as for rhetorical effect)


(rhetoric) repetition to gain special emphasis or extend meaning


repetition of a word in a different case or inflection in the same sentence

polyptoton such as 'my own heart's heart'


repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses


using a pronoun or similar word instead of repeating a word used earlier


repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning and another at the end of successive clauses, i.e., simultaneous use of anaphora and epistrophe


the reversal of the normal order of words


the use of a word in a sense opposite to its normal sense (especially in irony)


the juxtaposition of contrasting words or ideas to give a feeling of balance


mentioning something by saying it will not be mentioned


breaking off in the middle of a sentence (as by writers of realistic conversations)


address to an absent or imaginary person


strained or paradoxical use of words either in error (as `blatant' to mean `flagrant') or deliberately (as in a mixed metaphor: `blind mouths')


inversion in the second of two parallel phrases


arrangement of clauses in ascending order of forcefulness


interchange of subject and predicate of a proposition


(theater) irony that occurs when the meaning of the situation is understood by the audience but not by the characters in the play


exclamation such as 'O tempore! O mores'


special and significant stress by means of position or repetition e.g.


a substitution of part of speech or gender or number or tense etc. (e.g., editorial `we' for `I')


immediate rephrasing for intensification or justification

epanorthosis such as 'Seems, madam! Nay, it is'


a rhetorical device in which the speaker reproaches the audience in order to incite or convince them


use of two conjoined nouns instead of a noun and modifier


reversal of the syntactic relation of two words (as in `her beauty's face')


reversal of normal word order (as in `cheese I love')


use of a series of subjects with a single predicate


use of a series of parallel clauses (as in `I came, I saw, I conquered')


reversal of normal order of two words or sentences etc. (as in `bred and born')


understatement for rhetorical effect (especially when expressing an affirmative by negating its contrary)

saying `I was not a little upset' when you mean `I was very upset' is an example of litotes


using words that imitate the sound they denote


oewn-paralepsis-n oewn-paraleipsis-n oewn-paralipsis-n oewn-preterition-n

suggesting by deliberately concise treatment that much of significance is omitted


juxtaposing words having a common derivation (as in `sense and sensibility')


using several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted (as in `he ran and jumped and laughed for joy')


anticipating and answering objections in advance


a comparison comprising a well-known quotation followed by a facetious sequel


oewn-trope-n oewn-figure_of_speech-n oewn-figure-n oewn-image-n

language used in a figurative or nonliteral sense


an elaborate poetic image or a far-fetched comparison of very dissimilar things


a trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs


conventional metaphoric name for something, used especially in Old English and Old Norse poetry


a figure of speech in which an expression is used to refer to something that it does not literally denote in order to suggest a similarity


a metaphor that has occurred so often that it has become a new meaning of the expression (e.g., `he is a snake' may once have been a metaphor but after years of use it has died and become a new sense of the word `snake')


a combination of two or more metaphors that together produce a ridiculous effect


a metaphor that exploits a similarity between experiences in different sense modalities


substituting the name of an attribute or feature for the name of the thing itself (as in `they counted heads')


substituting metonymy of one figurative sense for another


conjoining contradictory terms (as in `deafening silence')


representing an abstract quality or idea as a person or creature


a figure of speech that expresses a resemblance between things of different kinds (usually formed with `like' or `as')


substituting a more inclusive term for a less inclusive one or vice versa


use of a word to govern two or more words though agreeing in number or case etc. with only one


use of a verb with two or more complements, playing on the verb's polysemy, for humorous effect

`Mr. Pickwick took his hat and his leave' is an example of zeugma


oewn-speech-n oewn-speech_communication-n oewn-spoken_communication-n oewn-spoken_language-n oewn-language-n oewn-voice_communication-n oewn-oral_communication-n

(language) communication by word of mouth


the use of uttered sounds for auditory communication


they were perfectly comfortable together without speech


oewn-voice-n oewn-vocalization-n oewn-vocalisation-n oewn-vocalism-n oewn-phonation-n oewn-vox-n

the sound made by the vibration of vocal folds modified by the resonance of the vocal tract


(phonetics) an individual sound unit of speech without concern as to whether or not it is a phoneme of some language


(linguistics) the phonemes (or strings of phonemes) that constitute the various allomorphs of a morpheme


(linguistics) one of a small set of speech sounds that are distinguished by the speakers of a particular language


(linguistics) any of various acoustically different forms of the same phoneme


a vowel whose quality or length is changed to indicate linguistic distinctions (such as sing sang sung song)


a vowel sound that starts near the articulatory position for one vowel and moves toward the position for another


a speech sound made with the vocal tract open


the system of accentuation used in a particular language


the system of consonants used in a particular language


the morphophonemics of a particular language


the system of phonemes recognized in a language


the system of phones used in a particular language


the pattern of syllable formation in a particular language


a system of tenses used in a particular language


the system of tones used in a particular language or dialect of a tone language


the system of vowels used in a particular language


a neutral middle vowel; occurs in unstressed syllables


a schwa that is incidental to the pronunciation of a consonant


a vowel that ends a stem and precedes an inflection


a vowellike sound that serves as a consonant


a semivowel produced with the tongue near the palate (like the initial sound in the English word `yeast')


a letter of the alphabet standing for a spoken vowel


a mark placed below or near a consonant (as in Hebrew or Arabic) to indicate the spoken vowel


a letter of the alphabet standing for a spoken consonant


oewn-alveolar_consonant-n oewn-dental_consonant-n oewn-alveolar-n oewn-dental-n

a consonant articulated with the tip of the tongue near the gum ridge


a consonant that is produced with a partial or complete blockage of the airflow from the lungs through the nose or mouth


oewn-stop_consonant-n oewn-stop-n oewn-occlusive-n oewn-plosive_consonant-n oewn-plosive_speech_sound-n oewn-plosive-n

a consonant produced by stopping the flow of air at some point and suddenly releasing it


the initial occluded phase of a stop consonant


the terminal forced release of pressure built up during the occlusive phase of a stop consonant


the conversion of a simple stop consonant into an affricate


a manner of articulation involving an audible release of breath


a consonant whose articulation involves movement of the lips


a consonant whose articulation involves the lips and teeth


a consonant that is articulated using both lips; /p/ or /b/ or /w/


a stop consonant that is produced with the lips


a stop consonant articulated by releasing pressure at the glottis; as in the sudden onset of a vowel


the insertion of a vowel or consonant into a word to make its pronunciation easier

the insertion of a vowel in the plural of the word `bush' is epenthesis


the act of nasalizing; the utterance of sounds modulated by the nasal resonators


a stop consonant made by the suction of air into the mouth (as in Bantu)


consonant articulated by constricting (but not closing) the vocal tract


a continuant consonant produced by breath moving against a narrowing of the vocal tract


a consonant characterized by a hissing sound (like s or sh)


a composite speech sound consisting of a stop and a fricative articulated at the same point (as `ch' in `chair' and `j' in `joy')


a consonant produced through the nose with the mouth closed


a speech sound produced with both the oral and nasal passages open (as French nasal vowels)


a consonant that is produced with the tongue and other speech organs


a frictionless continuant that is not a nasal consonant (especially `l' and `r')


a consonant produced without sound from the vocal cords


a consonant produced with the back of the tongue touching or near the soft palate


oewn-guttural-n oewn-guttural_consonant-n oewn-pharyngeal-n oewn-pharyngeal_consonant-n

a consonant articulated in the back of the mouth or throat


a speech sound accompanied by sound from the vocal cords


oewn-cry-n oewn-outcry-n oewn-call-n oewn-yell-n oewn-shout-n oewn-vociferation-n

a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

the speaker was interrupted by loud cries from the rear of the audience


a loud utterance of emotion (especially when inarticulate)


oewn-bellow-n oewn-bellowing-n oewn-holla-n oewn-holler-n oewn-hollering-n oewn-hollo-n oewn-holloa-n oewn-roar-n oewn-roaring-n oewn-yowl-n

a very loud utterance (like the sound of an animal)


oewn-clamor-n oewn-clamoring-n oewn-clamour-n oewn-clamouring-n oewn-hue_and_cry-n

loud and persistent outcry from many people


he gave a great halloo but no one heard him


the announcement of the election recount caused a lot of noise


oewn-scream-n oewn-screaming-n oewn-shriek-n oewn-shrieking-n oewn-screech-n oewn-screeching-n


a loud hooting cry of exultation or excitement


oewn-war_cry-n oewn-war_whoop-n oewn-rallying_cry-n oewn-battle_cry-n

a yell intended to rally a group of soldiers in battle


uttering a loud inarticulate cry as of pain or excitement


a songlike cry in which the voice fluctuates rapidly between the normal voice and falsetto


oewn-boo-n oewn-hoot-n oewn-Bronx_cheer-n oewn-hiss-n oewn-raspberry-n oewn-razzing-n oewn-razz-n oewn-snort-n oewn-bird-n

a cry or noise made to express displeasure or contempt


blasphemous language (expressing disrespect for God or for something sacred)


oewn-obscenity-n oewn-smut-n oewn-vulgarism-n oewn-filth-n oewn-dirty_word-n


a preoccupation with obscenity (especially that dealing with excrement or excretory functions)


oewn-curse-n oewn-curse_word-n oewn-expletive-n oewn-oath-n oewn-swearing-n oewn-swearword-n oewn-cuss-n

profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger


a word used in exclamations of confusion


an abrupt emphatic exclamation expressing emotion


an exclamation of protest or remonstrance or reproof


a word or phrase conveying no independent meaning but added to fill out a sentence or metrical line


an utterance expressing pain or disapproval


the utterance of a sound similar to clearing the throat; intended to get attention, express hesitancy, fill a pause, hide embarrassment, warn a friend, etc.


a loud laugh suggestive of a hen's cackle


oewn-hee-haw-n oewn-horselaugh-n oewn-ha-ha-n oewn-haw-haw-n

a loud laugh that sounds like a horse neighing


calling out the name of a person (especially by a loudspeaker system)

the public address system in the hospital was used for paging


the way a word or a language is customarily spoken

the pronunciation of Chinese is difficult for foreigners


the manner in which someone utters a word

they are always correcting my pronunciation


pronunciation with a sibilant (hissing or whistling) sound


the utterance of sounds expressing great joy


he could hear them uttering merry speeches


an utterance (of words) with spitting sounds (as in rage)


oewn-whisper-n oewn-whispering-n oewn-susurration-n oewn-voicelessness-n

speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords


a loud whisper that can be overheard; on the stage it is heard by the audience but it supposed to be inaudible to the rest of the cast


two words are homographs if they are spelled the same way but differ in meaning (e.g. fair)


two words are homophones if they are pronounced the same way but differ in meaning or spelling or both (e.g. bare and bear)


the same pronunciation for words of different origins


he couldn't suppress his contemptuous accent


a slow speech pattern with prolonged vowels


the aspect of pronunciation that involves bringing articulatory organs together so as to shape the sounds of speech


an articulatory gesture made by turning the tip of the tongue back against the roof of the mouth


the articulation of speech regarded from the point of view of its intelligibility to the audience


(phonology) the loss of sounds from within a word (as in `fo'c'sle' for `forecastle')


the articulatory process whereby the pronunciation of a word or morpheme changes when it is followed immediately by another (especially in fluent speech)


judging from the thickness of his speech he had been drinking heavily


an expression that is difficult to articulate clearly

`rubber baby buggy bumper' is a tongue twister


the articulation of a consonant (especially the consonant `r') with a rapid flutter of the tongue against the palate or uvula

he pronounced his R's with a distinct trill


the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.


a lively or heated interchange of ideas and opinions


conversational speech used to communicate sociability more than information


a mutual expression of views (especially an unpleasant one)


oewn-chat-n oewn-confab-n oewn-confabulation-n oewn-schmooze-n oewn-schmoose-n


oewn-chitchat-n oewn-chit-chat-n oewn-chit_chat-n oewn-small_talk-n oewn-gab-n oewn-gabfest-n oewn-gossip-n oewn-tittle-tattle-n oewn-chin_wag-n oewn-chin-wag-n oewn-chin_wagging-n oewn-chin-wagging-n oewn-causerie-n

light informal conversation for social occasions


a conversation that spreads personal information about other people


let's have more work and less talk around here


he took me aside for a little heart-to-heart


talk about your business that only others in the same business can understand


oewn-wind-n-1 oewn-malarkey-n oewn-malarky-n oewn-idle_words-n oewn-jazz-n oewn-nothingness-n

empty rhetoric or insincere or exaggerated talk


oewn-yak-n oewn-yack-n oewn-yakety-yak-n oewn-chatter-n oewn-cackle-n


oewn-prate-n oewn-prattle-n oewn-idle_talk-n oewn-blether-n oewn-chin_music-n


they traded a few nothings as they parted


inconsequential expressions of affection

he whispered sweet nothings into her ear


social exchange, especially of opinions, attitudes, etc.


a lengthy discussion (spoken or written) on a particular topic


an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic

the book contains an excellent discussion of modal logic


a report of a discourse in which deictic terms are modified appropriately (e.g., "he said `I am a fool'" would be modified to "he said he is a fool")


a report of the exact words used in a discourse


a discussion of a topic (as in a meeting)

consideration of the traffic problem took more than an hour


a discussion (spoken or written) that enlarges on a topic or theme at length or in detail


discussion; (`talk about' is a less formal alternative for `discussion of')

his poetry contains much talk about love and anger


a consideration of a topic (as in a meeting) with a view to changing an earlier decision


a communication intended to urge or persuade the recipients to take some action


the communication (in speech or writing) of your beliefs or opinions


(usually plural) an expression of pleasure at the success or good fortune of another

I sent them my sincere congratulations on their marriage


a discussion in which reasons are advanced for and against some proposition or proposal

the argument over foreign aid goes on and on


argument about words or the meaning of words


conversation in a situation where feelings can be expressed and criticized or supported


overheard conversation (especially overheard cellphone conversation)


a private conversation between two people


intimate conversation between lovers (typically occurring in bed)


(usually plural) discussion of all sides of a question


a discussion among participants who have an agreed (serious) topic


an informal discussion (usually among men)


a conference between two or more people to consider a particular question


(law) a courtroom conference between the lawyers and the judge that is held out of the jury's hearing


a conference (usually with someone important)


discussion of a subject of public interest by a group of persons forming a panel usually before an audience


discussion of an event after it has occurred


free and open discussion of (or debate on) some question of public interest

such a proposal deserves thorough public discussion


a press conference or interview in which a government official explains to reporters the background of an action or policy

the secretary gave us a backgrounder on public health issues


a conference at which press and tv reporters ask questions of a politician or other celebrity


(law) a conference held before the trial begins to bring the parties together to outline discovery proceedings and to define the issues to be tried; more useful in civil than in criminal cases


a meeting of peers for discussion and exchange of views


a meeting for execution of a group's functions

it was the opening session of the legislature


an extended session (as on a college campus) for lectures and discussion on an important and usually controversial issue


a conference of people who are in different locations that is made possible by the use of such telecommunications equipment as closed-circuit television


meeting for diagnosis of problems and instruction or remedial work in a particular activity


a clinic for people with reading disabilities


a meeting at which basketball players receive special evaluation and instruction


a meeting at which baseball players receive special evaluation and instruction

a summer baseball clinic for promising young players


a meeting at which hockey players receive special evaluation and instruction


a session (usually of a legislative body) that is closed to the public


a session (of a committee or grand jury) in which witnesses are called and testimony is taken

the investigative committee will hold hearings in Chicago


a hearing held by the US Senate to gather information on whether to approve or reject candidates for high federal office who are nominated by the president


a session (as of executives or advisors) to discuss policy or strategy or to solve problems or exchange ideas


a session that is held in addition to the regular sessions


a session of intensive tuition given by a tutor to an individual or to a small number of students


a discussion intended to produce an agreement

the buyout negotiation lasted several days


diplomacy influenced by economic considerations


diplomacy in which the nations threaten to use force in order to obtain their objectives


the explicit and formal acknowledgement of a government or of the national independence of a country

territorial disputes were resolved in Guatemala's recognition of Belize in 1991


international negotiations conducted by a mediator who frequently flies back and forth between the negotiating parties

Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East


negotiations between the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics opened in 1969 in Helsinki designed to limit both countries' stock of nuclear weapons


the negotiation of the terms of a transaction or agreement


negotiation between an employer and trade union


oewn-haggle-n oewn-haggling-n oewn-wrangle-n oewn-wrangling-n

an instance of intense argument (as in bargaining)


a refusal by a negotiator to come to terms in the hope of obtaining a better deal


negotiation accompanied by mutual concessions and shrewd bargaining


a negotiation to resolve differences that is conducted by some impartial party


(law) the hearing and determination of a dispute by an impartial referee agreed to by both parties (often used to settle disputes between labor and management)


any of various forms of mediation whereby disputes may be settled short of arbitration


a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations


a locution or pronunciation peculiar to the southern United States


a very short speech; usually on radio or television


oewn-motto-n oewn-slogan-n oewn-catchword-n oewn-shibboleth-n

a favorite saying of a group, organization or individual


she repeated `So pleased with how its going' at intervals like a mantra


oewn-war_cry-n oewn-rallying_cry-n oewn-battle_cry-n oewn-cry-n oewn-watchword-n

a slogan used to rally support for a cause


a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits


a short pithy saying expressing a general truth


humorous axiom stating that anything that can go wrong will go wrong


oewn-proverb-n oewn-adage-n oewn-saw-n oewn-byword-n

a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people


oewn-platitude-n oewn-cliche-n oewn-banality-n oewn-commonplace-n oewn-bromide-n


oewn-idiom-n oewn-idiomatic_expression-n oewn-phrasal_idiom-n oewn-set_phrase-n oewn-phrase-n

an expression whose meanings cannot be inferred from the meanings of the words that make it up


sayings of Jesus not recorded in the canonical Gospels


a correct expression that takes the place of a popular but incorrect expression

he preferred his erroneous but pleasing mumpsimus to the correct sumpsimus


speech that differs from the usual accepted, easily recognizable speech of native adult members of a speech community


an adult's imitation of the speech of a young child


the usage or vocabulary that is characteristic of a specific group of people

the immigrants spoke an odd dialect of English


the use of misspellings to identify a colloquial or uneducated speaker


a regional dialect of a language (especially French); usually considered substandard


a phrase or pronunciation that is peculiar to a particular locality


a feature (as a pronunciation or expression or custom) that is characteristic of a particular region


the language or speech of one individual at a particular period in life


a long utterance by one person (especially one that prevents others from participating in the conversation)


language characterized by terseness and ellipsis as in telegrams


the everyday speech of the people (as distinguished from literary language)


oewn-slang-n oewn-cant-n oewn-jargon-n oewn-lingo-n oewn-argot-n oewn-patois-n oewn-vernacular-n

a characteristic language of a particular group (as among thieves)


slang that replaces words with rhyming words or expressions and then typically omits the rhyming component


informal language consisting of words and expressions that are not considered appropriate for formal occasions; often vituperative or vulgar

their speech was full of slang expressions


oewn-spell-n oewn-magic_spell-n oewn-magical_spell-n oewn-charm-n

a verbal formula believed to have magical force

he whispered a spell as he moved his hands


a ritual recitation of words or sounds believed to have a magical effect


an incantation used in conjuring or summoning a devil


oewn-hex-n oewn-jinx-n oewn-curse-n oewn-whammy-n


speech intended for reproduction in writing


offer by an employer to contract to pay an employee at a given rate


oewn-marriage_proposal-n oewn-proposal_of_marriage-n oewn-marriage_offer-n oewn-proposal-n


an offer for a private bargain (especially a request for sexual favors)


an informal reference to a marriage proposal


something proposed (such as a plan or assumption)


a proposal offered as an alternative to an earlier proposal


a proposal intended to explain certain facts or observations


a proposal offered for acceptance or rejection


they resisted the introduction of impractical alternatives


a proposal of something previously rejected

they avoided a re-introduction of the old terminology


the first presentation of a bill in a legislature


the second presentation of a bill in a legislature; to approve its general principles (Britain) or to discuss a committee's report and take a vote (US)


a formal proposal for action made to a deliberative assembly for discussion and vote


a motion calling for an immediate vote on the main question under discussion by a deliberative assembly


not a breath of scandal ever touched her


there was a touch of sarcasm in his tone


oewn-overture-n oewn-advance-n oewn-approach-n oewn-feeler-n

a tentative suggestion designed to elicit the reactions of others


something offered (as a proposal or bid)

noteworthy new offerings for investors included several index funds


an offer made by someone who has rejected a prior offer


a formal proposal to buy at a specified price


a bid that is higher than preceding bids


a formal written offer to sell securities (filed with the SEC) that sets forth a plan for a (proposed) business enterprise

a prospectus should contain the facts that an investor needs to make an informed decision


a first draft of a prospectus; must be clearly marked to indicate that parts may be changed in the final prospectus

because some portions of the cover page are printed in red ink a preliminary prospectus is sometimes called a red herring


an offer to buy shares in a corporation (usually above the market price) for cash or securities or both


the offer of money for helping to find a criminal or for returning lost property


an offering of common stock to existing shareholders who hold subscription rights or pre-emptive rights that entitle them to buy newly issued shares at a discount from the price at which they will be offered to the public later

the investment banker who handles a rights offering usually agrees to buy any shares not bought by shareholders


a special offering (usually temporary and at a reduced price) that is featured in advertising


a monetary reward for helping to catch a criminal

the cattle thief has a price on his head


something offered to an adversary in the hope of obtaining peace


something (manuscripts or architectural plans and models or estimates or works of art of all genres etc.) submitted for the judgment of others (as in a competition)

several of his submissions were rejected by publishers


the entering of a legal document into the public record


oewn-command-n oewn-bid-n oewn-bidding-n oewn-dictation-n

an authoritative direction or instruction to do something


a contrary command cancelling or reversing a previous command


(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

the British ships dropped anchor and waited for orders from London


an order from a superior officer for troops to depart


an order to appear in person at a given place and time


a formal statement of a command or injunction to do something


an incorrect charge to a jury given by a judge


a pronouncement encouraging or banning some activity


a directive issued by the President of the United States; usually addressed to all heads of departments and agencies


an explanation that results from interpreting something

the report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence


an interpretation that removes obstacles to understanding

the professor's clarification helped her to understand the textbook


clarification that follows from the removal of ambiguity


disambiguation of the sense of a polysemantic word


personal interpretation of a text (especially of the Bible) using your own ideas


an explanation or critical interpretation (especially of the Bible)


the endeavor of a Muslim scholar to derive a rule of divine law from the Koran and Hadith without relying on the views of other scholars; by the end of the 10th century theologians decided that debate on such matters would be closed and Muslim theology and law were frozen

some reform-minded Islamic scholars believe that reopening ijtihad is a prerequisite for the survival of Islam


a passage from the Bible that is used as the subject of a sermon

the preacher chose a text from Psalms to introduce his sermon


a discussion that provides additional information


elaboration of an interpretation by the use of decorative (sometimes fictitious) detail

the mystery has been heightened by many embellishments in subsequent retellings


an interpretation based on the exact wording


a strictly literal interpretation (as distinct from the intention)


an interpretation of a matter from a particular viewpoint

his version of the fight was different from mine


a particular interpretation or performance


they put an unsympathetic construction on his conduct


an interpretation formed by piecing together bits of evidence


an interpretation that easily understandable and acceptable


his misinterpretation of the question caused his error


a kind of misinterpretation resulting from putting a wrong construction on words or actions (often deliberately)


misinterpretation caused by inaccurate reading


agreement with a statement or proposal to do something


consent by a patient to undergo a medical or surgical treatment or to participate in an experiment after the patient understands the risks involved


(contract law) words signifying consent to the terms of an offer (thereby creating a contract)


an automatic advance to the next round in a tournament without playing an opponent


agreeing with or consenting to (often unwillingly)

accession to such demands would set a dangerous precedent


they reached an accommodation with Japan


the written record or promise of an arrangement by which accommodations are secured in advance


a conclusive resolution of a matter and disposition of it


resolution of a dispute prior to the rendering of a final decision by the trial court


(matrimonial law) the division of property owned or acquired by marriage partners during their marriage


the settlement of a debt by paying less than the amount demanded in exchange for extinguishing the debt


an agreement on the terms on which an employee will leave


a lucrative severance agreement offered to an employee (usually as an incentive to retire)


an agreement by two or more people to commit suicide together at a given place and time

the two lovers killed themselves in a suicide pact


a temporary accommodation of a disagreement between parties pending a permanent settlement


an accommodation in which both sides make concessions

the newly elected congressmen rejected a compromise because they considered it `business as usual'


an agreement in 1820 between pro-slavery and anti-slavery factions in the United States concerning the extension of slavery into new territories


agreement expressed by (or as if expressed by) signing your name


making something valid by formally ratifying or confirming it


oewn-second-n oewn-secondment-n oewn-endorsement-n oewn-indorsement-n


(law) the act of citing (as of spoken words or written passages or legal precedents etc.)


the speech act of disagreeing or arguing or disputing


oewn-confrontation-n oewn-encounter-n oewn-showdown-n oewn-face-off-n


disagreement; especially disagreement with the government


disagreement among those expected to cooperate


discord resulting from a clash of ideas or opinions


oewn-dispute-n oewn-difference-n oewn-difference_of_opinion-n oewn-conflict-n

a disagreement or argument about something important


a weak or sham argument set up to be easily refuted


the incident triggered a political firestorm


an argument in which the participants are trying to gain some advantage


an argument that ignores all unfavorable evidence


a conflict of opposed ideas or attitudes or goals


oewn-controversy-n oewn-contention-n oewn-contestation-n oewn-disputation-n oewn-disceptation-n oewn-tilt-n oewn-argument-n oewn-arguing-n

a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement

they were involved in a violent argument


a controversy (especially over a belief or dogma)


a difference (especially an unfortunate difference) between two opinions or two views or two situations


a difference between the views of young people and their parents


oewn-quarrel-n oewn-wrangle-n oewn-row-n-2 oewn-words-n oewn-run-in-n oewn-dustup-n


a violent fight over the bill is expected in the Senate


oewn-bicker-n oewn-bickering-n oewn-spat-n oewn-tiff-n oewn-squabble-n oewn-pettifoggery-n oewn-fuss-n


a serious quarrel (especially one that ends a friendship)


the notification stated the grace period and the penalties for defaulting


an expression of some desire or inclination

I could tell that it was his wish that the guests leave


a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something


a solemn and earnest appeal to someone to do something


impassioned appeals to the prejudices and emotions of the populace


an appeal intended to arouse patriotic emotions


a humble request for help from someone in authority


an entreaty addressed to someone of superior status


a solicitation for money or food (especially in the street by an apparently penniless person)


the act of soliciting money (as a gift or loan)

he watched the beggar trying to make a touch


his importunity left me no alternative but to agree


a petition or appeal made to a person of superior status or rank


oewn-courtship-n oewn-wooing-n oewn-courting-n oewn-suit-n

a man's courting of a woman; seeking the affections of a woman (usually with the hope of marriage)


a onetime custom during courtship of unmarried couples occupying the same bed without undressing


a ceremonial prayer invoking divine protection


a short prayer generally preceding the lesson in the Church of Rome or the Church of England


prayers proclaiming God's anger against sinners; read in the Church of England on Ash Wednesday


a prayer to avert or remove some evil or disaster


a prayer to God on behalf of another person


a prayer asking God's help as part of a religious service


a solemn supplication ceremony prescribed by the church


a prayer for the repose of the soul of a dead person


they submitted their charges at the end of each month


a document that must be accepted and paid by another person


his demands for attention were unceasing


a demand by a sentry for a password or identification


scrupulous or exaggerated insistence on purity or correctness (especially in language)


the act of requiring; an authoritative request or demand, especially by a military or public authority that takes something over (usually temporarily) for military or public use


a demand for a show of hands in a card game


a demand by a broker that a customer deposit enough to bring his margin up to the minimum requirement


the wage demanded from management for workers by their union representatives


a request by children on Halloween; they pass from door to door asking for goodies and threatening to play tricks on those who refuse


questioning a statement and demanding an explanation

his challenge of the assumption that Japan is still our enemy


oewn-question-n oewn-inquiry-n oewn-enquiry-n oewn-query-n oewn-interrogation-n


a series of questions put to an individual (such as a political candidate) to elicit their views


(law) a pretrial interrogation of a witness; usually conducted in a lawyer's office


a severe interrogation (often violating the rights or privacy of individuals)


interrogation often accompanied by torture to extort information or a confession


(law) close questioning of a hostile witness in a court of law to discredit or throw a new light on the testimony already provided in direct examination


(law) the initial questioning of a witness by the party that called the witness


(law) questioning of a witness by the party that called the witness after that witness has been subject to cross-examination


a question phrased in such a way as to suggest the desired answer; a lawyer may ask leading questions on cross-examination


a question that can be answered by yes or no


the questioning of a person (or a conversation in which information is elicited); often conducted by journalists

my interviews with teenagers revealed a weakening of religious bonds


an interview to determine whether an applicant is suitable for a position of employment


an interview conducted over the telephone


oewn-question-n oewn-interrogation-n oewn-interrogative-n oewn-interrogative_sentence-n

a sentence of inquiry that asks for a reply


a set of questions or exercises evaluating skill or knowledge

when the test was stolen the professor had to make a new set of questions


an examination conducted at regular intervals to determine whether a candidate is qualified to practice law in a given jurisdiction

applicants may qualify to take the New York bar examination by graduating from an approved law school


an intensive examination testing a student's proficiency in some special field of knowledge

she took her comps in English literature


examination to determine a candidate's preparation for a course of studies


an examination administered at the end of an academic term


a test that relies on a single indicator

her litmus test for good breeding is whether you split infinitives


an examination administered in the middle of an academic term


oewn-oral-n oewn-oral_exam-n oewn-oral_examination-n oewn-viva_voce-n oewn-viva-n

an examination conducted by spoken communication


an examination taken by graduate students to determine their fitness to continue


an examination consisting of a few short questions


oewn-test_paper-n oewn-examination_paper-n oewn-exam_paper-n oewn-question_sheet-n


final honors degree examinations at Cambridge University


the speech act of continuing a conversational exchange


a reply that has no relevance to what preceded it


oewn-rejoinder-n oewn-retort-n oewn-return-n oewn-riposte-n oewn-replication-n oewn-comeback-n oewn-counter-n

a quick reply to a question or remark (especially a witty or critical one)

it brought a sharp rejoinder from the teacher


a reply that repeats what has just been said


an infant's repetition of sounds uttered by others


the speech act of replying to a question


lots thrown to determine God's answers to yes-no questions


the speech act of answering an attack on your assertions

his refutation of the charges was short and persuasive


the speech act of refuting by offering a contrary contention or argument


the act of describing distinctive characteristics or essential features

the media's characterization of Al Gore as a nerd


oewn-word_picture-n oewn-word-painting-n oewn-delineation-n oewn-depiction-n oewn-picture-n oewn-characterization-n oewn-characterisation-n

too often the narrative was interrupted by long word pictures


a word picture of a person's appearance and character


a brief description given for purposes of identification

the label modern is applied to many different kinds of architecture


an individualized description of a particular instance


the act of affirming or asserting or stating something


a factual statement made by one party in order to induce another party to enter into a contract

the sales contract contains several representations by the vendor


a statement of taxable goods or of dutiable properties


the act of asserting that something alleged is not true


the act of refusing to comply (as with a request)

it resulted in a complete denial of his privileges


the denial and rejection of a doctrine or belief


a grammatically substandard but emphatic negative

double negative such as 'I don't never go'


an affirmative constructed from two negatives

double negative such as 'A not unwelcome outcome'


refusal to acknowledge or pay a debt or honor a contract (especially by public authorities)


denial of any connection with or knowledge of


a disavowal or taking back of a previous assertion


a retraction of a previously held position


he spoke as if he thought his claims were immune to contradiction


(logic) a statement that is necessarily false

the statement `he is brave and he is not brave' is a contradiction


the speech act of revoking or annulling or making void


rejecting or disowning or disclaiming as invalid

Congressional repudiation of the treaty that the President had negotiated


(law) a voluntary repudiation of a person's legal claim to something


an instance of driving away or warding off


a formal objection to the selection of a particular person as a juror


an expression of grievance or resentment


(formerly) a loud cry (or repeated cries) of pain or rage or sorrow


(law) a formal objection to an opponent's pleadings


(law) the difference of one judge's opinion from that of the majority

he expressed his dissent in a contrary opinion


taking exception; especially a quibble based on a captious argument


oewn-gripe-n oewn-kick-n oewn-beef-n oewn-bitch-n oewn-squawk-n


a formal and solemn declaration of objection

they finished the game under protest to the league president


the act of making a strong public expression of disagreement and disapproval


a complaint about a (real or imaginary) wrong that causes resentment and is grounds for action


a gruff or angry utterance (suggestive of the growling of an animal)


oewn-grumble-n oewn-grumbling-n oewn-murmur-n oewn-murmuring-n oewn-mutter-n oewn-muttering-n

a complaint uttered in a low and indistinct tone


a jeremiad against any form of government


an opportunity for complaint that is seldom missed


a complaint uttered in a plaintive whining way


oewn-lament-n oewn-lamentation-n oewn-plaint-n oewn-wail-n

their pitiful laments could be heard throughout the ward


advance notification (usually written) of the intention to withdraw from an arrangement of contract

we received a notice to vacate the premises


notification of something, usually in advance

they gave little warning of their arrival


official notice that you have been fired from your job


communication of knowledge to man by a divine or supernatural agency


the speech act of making something evident


behavior that makes your feelings public


a deliberate display of emotion for effect


a display that is exaggerated or unduly complicated

she tends to make a big production out of nothing


a display of extreme remorse or repentance or grief


the act of disclosing something that was secret or private


(law) compulsory pretrial disclosure of documents relevant to a case; enables one side in a litigation to elicit information from the other side concerning the facts in the case


to furnish incriminating evidence to an officer of the law (usually in return for favors)


unauthorized (especially deliberate) disclosure of confidential information


they feared exposure of their campaign plans


he published an expose of the graft and corruption in city government


the exposure of scandal (especially about public figures)


an acknowledgment of the truth of something


an admission that you have failed to do or be something you know you should do or be


they won all the concessions they asked for


a concession given to mollify or placate


(law) an agreement or concession made by parties in a judicial proceeding (or by their attorneys) relating to the business before the court; must be in writing unless they are part of the court record

a stipulation of fact was made in order to avoid delay


a concession made by a labor union to a company that is trying to lower its expenditures


formally making a person known to another or to the public


the presentation of a debutante in society


detailed instructions, as for a military operation


he heard reports that they were causing trouble


(Yiddish) a long boring tediously detailed account

he insisted on giving us the whole megillah


a written document describing the findings of some individual or group

this accords with the recent study by Hill and Dale


confidential information about a topic or person

he wanted the inside skinny on the new partner


a written report of the results of an analysis of the composition of some substance


a careful study of some social unit (as a corporation or division within a corporation) that attempts to determine what factors led to its success or failure


a report published by the British government; bound in blue


a preliminary report of government proposals that is published in order to stimulate discussion


a report of work accomplished during a specified time period


a report that explains or justifies or recommends some particular policy


a report of the results of a medical examination of a patient


a written evaluation of a student's scholarship and deportment


short account of an incident (especially a biographical one)


the act of giving an account describing incidents or a course of events


oewn-narrative-n oewn-narration-n oewn-story-n oewn-tale-n

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program


an uncompleted series of tales written after 1387 by Geoffrey Chaucer


a detailed account or description of something

he was forced to listen to a recital of his many shortcomings


an improbable (unusual or incredible or fanciful) story


a tale circulated by word of mouth among the common folk


a collection of folktales in Arabic dating from the 10th century


a sentimental story (or drama) of personal distress; designed to arouse sympathy


a story about fairies; told to amuse children


he was the hero according to his own relation


a report (often malicious) about the behavior of other people


gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth


the news of their affair was spread by word of mouth


disgraceful gossip about the private lives of other people


a warning that still more bombs could explode


a warning to take action concerning something that was overlooked or neglected

the bombing was a wake-up call to strengthen domestic security


a warning serves to make you more alert to danger


a federal warning system that is activated by FEMA; enables the President to take over the United States airwaves to warn the whole country of major catastrophic events


a warning that is given about something that fails to occur


he sent a heads-up to the District Attorney


(military) a warning prior to the start of a threatening act


(military) a warning after the initiation of a hostile act


a warning that something unpleasant is imminent


a warning to national policy makers that an enemy intends to launch an attack in the near future


a warning to national policy makers that an enemy intends war or is preparing for war and is on a course that increases the risk of war


a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future


a solemn promise, usually invoking a divine witness, regarding your future acts or behavior


an oath taken by physicians to observe medical ethics deriving from Hippocrates


a statement intended to inspire confidence

the President's assurances were not respected


an assurance that someone is healthy or something is in good condition

the doctor gave him a clean bill of health


a binding commitment to do or give or refrain from something


a mutual promise of a couple not to date anyone else; on college campuses it was once signaled by the giving of a fraternity pin


the giving of a ring as a token of engagement


a promise that an unaccepted offer will be renewed in the future


a solemn pledge (to oneself or to another or to a deity) to do something or to behave in a certain manner


he expressed his appreciation in a short note


a conversational expression of gratitude


an appearance by actors or performers at the end of the concert or play in order to acknowledge the applause of the audience


oewn-boast-n oewn-boasting-n oewn-self-praise-n oewn-jactitation-n


oewn-brag-n oewn-bragging-n oewn-crow-n oewn-crowing-n oewn-vaporing-n oewn-line-shooting-n oewn-gasconade-n


oewn-braggadocio-n oewn-bluster-n oewn-rodomontade-n oewn-rhodomontade-n


the act of putting forth your own opinions in a boastful or inconsiderate manner that implies you feel superior to others


the part he failed was the naming of state capitals


naming a letter of the alphabet by using a word whose initial sound is the sound represented by that letter


the act of indicating or pointing out by name


a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy


a challenge to defend what someone has said


the act of explaining; making something plain or intelligible


an act of explaining that serves to clear up and cast light on


the act of making clear or removing obscurity from the meaning of a word or symbol or expression etc.


an appeal to some supernatural power to inflict evil on someone or some group


a formal ecclesiastical curse accompanied by excommunication


the act of calling down a curse that invokes evil (and usually serves as an insult)


a formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt


a public instance of reciting or repeating (from memory) something prepared in advance

the program included songs and recitations of well-loved poems


written matter that is recited from memory


a formal document written for a prosecuting attorney charging a person with some offense


an indictment charging someone with murder


a formal document charging a public official with misconduct in office


a legal document calling someone to court to answer an indictment


(law) a formal accusation against somebody (often in a court of law)


accusations exchanged among people who refuse to accept sole responsibility for some undesirable event


an allegation that something imposes an illegal obligation or denies some legal right or causes injustice


(United Kingdom) a written statement of the grounds of complaint made to court of law asking for the grievance to be redressed


a statement attributing something dishonest (especially a criminal offense)


they want all the finger-pointing about intelligence failures to stop


the book is an indictment of modern philosophy


an accusation that you are responsible for some lapse or misdeed

his incrimination was based on my testimony


an accusation that brings into intimate and usually incriminating connection


an accusation that is understood without needing to be spoken


an indirect (and usually malicious) implication


an accusation that incriminates yourself


the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

he listened to an address on minor Roman poets


(rhetoric) a formal or authoritative address that advises or exhorts


an address to an academic meeting or seminar


a wildly enthusiastic speech or piece of writing


a three-minute address by Abraham Lincoln during the American Civil War at the dedication of a national cemetery on the site of the Battle of Gettysburg (November 19, 1863)


a witty impromptu must not sound premeditated


a short musical passage that seems to have been made spontaneously without advance preparation


an address delivered at an inaugural ceremony (especially by a United States president)


the principal theme in a speech or literary work


he attended a lecture on telecommunications


the patient recited a litany of complaints


an address (usually at a political convention) proposing the name of a candidate to run for election

the nomination was brief and to the point


addressing an audience formally (usually a long and rhetorical address and often pompous)


he delivered an oration on the decline of family values


oewn-public_speaking-n oewn-speechmaking-n oewn-speaking-n oewn-oral_presentation-n

delivering an address to a public audience

people came to see the candidates and hear the speechmaking


the formal presentation of a stated proposition and the opposition to it (usually followed by a vote)


recitation of a speech from memory with studied gestures and intonation as an exercise in elocution or rhetoric


a type of oratory used to eulogize or condemn a person or group of people

Pericles' funeral oration for Athenians killed in the Peloponnesian War is a famous example of epideictic oratory


a loud bombastic declamation expressed with strong emotion


an opening or welcoming statement (especially one delivered at graduation exercises)


oewn-valediction-n oewn-valedictory_address-n oewn-valedictory_oration-n oewn-valedictory-n

a farewell oration (especially one delivered during graduation exercises by an outstanding member of a graduating class)


an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)


a farewell sermon to a graduating class at their commencement ceremonies


preaching the gospel of Christ in the manner of the early church


the first major discourse delivered by Jesus (Matthew 5-7 and Luke 6:20-49)


zealous preaching and advocacy of the gospel


evangelism at a distance by the use of television


the act of persuading (or attempting to persuade); communication intended to induce belief or action


persuasion by the use of direct personal pressure

some gentle arm-twisting produced the desired result


persuading not to do or believe something; talking someone out of a belief or an intended course of action


persuasion of voters in a political campaign


the act of exhorting; an earnest attempt at persuasion


a speech of exhortation attempting to instill enthusiasm and determination in a team or staff


oewn-expostulation-n oewn-remonstrance-n oewn-remonstration-n oewn-objection-n

the act of expressing earnest opposition or protest


oewn-promotion-n oewn-promo-n oewn-publicity-n oewn-promotional_material-n oewn-packaging-n

a message issued in behalf of some product or cause or idea or person or institution


his letter of recommendation gave her a terrific buildup


subject matter that is calculated to excite and please vulgar tastes


a sensational message (in a film or play or novel)


a promotion intended to create goodwill for a person or institution


a promotional statement (as found on the dust jackets of books)

the author got all his friends to write blurbs for his book


oewn-book_jacket-n oewn-dust_cover-n oewn-dust_jacket-n oewn-dust_wrapper-n

a paper jacket for a book; a jacket on which promotional information is usually printed


oewn-ballyhoo-n oewn-hoopla-n oewn-hype-n oewn-plug-n


promotion by means of an argument and demonstration


oewn-ad-n oewn-advertisement-n oewn-advertizement-n oewn-advertising-n oewn-advertizing-n oewn-advert-n

a public promotion of some product or service


an advertisement that is written and presented in the style of an editorial or journalistic report


a printed advertisement that is published in a newspaper


a short ad in a newspaper or magazine (usually in small print) and appearing along with other ads of the same type


promotion that supplements or coordinates advertising


a newspaper advertisement stating what is wanted


a commercially sponsored ad on radio or television


a television commercial presented in the form of a short documentary


oewn-circular-n oewn-handbill-n oewn-bill-n oewn-broadside-n oewn-broadsheet-n oewn-flier-n oewn-flyer-n oewn-throwaway-n

an advertisement (usually printed on a page or in a leaflet) intended for wide distribution

he mailed the circular to all subscribers


an advertising circular that is enclosed with other material and (usually) sent by mail


an advertisement that offers something free in order to arouse customers' interest


the advertisement of a star's name at the top of a theatrical poster


a telephone directory or section of a directory (usually printed on white paper) where the names of people are listed alphabetically along with their telephone numbers


a telephone directory or section of a directory (usually printed on yellow paper) where business products and services are listed alphabetically by field along with classified advertising


encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators


encouragement of the progress or growth or acceptance of something


encouragement; aiding the development of something


oewn-goad-n oewn-goading-n oewn-prod-n oewn-prodding-n oewn-urging-n oewn-spur-n oewn-spurring-n

a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something

the ceaseless prodding got on his nerves


the result was a provocation of vigorous investigation


underhandedly or improperly inducing someone to do something improper or unlawful


(law) inducing someone to make a false oath as part of a judicial proceeding

to prove subordination of perjury you must prove the perjury and also prove that the perjured statement was procured by the accused suborner who knew that it would be false


an expression of approval and encouragement

they gave the chairman a vote of confidence


the expression of opposition and disapproval


a communication that leaves you disheartened or daunted


a communication that makes you afraid to try something


the act of giving up (a claim or office or possession etc.)


a formal resignation and renunciation of powers


an act (spoken or written) declaring that something is surrendered or disowned


a verbal act of renouncing a claim or right or position etc.


oewn-ban-n oewn-banning-n oewn-forbiddance-n oewn-forbidding-n

an official prohibition or edict against something


a ban on the testing of nuclear weapons that is mutually agreed to by countries that possess nuclear weapons


apparent communication from one mind to another without using sensory perceptions


apparent knowledge of distant events without using sensory perceptions


phenomena that appear to contradict physical laws and suggest the possibility of causation by mental processes


oewn-clairvoyance-n oewn-second_sight-n oewn-extrasensory_perception-n oewn-E.S.P.-n oewn-ESP-n

apparent power to perceive things that are not present to the senses


the power to move something by thinking about it without the application of physical force


alleged form of communication with spirits of the dead


oewn-table_tipping-n oewn-table_tilting-n oewn-table_turning-n oewn-table_lifting-n

manipulation of a table during a seance; attributed to spirits


oewn-windsock-n oewn-wind_sock-n oewn-sock-n oewn-air_sock-n oewn-air-sleeve-n oewn-wind_sleeve-n oewn-wind_cone-n oewn-drogue-n

a truncated cloth cone mounted on a mast; used (e.g., at airports) to show the direction of the wind


a pole or stake set up to mark something (as the start or end of a race track)


a post marking the starting point of a race (especially a horse race)


it is used as a reference for comparing the heating and the electrical energy involved


a publication (or a passage from a publication) that is referred to

he carried an armful of references back to his desk


something that has been published again; a fresh publication (as of a literary work)


a surveyor's mark on a permanent object of predetermined position and elevation used as a reference point


a mark showing the boundary of a piece of land


an old term for a landmark that consisted of a pile of stones surmounted by an upright slab


oewn-lubber-ap-s_line-n oewn-lubber_line-n oewn-lubber-ap-s_mark-n oewn-lubber-ap-s_point-n

a fixed line on a ship's compass indicating its heading


(linguistics) a rule describing (or prescribing) a linguistic practice


(linguistics) a grammatical rule (or other linguistic feature) that is found in all languages


a linguistic rule for the syntax of grammatical utterances


a rule describing the conversion of one syntactic structure into another related syntactic structure


a linguistic rule for the formation of words


oewn-standard-n oewn-criterion-n oewn-measure-n oewn-touchstone-n

a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated

the schools comply with federal standards


a standard by which something can be measured or judged

his painting sets the benchmark of quality


(baseball) a measure of a pitcher's effectiveness; calculated as the average number of earned runs allowed by the pitcher for every nine innings pitched


a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted


a standard that is enforced uniformly without regard to individuality


a measure or standard used for comparison

on what kind of yardstick is he basing his judgment?


a funnel-shaped device towed as a target by an airplane


a white stripe in the middle of a road to mark traffic lanes


oewn-blinker-n oewn-turn_signal-n oewn-turn_indicator-n oewn-trafficator-n

a blinking light on a motor vehicle that indicates the direction in which the vehicle is about to turn


worn around arm as identification or to indicate mourning


propels bright light high in the sky, or used to propel a lifesaving line or harpoon


a radar echo displayed so as to show the position of a reflecting surface


an electronic signal that has been reflected back to the radar antenna; contains information about the location and distance of the reflecting object


unwanted echoes that interfere with the observation of signals on a radar screen


a device that, on receiving radar signals, transmits coded signals in response to help navigators determine their position


a characteristic signal emitted by a transmitter used for navigation


a fire (usually on a hill or tower) that can be seen from a distance


an artillery shell containing an illuminant


a steady bright blue light; formerly used as a signal but now a firework


a colored flare fired from a Very pistol


signal that comes out of an electronic system


the output of a computer in printed form


the output of a computer in readable form


a shout or bell to warn that fire has broken out


a loud low warning signal that can be heard by fogbound ships


a noise made by the driver of an automobile to give warning


we didn't swim at the beach because the red flag was up


a warning signal that is a loud wailing sound


a red light on the rear of a motor vehicle that signals when the brakes are applied to slow or stop


a float attached by rope to the seabed to mark channels in a harbor or underwater hazards; typically brightly-coloured


a buoy with a round bottom and conical top


a staff surmounted by a crook or cross carried by bishops as a symbol of pastoral office


a ceremonial staff carried as a symbol of office or authority


oewn-scepter-n oewn-sceptre-n oewn-verge-n oewn-wand-n


a mock scepter carried by a court jester


staff with a metal tip carried as a sign of office by e.g. a bailiff or constable


cord or ribbon worn as an insignia of honor or rank


stylized bird wings worn as an insignia by qualified pilots or air crew members


a black sash worn to show expert standards in the martial arts (judo or karate)


a round flat badge displaying information and suitable for pinning onto a garment

they passed out campaign buttons for their candidate


an annual award by the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences for outstanding achievements in television


an annual award for outstanding contributions to chemistry or physics or physiology and medicine or literature or economics or peace


an annual award by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for achievements in motion picture production and performance


an annual prize awarded by the French government in a competition of painters and artists and sculptors and musicians and architects; the winner in each category receives support for a period of study in Rome


an award given annually for contributions to French literature


oewn-chevron-n oewn-stripe-n oewn-stripes-n oewn-grade_insignia-n

V-shaped sleeve badge indicating military rank and service


a piece of braid, usually on the sleeve, indicating military rank or length of service


(computer science) a graphic symbol (usually a simple picture) that denotes a program or a command or a data file or a concept in a graphical user interface


a symbol that establishes the identity of the one bearing it


a cancellation mark stamped on mail by postal officials; indicates the post office and date of mailing


a distinguishing mark impressed on paper during manufacture; visible when paper is held up to the light


an arrowhead mark identifying British government property


stone post at side of a road to show distances


a symbol (like x or y) that is used in mathematical or logical expressions to represent a variable quantity


a symbol in a logical or mathematical expression that can be replaced by the name of any member of specified set


a variable whose values are solutions of an equation


small markers inserted into a surface to mark scores or define locations etc.


a mark on a die or on a playing card (shape depending on the suit)


an identifying or descriptive marker that is attached to an object


a label identifying the owner of a book in which it is pasted


metal plate on a dog collar bearing its registration number


military identification tag worn on a chain around the neck


a tag showing the name of the person who wears it


a tag showing the price of the article it is attached to


a label written or printed on paper, cardboard, or plastic that is attached to something to indicate its owner, nature, price, etc.


a label associated with something for the purpose of identification

semantic tags were attached in order to identify different meanings of the word


(computer science) a horizontal label at the top of a window, bearing the name of the currently active document


a mound of stones piled up as a memorial or to mark a boundary or path


the act of signaling by a movement of the hand


a sign (for victory); making a V with the index and middle fingers


a sign of assent or salutation or command


bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting


a gesture with the right hand moving to form a cross; used by Catholics as a profession of faith


bending the knees; a gesture of respect made by women


the act of bending the knees in worship or reverence


a former Chinese custom of touching the ground with the forehead as a sign of respect or submission


a deep bow with the foot drawn backwards (indicating excessive humility)

all that bowing and scraping did not impress him


(baseball) a special rule (as in baseball) dealing with situations that arise due to the nature of the playing grounds


a fundamental linguistic unit linking a signifier to that which is signified

The bond between the signifier and the signified is arbitrary


a computer user's instruction (not part of a program) that calls for action by the computer's executive program


(informal) a notice of dismissal or discharge


a public announcement by a law enforcement agency that they desire to question or arrest some person


an Interpol notice describing a wanted person and asking that he or she be arrested with a view to extradition; a wanted notice that is issued by Interpol at the request of an Interpol member country and distributed to all member countries

an Interpol Red Notice is the closest instrument to an international arrest warrant in use today


a piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your own work


something that has been transcribed; a written record (usually typewritten) of dictated or recorded speech

he read a transcript of the interrogation


something suggestive of speech in being a medium of expression


he could sing all of Gilbert and Sullivan


Stravinsky no longer causes riots in the streets


they say that Hitler listened only to Wagner


a system of linguistic units or elements used in a particular language


the amount of activity over a communication system during a given period of time

heavy traffic overloaded the trunk lines


a request for something to be made, supplied, or served


an order for food that can be prepared quickly


a request by the manufacturer of a defective product to return the product (as for replacement or repair)


a transmission from Earth to a spacecraft or the path of such a transmission


an instrumental composition that doesn't adhere to rules for any specific musical form and is played with improvisation


a transmission that will trigger an answering transmission from a transponder


an unaccompanied choral composition with sacred lyrics; intended to be sung as part of a church service; originated in the 13th century


a negative statement; a statement that is a refusal or denial of some other statement


(computer science) a message or message fragment


musical compositions intended to evoke images or remind the listener of events


music composed to accompany the action of a drama or to fill intervals between scenes


language characterized by excessive use of slang or cant


(Islam) a form of Iranian musical pageant that is the theatrical expression of religious passion; based on the Battle of Kerbala and performed annually (in Farsi)


a style of dramatic vocalization between singing and speaking


music intended to be performed by one or more singers, usually with instrumental accompaniment


the voice on an unseen commentator in a film of television program


a thorough explanation (usually accompanied by a demonstration) of each step in a procedure or process

she gave me a walk-through of my new duties


a book published annually by the graduating class of a high school or college usually containing photographs of faculty and graduating students


a book written by Karl Marx (1867) describing his economic theories


a satirical novel written by Samuel Butler (1872) describing a fictitious land


a book written by Sir Thomas More (1516) describing the perfect society on an imaginary island


a general-purpose, multi-paradigm programming language for computers created by Guido van Rossum


a genre of literature and performing arts, in which shortcomings are held up to ridicule, ideally with the intent of shaming others


a word or expression that is outside of standard usage and is very informal


an area on a computer network, especially on the internet, devoted to the discussion of a specified topic


a series of letters, numbers or symbols assigned to something for the purpose of classification or identification


A post on social media that has already been posted


metadata tag used on social network and microblogging services which makes it easier for users to find messages with a specific theme or content


ideograms and smileys used in electronic messages and Web pages


Interactive forms of media that allow users to interact with and publish to each other, generally by means of the Internet


An operating system from Google for mobile devices


sending sexual messages using a mobile phone or computer


A genre of electronic music descended from 2-step garage, characterised by its dark mood, sparse, half-step and two-step rhythms, an average bpm of 140 and an emphasis on sub-bass.


a sign made by a fan, usually with the target's name on it


malicious software that makes a computer unusable unless a payment is made to the attacker


A personal version of the fantasy world from popular media


A poor quality and controversial Internet post


An expression meaning 'praise God' in Arabic


A list of things you plan to do before you die


The act of asking someone to go to a prom with you


Regular videos on the Web typically by a single independent author


A card with store credit given as a gift


An phone call made by an automated service


a polite but old-fashioned greeting to a woman


A subgenre of alternative rock typified by significant use of guitar distortion, feedback, obscured vocals and the blurring of component musical parts into indistinguishable "walls of sound"


a computer program for automatically moderating an online forum or discussion


a genre of television programming that documents ostensibly unscripted real-life situations


A subgenre of speculative science fiction set in an anachronistic 19th century society.


a contract entered into prior to marriage, civil union


a meter of poetry consisting of three iambic units per line.

In the dramatic forms of tragedy and comedy, iambic trimeter was used mainly for the verses "spoken" by a character, that is, the dialogue rather than the choral passages.


an iambic verse in which the last foot is a spondee or trochee instead of an iambus.

Limping iamb is a fitting name, as a spondee or trochee in the last foot effectively break the metrical rhythm.


an iambic line of six feet that allows for numerous variations, used for the theatre by poets such as Plautus and Terence.

Variations in iambic senarius are due to resolution (replacing a long with two shorts) and anceps (when a syllable may be either long or short).


a short scripture reading; done after a psalmody.

We can distinguish between a short and long reading, called capitula or lectio respectively.


an iambic line of six feet in which all ancipitia are short and no resolutions of the longa are allowed.

A pure iambic trimeter is an extremely rare verse, but can be found in the poetry of Catullus.


a type of rhythm which is neither divisive nor additive; characterized by no recurring accents, and unspecified time values.

Some chants and recitative vocal pieces may be considered as instances of a free rhythm.


a type of rhythm in which each time value is a multiple or fraction of a specified time unit but there are not regularly recurring accents.


A term used in phonetics and phonology to characterize speech sounds, with sounds described as either voiceless (unvoiced) or voiced.


The characteristic quality of poetry that is marked by departure from the subject, course, or idea at hand; or by an exploration of a different or unrelated concern.

Eighteenth-century writers, says Stabler, were never 'lost' in their digressiveness and used it as a method of supporting their concepts.


musical notation for Gregorian chant, traditionally written using neumes.

This is a description of the traditional Gregorian Chant notation, so that anyone will be able to read the notation and sing it.


one of the rhythmic modes of the medieval music.

Modal notation was developed by the composers of the Notre Dame school from 1170 to 1250, replacing the even and unmeasured rhythm of early polyphony and plainchant with patterns based on the metric feet of classical poetry, and was the first step towards the development of modern mensural notation.


An accent on the first syllable of a word.

The fronting took place more slowly in American English and so Modern American English has forms like elo'ngate, imprégnate and remonstrate where British English usually has initial stress.


Special emphasis placed exceptionally upon tones not subject to grammatical accent.

Rhetorical accent, or emphasis, is designed to give to a sentence distinctness and clearness.


(phonetics, of a consonant) The property of being spoken without vibration of the vocal cords, as [t], [s], or [f].

Instead, he plans to maintain voicelessness of the consonant and an unintended consequence of that effort is a pitch perturbation following release.


Fighting together or in an alliance with an ally (or allies)

In technical language the Peloponnesian League was a hegemonic symmachy


(astronomy) a series of star maps for different times, for example, for each month; the maps are generally drawn to a small scale and in book form.

In 1627, Julius Schiller published the star atlas Coelum Stellatum Christianum which replaced pagan constellations with biblical and early Christian figures.


a blog in which there is a limitation on the length of individual postings.

A survey by the Data Center of China Internet from 2010 showed that Chinese microblog users most often pursued content created by friends, experts in a specific field or related to celebrities.


a file that includes printouts ready for publishing.


contracts that are traded (and privately negotiated) directly between two parties, without going through an exchange or other intermediary.

The OTC derivative market is the largest market for derivatives, and is largely unregulated with respect to disclosure of information between the parties, since the OTC market is made up of banks and other highly sophisticated parties, such as hedge funds.


The official phonetic system for transcribing the Mandarin pronunciations of Chinese characters into the Latin alphabet.


In mathematics, a graph in which edges have no orientation.

In mathematics, and more specifically in graph theory, a tree is an undirected graph in which any two vertices are connected by exactly one path.


crossword puzzles in which each clue is a word puzzle in and of itself.

Many Canadian newspapers, including the Ottawa Citizen, Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail, carry cryptic crosswords.


a production where two or more different production companies are working together, for example in a film production.

The show was a co-production between the United Kingdom's BBC and Germany's ZDF broadcasters.


a puzzle set by somebody using chess pieces on a chess board, that presents the solver with a particular task to be achieved.

The sequel to Alice's Adventure's in Wonderland was designed to be a playable, albeit whimsical chess problem.


The marked point, on an azimuth marker, for which the azimuth(s) to one or more distant points is (are) given.

An azimuth mark, together with its associated triangulation station, provides an accurate azimuth (like a compass direction) that is based on true North rather than magnetic North.


an agreement by a party to sell one product but only on the condition that the buyer also purchases a different (or tied), usually unrelated product.

In recent years, changing business practices surrounding new technologies have put the legality of tying arrangements to the test.


a bill of lading issued when the shipment was delivered by the same vessel that picked it up.


a bill of lading issued when the shipment passes through different modes of transport or different distribution centers.


a bill of lading issued when the shipment passes through at least two different modes of transport.

The issuer of the multimodal bill of lading takes on full responsibility for the shipment for the duration of its journey.


a way of showing the truth or falsehood of a given statement by a straightforward combination of established facts, usually axioms, existing lemmas and theorems, without making any further assumptions.

A proof by contraposition of the implication p -> q is a direct proof of ¬q ->¬p (the contrapositive of p -> q).


instrumental music, as a concerto or string quartet, that draws no inspiration from or makes no reference to a text, program, visual image, or title and that exists solely in terms of its musical form, structure, and elements.

There were several champions of absolute music, people that believed that music had the ability to transcend the boundaries of human limitations (language, time, space, etc.)


tape-recorded musical and natural sounds, often electronically distorted, arranged in planned combinations, sequences, and rhythmic patterns to create an artistic work.

title Composition Concrete refers in part to the musique concrete of the French-American composer Edgar Varese, who taped sounds and then edited and reorganized them, and in part to Davis's own style.


device or marking such as postage stamp, printed or stamped impressions, codings, labels, manuscript writings, or any other authorized form of markings affixed or applied to mails to qualify them to be postally serviced.

Prior to the establishment of the UPU in 1874, international mails sometimes bore mixed franking before the world's postal services universally agreed to deliver international mails bearing only the franking of the country of origin.


postage stamps, or any other markings recognized and accepted by the postal system or systems providing service, which indicate the payment of sufficient fees for the class of service which the item of mail is to be or had been afforded.


a means of proving a theorem by showing that if it is true of any particular case, it is true of the next case in a series, and then showing that it is indeed true in one particular case.

Next, we illustrate this process again, by using mathematical induction to give a proof of an important result, which is frequently used in algebra, calculus, probability and other topics.


the technique, found in some medieval English music, of singing voice parts in parallel thirds.


a musical scale having intervals that mutate between major and minor and used especially in jazz.

There are no notes in the minor pentatonic that are not in blues scale for the same scale, but a true blues scale contains a flatted fifth.


an eight-note scale made up of alternating semitones and whole tones.

Bernstein often used the octatonic scale, also very popular in jazz music, as a basis for his compositions.


the bijective base-1 numeral system: in order to represent a number N, an arbitrarily chosen symbol representing 1 is repeated N times.


A type of problem where White, moving first, is required to checkmate Black in a specified number of moves against any defence.

Battery play is much more common in the selfmate than the directmate.


A directmate with the stipulation "White to move and checkmate Back in no more than n moves against any defence" where n is greater than 3.

This week's problem is a more-mover by a composer better known for his endgame study and theory work.


A problem with the stipulation "White to move and checkmate Black in two moves against any defence".

Although, if he was consistent, perhaps he should have said that a three-mover would be three times as difficult as a two-mover.


A problem with the stipulation "White to move and checkmate Black in no more than three moves against any defence".

Accordingly, the solver usually takes it for granted that a three-mover has a threat, unless the setting definitely suggests a block position.


the art of engraving on a waxed plate on which a printing surface is created by electrotyping.


sheet music for the piano (a piano score) that was once music for other instruments that was reduced as kind of projection to its most basic components within a two line staff for piano.

Piano reduction lessens the complexity of an existing score or composition to make analysis, performance, or practice easier or more clear.


a broad genre consisting of descriptive accounts, also known as travelogues or itineraries, telling about an individual or a group's encounter with a new place, peoples and cultures.

The first wave of travel literature in the century following Columbus recounted heroic tales of crusades, conquests and pilgrimages.


a film genre that contains appropriate content for younger viewers but aims to appeal not only to children, but to a wide range of ages.

According to Bazalgette and Staples, a fine example of a family film is Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989), which if it was a European children's film with a similar plot, the title would be Sis, Dad Shrunk Us, explaining that European children's films are told from the child's perspective, portraying the story through the various emotions and experiences of the child.


(philosophy, law, sciences) Evidence which tends to disprove a claim or hypothesis.

People persevere in asserting all sorts of things in the face of apparent counterevidence.


(linguistics) The characteristic of a noun, in some languages, that is dependent on its unliving or non-sentient nature; this characteristic affects grammatical features (it can modify verbs used with the noun, affect the noun's declension etc).

In other words, the inanimacy of a head noun like "evidence" appeared not to penetrate the syntactic analysis of the verb "examined."


a sign indicating the operation of multiplication.

Other symbols can also be used to denote multiplication, often to reduce confusion between the multiplication sign × and the commonly used variable x.


the art or process of producing chromolithographs printed on cloth to imitate an oil painting.

Oleography was a technique used for large scale quality color printing.


(linguistics, poetry) the use of isosyllabic verse.

But it is likewise true that—especially in the context of the eighteenth century—anapestic meter seemed somewhat flippant and irreverent in comparison with the staid isosyllabism of iambic pentameter.


Mozilla Calendar was a free software / open source calendar and personal information manager based on the open iCalendar standard.

The initial plan was for Mozilla Calendar to eventually be integrated into the Mozilla Application Suite alongside the other components.


A personal information manager (often referred to as a PIM tool or, more simply, a PIM) is a type of application software that functions as a personal organizer.

As an information management tool, a PIM tool's purpose is to facilitate the recording, tracking, and management of certain types of "personal information".


A personal information manager developed by Corel; no longer in use.

I've been using CorelCENTRAL for a few years and I agree that it's a disaster.


A personal information manager developed in 1993 by WordPerfect Corporation; no longer in use.

InfoCentral focused on creating and tracking connection between data objects.


any road sign used primarily to give information about the location of either the driver or possible destinations, and are considered a subset of the informative signs group.

Direction signs are far more varied internationally than other classes of sign, as the Vienna Convention does not specify sizes, colours, symbols or positions of such signs.


A series of instructions that activates a graphics device, such as a display screen or plotter.


a suite of internet protocols, which provide Security transparency, security and network management.

FLIP is a connectionless protocol designed to support transparency, group communication, secure communication and easy network management.


Their oriental mellifluousness, hyperbolism, and obsequious politeness of speech have, as well as the Asiatic appearance of their features and dress, been noticed by all travellers in Poland.


oewn-radio_theatre-n oewn-radio_theater-n oewn-audio_drama-n oewn-radio_drama-n

a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD.

An important turning point in radio drama came when Schenectady, New York's WGY, after a successful tryout on August 3, 1922, began weekly studio broadcasts of full-length stage plays in September 1922, using music, sound effects and a regular troupe of actors, The WGY Players.


As windows into the Kingdom, iconography and hymnography reveal the glory and majesty of God.


a term popularised by Pope John Paul II with reference to efforts to reawaken the faith in traditionally Christian parts of the world, particularly Europe.

The New Evangelization calls each of us to deepen our faith, believe in the Gospel message and go forth to proclaim the Gospel.


a secondary heading, especially one printed above another.


a recording of the radioactivity emitted by a tracer in an organism or organ system.


an official letter in which one's achievements are recognized and honored.


A graphic engine is a type of software used by application programs to draw graphics on computer display screens.

The graphic engine of Microsoft Windows is its integral part.


a computer file that contains digitized video.

A program (or hardware) which can decode video or audio is called a codec; playing or encoding a video file will sometimes require the user to install a codec library corresponding to the type of video and audio coding used in the file.


a computer file that contains digitized audio either in the Compact Disc (CDDA) format or in an MP3, AAC or other compressed format.


a ticket given to someone who checks a coat or other personal item into a cloakroom and which is used to redeem that item at a later period.


a written work produced by elucubrating.


the genre of original television content produced for broadcast via the World Wide Web.

The Guild is an award winning web television series about the lives of an online guild called The Knights of Good.


A noisy, experimental genre of music with transgressive themes that originated in the 1970s.

Industrial music was created originally by using mechanical and electric machinery, and later advanced synthesizers, samplers and electronic percussion as the technology developed.


a type of language that has an ergative case or in which the direct object of a transitive verb has the same form as the subject of an intransitive verb.

An ergative language maintains a syntactic or morphological equivalence (such as the same word order or grammatical case) for the object of a transitive verb and the single core argument of an intransitive verb, while treating the agent of a transitive verb differently.


(Literary & Literary Critical Terms) undistinguished literary work produced to order.

James Scully has observed that much of what is called political poetry, or poetry that deals with politics, is hackwork.


the variant readings, footnotes, etc found in a scholarly work or a critical edition of a text.

The first printed edition of the New Testament with critical apparatus, noting variant readings among the manuscripts, was produced by the printer Robert Estienne of Paris in 1550.


a form of music consisting of sounds produced by oscillating electric currents either controlled from an instrument panel or keyboard or prerecorded on magnetic tape.

In Cologne, what would become the most famous electronic music studio in the world was officially opened at the radio studios of the NWDR in 1953, though it had been in the planning stages as early as 1950 and early compositions were made and broadcast in 1951.


a word (as anthropology, kilocycle, builder) consisting of any of various combinations of words, combining forms, or affixes.

Also common in English is another type of verb-noun (or noun-verb) compound, in which an argument of the verb is incorporated into the verb, which is then usually turned into a gerund, such as breastfeeding, finger-pointing, etc.


a symbol that represents peace, in the form of three lines within a circle.

In the 1950s the "peace sign", as it is known today, was designed as the logo for the British Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and adopted by anti-war and counterculture activists in the United States and elsewhere.


a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California.

Perhaps one of the most impactful musicians of this popular era of surf music was Dick Dale.


the interpretation of written, oral, or artistic expression as allegory.

The allegoresis of secular texts had been largely neglected since Fulgentius (sixth century), and was only reprised in the diffuse commentary tradition on Martianus that preceded Eriugena's study of that text.


a title of respect placed before the surname of an official, scholar, or other distinguished man.


Others of later time have sought to assert him by old legends and Cathedrall regests.


palindromic verse, named after Satodes, an Ancient Greek poet.

The sotadic metre or sotadic verse, which has been classified by ancient and modern scholars as a form of ionic metre, is one that reads backwards and forwards the same, as "llewd did I live, and evil I did dwell."


A genre of electronic dance music with a fast tempo, repetitive phrasing, and often a hypnotic effect.

Classic trance employs a 4/4 time signature, a tempo of 125 to 150 BPM, and 32 beat phrases and is somewhat faster than house music


Euro-Trance emerged as a hybrid of Hard Trance and Eurodance music and was most popular between late 1998 and 2000.


a large subgenre of trance music, named for the feeling which listeners claim to get (often described as a "rush").

Instead of the darker tone of Goa, uplifting trance uses similar chord progressions as progressive trance, but tracks' chord progressions usually rest on a major chord, and the balance between major and minor chords in a progression will determine how "happy" or "sad" the progression sounds.


a dash that is one-half the length of an em dash.

The en dash is commonly used to indicate a closed range of values—a range with clearly defined and finite upper and lower boundaries—roughly signifying what might otherwise be communicated by the word "through".


a vowel that you pronounce with your tongue on the bottom of your mouth.

There is an addictive musicality to the language throughout the collection, with its combination of consonant-heavy Germanic monosyllables and the open vowels of Spanish.


a vowel sound made with your tongue near the top of your mouth.

The vowel in seat is a close vowel and that in sat a fairly open vowel.


a poem whose meaning is conveyed through its graphic shape or pattern on the printed page.

"The Mouse's Tale" is a concrete poem by Lewis Carroll which appears in his novel Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.


a type of music that developed in the 1970s, combining jazz styles with rock music and using electronic instruments such as guitars and synthesizers.

Jazz Fusion incorporates elements of different genres while maintaining an element that is distinctly 'jazz'.


a pop and rock music genre that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1960s.

Beat music declined in popularity in the UK around 1967 with the emergence of various Psychedelic Rock and Progressive Rock styles.


a type of operatic soprano voice that has the limpidity and easy high notes of a lyric soprano, yet can be "pushed" on to achieve dramatic climaxes without strain.

The more dramatic sister of the lyric soprano is the spinto soprano, not quite a full-on dramatic soprano, but possessing a combination of qualities of both the lyric and the dramatic sopranos.


a word that is treated in pronunciation as forming a part of a neighboring word and that is often unaccented or contracted.

Most languages can adopt theme-rheme structure idiosyncratically — as for English, we often use as for theme constructions — but topic-prominent languages use systematic changes in syntax or even dedicated morpological elements such as the Japanese clitic particle -wa to mark themes and to set them apart from rhemes.


a programming language that supports scripts, programs written for a special run-time environment that can interpret (rather than compile) and automate the execution of tasks that could alternatively be executed one-by-one by a human operator.

HTML is a scripting language, and it's the underlying language used on the web.


a piece of music composed for the Hungarian Csárdás dance.

The Csárdás is characterized by a variation in tempo: it starts out slowly (lassú) and ends in a very fast tempo (friss, literally "fresh").


a piece of music in the rhythm of the Hungarian Csárdás dance.

Classical composers who have used csárdás themes in their works include Emmerich Kálmán, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, Léo Delibes, Johann Strauss, Pablo de Sarasate, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and others.


a new writing system specifically created by an individual or group, rather than having evolved as part of a language or culture like a natural script.

Balin-Silel is a constructed script invented by Aayush Chaturvedi in November 2014 to write his conlang by the same name.


medieval drama, based on incidents in the Bible and performed in churches on holy days, usually in Latin and often chanted.

The liturgical drama of the Elx Mystery Play (Misteri d'Elx) has its origins in the 13th or 15th century.


A case used to indicate place, or the place where, or wherein.

Languages that use the locative case include Armenian, Azeri, Belarusian, Catalan, Serbo-Croatian, Czech, Dyirbal, Latin, Latvian, Lithuanian, Polish, Quechua, Russian, Sanskrit, Slovak, Slovene, Swahili, Turkish and Ukrainian.


A clause expressing purpose or intention (e.g. one introduced by in order that or lest).

Final clauses that refer to the same subject as the main clause of the sentence can be expressed with to, in order to, so as to, for fear of, et cetera.


a pronoun indicating possession, for example mine, yours, hers, theirs.

It is common for languages to have independent possessive determiners (adjectives) and possessive pronouns corresponding to the personal pronouns of the language.