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Wednesday, April 9, 2025 | View Archive ?
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Word of the Day

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palpate

Definition: (verb) To examine or explore by touching (an organ or area of the body), usually as a diagnostic aid.
Synonyms:feel
Usage:The nurse palpated the patient's stomach but felt nothing out of the ordinary. Discuss. Play

Daily Grammar Lesson

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Constructing Phrasal Verbs – Particles vs. Prepositions

Phrasal verbs are made up of a verb + a preposition or an adverbial particle, and their meaning is uniquely tied to each particular combination. A particle is very similar to a preposition—in fact, they are almost always identical in appearance. What is the key difference between particles and prepositions? More... Discuss

Article of the Day

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Acid Rain

Acid precipitation, also known as acid rain, is any form of precipitation—snow, rain, sleet, or hail—that contains a heavy concentration of sulfuric and nitric acids. Automobiles, certain industrial operations, and electric power plants that burn fossil fuels emit pollutants that combine with atmospheric moisture to create these acids. Acid rain can contaminate drinking water, damage vegetation and aquatic life, and erode buildings and monuments. Where was acid rain first found? More... Discuss

This Day in History

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The American Civil War Ends at Appomattox Court House (1865)

The first major engagement of the US Civil War was the First Battle of Bull Run, fought in 1861 partly on the farm of Wilmer McLean in Manassas, Virginia. A few years later, McLean moved to Appomattox Court House, a town which, coincidentally, would soon be the site of the war's effective end. It was there that Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in McLean's parlor. Why did Grant stop Union troops when they began to celebrate the victory? More... Discuss

Today's Birthday

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Eadweard J. Muybridge (1830)

Muybridge was an eccentric photographic innovator who left a vast and varied body of work. He is best known for his pioneering use of multiple still cameras to photograph the stages of motion. Hired by Leland Stanford to answer the question of whether there is a moment during a horse's stride when all four of its hooves are off the ground, he developed a special shutter for his cameras and a method for triggering them sequentially. Why was he acquitted of murdering his wife's lover? More... Discuss

Quotation of the Day

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The more highly public life is organized the lower does its morality sink.

E. M. Forster (1879-1970) Discuss

Mismatch
Select word:
parochial
polar
tacit
spoken
synchronic
subordinative
coordinating
national
equatorial
historical

Match each word in the left column with its antonym (opposite) on the right. When finished, click Answer to see the results. Good luck!

 

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Hangman

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Grammar Quiz

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Which of the following is not one of the true grammatical moods?

Spelling Bee
Difficulty level:
tr.v. To view or treat with disfavor
Spell the word:

Match Up

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Select word:
hullabaloo
sea rover
subroutine
function
caravansary
mirthfulness
hilarity
turmoil
buccaneer
khan

Match each word in the left column with its synonym on the right. When finished, click Answer to see the results. Good luck!

 

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Today's Holiday

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Bataan Day

This is a national legal holiday in the Philippines, in commemoration of the disastrous World War II Battle of Bataan in 1942, in which the Philippines fell to the Japanese. It is also known as Araw ng Kagitingan, or Heroes Day. Also remembered on this date are the 37,000 U.S. and Filipino soldiers who were captured, and the thousands who died during the infamous 70-mile "death march" from Mariveles to a Japanese concentration camp inland at San Fernando. Ceremonies are held at Mt. Samat Shrine, the site of side-by-side fighting by Filipino and American troops. More... Discuss

Horoscope

Idiom of the Day

curse (someone or something) under (one's) breath

— To say threatening, consternated, or disgruntled remarks (toward someone or something) in a very soft or indistinct voice, such that no one else can hear or understand them clearly. More... Discuss