Word of the day

Tribology (noun)

1. (physics, engineering) The science and technology of friction, lubrication, and wear.

cogitable (adj)

1. Thinkable, conceivable, able to be imagined.

Auton (noun)

1. (science fiction) A machine or robot, usually in the form of a living being, designed to follow a precise sequence of instructions.

numinous (adj)

1. Of or relating to a numen (divinity); indicating the presence of a divinity.
2. Evoking a sense of the mystical, sublime, or transcendent; awe-inspiring.

DNA (noun)

1. (biochemistry, genetics) Initialism of deoxyribonucleic acid (“a nucleic acid found in all living things (and some non-living things such as certain viruses) which consists of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix; encoded in its structure are genetic instructions for development, functioning, growth, and reproduction”).
2. (informal, loosely) The part of a living thing that carries genetic information.
3. (figuratively) The fundamental nature or values of a person, or an organization or other thing, especially when considered as innate and/or immutable.

DNA (verb)

1. (transitive) To examine a sample of (someone's) deoxyribonucleic acid.

Chimera (noun)

1. (Greek mythology) Alternative letter-case form of Chimera (a flame-spewing monster often represented as having two heads, one of a goat and the other of a lion; the body of a goat; and a serpent as a tail).
2. (mythology) Any fantastic creature with parts from different animals.
3. Anything composed of very disparate parts.
4. A foolish, incongruous, or vain thought or product of the imagination.
5. (architecture) A grotesque like a gargoyle, but without a spout for rainwater.
6. (genetics) An organism with genetically distinct cells originating from two zygotes.
7. Usually chimaera: a cartilaginous marine fish in the subclass Holocephali and especially the order Chimaeriformes, with a blunt snout, long tail, and a spine before the first dorsal fin.

Onomatopoeia (noun)

1. (uncountable) The property of a word of sounding like what it represents.
2. (countable) A word that sounds like what it represents, such as "gurgle," "stutter," or "hiss".
3. (countable) A word that appropriates a sound for another sensation or a perceived nature, such as "thud", "beep" or "meow"; an ideophone, phenomime.
4. (uncountable, rhetoric) The use of language whose sound imitates that which it names.
5. (fiction) A supervillain appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, usually as an enemy of Green Arrow and Batman. Created by writer Kevin Smith and artist Phil Hester, the character first appeared in Green Arrow #12
6. (fiction) A supervillain appearing in CW's "Arrowverse" 1st appearing in Arrow: Season 2.5 Vol 1 12, later appearing in 'Superman & Lois' episode “Of Sound Mind”.

Pole star (noun)

1. (astronomy) The star visible to the naked eye which was in the past, is now, or will be in the future nearest a celestial pole of a planet.
2. (figuratively) A person, principle, or thing which acts as a guide; a guiding light; also, something which attracts much attention; a center of attention.

Obelus (noun)

1. (historical) A symbol resembling a horizontal line (–), sometimes together with one or two dots (for example, ⨪ or ÷), which was used in ancient manuscripts and texts to mark a word or passage as doubtful or spurious, or redundant; an obelisk.
2. A dagger symbol (†), which is used in printed matter as a reference mark to refer the reader to a footnote, marginal note, etc.; beside a person's name to indicate that the person is deceased; or beside a date to indicate that it is a person's death date; an obelisk.

valiant (adj)

1. Possessing or showing courage or determination; brave, heroic.
2. Characterized by or done with bravery or valour.

Valiant (noun)

1. (obsolete) A person who acts with valour, showing hero-like characteristics in the midst of danger.
2. (media) An American comic book publisher. The company was founded in 1989 by former Marvel Comics editor-in-chief Jim Shooter along with lawyer and businessman Steven Massarsky. In 1994, the company was sold to Acclaim Entertainment then acquired by DMG Entertainment in 2018.

Corrigendum (noun)

1. An error that is to be corrected in a printed work after publication.
2. (usually plural) A list of errors in a printed work as a separate page of corrections, known as an errata page.

Wordsmith (noun)

1. One who uses words skillfully.

wordsmith (verb)

1. (transitive) To skillfully compose or craft (something written).

Jedi mind trick (noun)

1. (idiomatic) A mental feat such as apparently inducing someone to act a certain way or reading someone's mind, achieved as if by magic or telepathy.

Valence (noun)

1. The combining capacity of an atom, functional group, or radical determined by the number of atoms of hydrogen with which it will unite, or the number of electrons that it will gain, lose, or share when it combines with other atoms, etc.
2. The number of binding sites of a molecule, such as an antibody or antigen.
3. The number of arguments that a verb can have, including its subject, ranging from zero to three or, less commonly, four.
4. A one-dimensional value assigned by a person to an object, situation, or state, that can usually be positive (causing a feeling of attraction) or negative (repulsion).
5. The value which a person places on something.

Fulcrum (noun)

1. (mechanics) The support about which a lever pivots.
2. A fictional character appearing in Marvel Comics, created by Charles Knauf, Daniel Knauf, Eric Nguyen, 1st appearance Eternals (Vol. 4) #7 (January, 2009). Fulcrum is a being served by the Celestials, the Horde, the Watchers and by everything that exists in the state of sublime equilibrium

Shoehorn (noun)

1. A smooth tool that assists in putting the foot into a shoe, by sliding the heel in after the toe is in place. This reduces discomfort and damage to the back of the shoe. By slipping it into the back of the shoe behind the heel, the user prevents the heel from squashing down the back of the shoe and causing difficulty; instead the heel slides down the smooth shoehorn, which then comes out easily once the foot is in place.
2. (derogatory) Anything by which a transaction is facilitated; a medium.
3. (obsolete) Anything which draws on or allures; an inducement.

Obeah (noun)

1. A form of folk magic, medicine or witchcraft originating in Africa and practiced in parts of the Caribbean.
2. A magician or witch doctor of the magic craft.
3. A spell performed in the practice of the magic craft; an item associated with such a spell.

dichotomous (adj)

1. Dividing or branching into two equal pieces.

Preternatural (adj)

1. Beyond or different from what is natural or according to the regular course of things.
2. Having an existence outside of the natural world.

Raconteur (noun)

A storyteller, especially a person noted for telling stories with skill and wit.

Microcosm (noun)

1. A smaller system which is representative of or analogous to a larger one.
2. A small natural ecosystem; an artificial ecosystem set up as an experimental model.

Gestalt (noun)

1. A collection of entities that creates a unified concept, configuration, or pattern which is greater than the sum of its parts.

plebeian (adj)

1. Of or pertaining to the Roman plebs, or common people.
2. Of or pertaining to the common people; vulgar; common.

Consternation (noun)

1. Amazement or horror that confounds the faculties, and incapacitates for reflection; terror, combined with amazement.

Eoan (adj)

1. Relating to the dawn.
2. Relating to the east; eastern.

internetted (adj)

1. Entwined or linked together so as to form a network; interconnected, networked.
2. (networking) Connected into a computer network.
3. (specifically, Internet) Connected to, or able to access, the Internet.