Word of the Day, November 18, 2022

[ ] November 18, 2022 Word of the Day [cat's-paw]( [Discuss]( Definition: (noun) A person used by another as a dupe or tool. Synonyms: [pawn]( [instrument]( Usage: He was humiliated to learn that he had been made a cat's-paw in the businessman's unscrupulous dealings. Missing Idiom Contest The Free Dictionary has the largest collection of English idioms in the world. But we're always looking for more to add, and we want your help! Every so often we hear from users who have looked up an idiom on The Free Dictionary that it was not found in the database. Maybe it was some expression they heard at work, or some phrase they grew up hearing their grandmother say. If you know an idiom that isn't already defined on The Free Dictionary, [send it to us]( and you might win $150 USD. Complete English Spelling & Pronunciation Rules [Complete English Spelling Pronunciation Rules] The latest volume in our best-selling Grammar Book series! Learn the rules and patterns that tell you exactly how any word should be spelled and pronounced. ✔ Go beyond "I before E except after C" and get all the rules and exceptions, all in one place, all explained in plain English. ✔ Simple tips and tricks to avoid the most common mistakes. [Buy now](as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=farlex-el-20) Idiom of the Day [get (one's) (own) way]( — To get or have what one wants; to have things done according to one's personal preference or desires. [More...]( Article of the Day The Taj Mahal [Discuss]( The Taj Mahal in Agra, India, is considered one of the most beautiful buildings in the world and the finest example of the late style of Indian Islamic architecture. Mughal emperor Shah Jahan ordered it built as a mausoleum for his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. The building's white marble exterior is inlaid with semiprecious stones arranged in Arabic inscriptions, floral designs, and arabesques, and its gardens reflect the Islamic Paradise. When was the monument's construction begun? [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson Demonstrative Adjectives vs. Demonstrative Pronouns [Discuss]( Demonstrative adjectives are often confused with demonstrative pronouns, because "this," "that," "these," and "those" can serve both functions. If you think about the role of an adjective and the role of a pronoun, though, you'll see that they're not so confusing after all. Why? [More...]( This Day in History Pope Boniface VIII Issues Unam Sanctam (1302) [Discuss]( Historians consider the papal bull Unam sanctam—which proclaimed that there is no salvation outside of the Church—to be one of the most extreme statements of papal spiritual supremacy ever made. It stemmed from Pope Boniface VIII's ongoing feud with Philip the Fair of France over Philip's taxation of clerics without papal consent. Unam sanctam thus emphasized that Catholic princes are subject to the pope in temporal and religious matters. How did Philip respond to the bull? [More...]( Today's Birthday Jacques Maritain (1882) [Discuss]( Maritain was a French philosopher. His thought is based on Aristotelianism and Thomism—the philosophical and theological system developed by St. Thomas Aquinas—but incorporates concepts from other classical and modern philosophers and draws upon anthropology, sociology, and psychology. Raised Protestant, Maritain became Roman Catholic in his 20s and later served as French ambassador to the Vatican and forged a friendship with Pope Paul VI. With whom did Maritain once make a suicide pact and why? [More...]( Today's Holiday Haiti Battle of Vertières' Day [Discuss]( This official public holiday memorializes the [last battle for Haitian independence]( on November 18, 1803, in which Haitian rebels defeated the French colonialists. The victory at Vertières, near the present-day port city of [Cap-Haïtien]( signified the end of a [long freedom struggle]( that stretched out over two major phases. Less than two months after the battle, Haiti became the first black independent republic. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( The whole dream of democracy is to raise the proletarian to the level of stupidity attained by the bourgeois. [Gustave Flaubert]( (1821-1880) Mobile apps from TheFreeDictionary.com [The Free Dictionary Classic Free App] The classic free version, downloaded more than 6 million times! - Multiple dictionaries, encyclopedias, and thesauruses in one place. - 14 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Norwegian, Greek, Arabic, Polish, Turkish, and Russian. - Online translations of English into more than 40 languages, plus dozens of other translation options. 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