Word of the Day, December 2, 2022

[ ] December 2, 2022 Word of the Day [bellicose]( [Discuss]( Definition: (adjective) Warlike in manner or temperament; pugnacious. Synonyms: [battleful]( [combative]( [contentious]( Usage: She had always found him to be bellicose and was not surprised when he was expelled from the military academy for his belligerent and violent behavior. 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 Punctuation Rules [Complete English Punctuation Rules] An Amazon Best Seller! The only punctuation guide with simple, easy-to-remember rules for how to use—and not use—every punctuation mark. ✔ Side-by-side examples of both correct and incorrect punctuation. ✔ Quizzes after every topic to help you retain what you learn. [Buy now](as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=farlex-el-20) Idiom of the Day [I'll be hanged if I (do something)]( — I am determined not to do something. [More...]( Article of the Day Rice Paddies [Discuss]( In Asian countries where traditional methods of rice cultivation are practiced, rice is grown in flooded fields called rice paddies. The fields are first prepared by plowing, fertilizing, and smoothing, and seedlings are started in seedling beds. They are then transplanted by hand to the fields, which have been flooded by rain or river water. Irrigation is maintained by dike-controlled canals or by hand watering until the fields are drained for harvesting. What is the origin of the word "paddy"? [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson Omitting Relative Pronouns [Discuss]( Sometimes, especially in informal writing, relative pronouns can be omitted altogether. In order for this to be done, how must the relative pronoun be used in the sentence? [More...]( This Day in History Benazir Bhutto Becomes First Female Leader of a Muslim Nation (1988) [Discuss]( The daughter of a Pakistani prime minister executed following a coup, Bhutto was keenly aware of the risks of political life. Nevertheless, she chose to follow in her father's footsteps and in 1988 became prime minister of Pakistan, becoming the first woman to lead a Muslim nation. Dogged by allegations of corruption, she fled the country in 1999. She returned in late 2007 and, after escaping one attempt on her life, was assassinated. Who stood accused of the 1996 murder of her brother? [More...]( Today's Birthday Gianni Versace (1946) [Discuss]( A dressmaker's son, Gianni Versace was exposed to fashion from a young age. After working for several Italian ateliers, in 1978 he opened his own Milan studio in partnership with his siblings Santo and Donatella. Over the next two decades, he built a fashion empire that grew to include 130 boutiques worldwide and had annual sales above $800 million. But his career was cut short in 1997, when a fugitive serial killer murdered him on the steps of his Florida mansion. Was the murderer ever caught? [More...]( Today's Holiday Ngondo Festival [Discuss]( For the majority of the Sawa, a coastal ethnic group in Cameroon, guidance comes from the [Jengu]( water spirits. The annual [Ngondo]( Festival is a special occasion for Sawa chiefs to petition these spirits for prophecies and warnings and to communicate those messages to a gathered assembly. The event, which lasts a few weeks, takes place on the banks of the Wouri River in the country's most populous city, [Douala](. Various cultural activities accompany the discernment process of the festival. Activities preceding the water feast include traditional wrestling competitions, a canoe race, and a Miss Ngondo pageant. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( Both in thought and in feeling, even though time be real, to realise the unimportance of time is the gate of wisdom. [Bertrand Russell]( (1872-1970) 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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