Word of the Day, December 6, 2022

[ ] December 6, 2022 Word of the Day [cutoff]( [Discuss]( Definition: (noun) A route shorter than the usual one. Synonyms: [shortcut]( [crosscut]( Usage: My father claimed he knew a great cutoff, but it turned out to be longer than our original route. 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 Grammar Rules [Complete English Grammar Rules] An Amazon Best Seller! Finally, all the rules of English grammar, all in one book, explained in simple terms. ✔ 500+ pages of proper grammar instruction—2X more information than the leading grammar book! ✔ Hundreds of quizzes and thousands of example sentences. [Buy now](as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=farlex-el-20) Idiom of the Day [get knocked out cold]( — To be rendered unconscious, as by a physical blow, medication, or other means. [More...]( Article of the Day Muay Thai [Discuss]( Muay Thai is a martial art that originated in 16th-century Thailand. Once used as military training, it gained international fame in the 20th century when its practitioners defeated those of other martial arts. Today's "sport" version of Muay Thai takes place in a ring and features gloves like those used in boxing. It is called "The Art of Eight Limbs" because the hands, feet, elbows, and knees are all involved—giving each combatant eight points of contact. Who was Nai Khanomtom? [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson Defining the Present Tense [Discuss]( The present tense is mostly used to identify the action of a verb as taking place in the present time. However, depending on which way we form the present tense, it can also be used to describe things that happened in the past, or even certain events that are planned to happen in the future. What are the four forms of the present tense called? [More...]( This Day in History 13th Amendment to US Constitution is Ratified (1865) [Discuss]( The 13th Amendment to the US Constitution completed the process of abolishing slavery, which had begun with Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. Between February 1 and December 6 of 1865, the required three-fourths of the existing states—then 27 of 36—ratified the proposed amendment, making it law. Slavery offenses were still being prosecuted as recently as 1947. Which of the states that initially rejected the amendment finally ratified it in 2013, 147 years after it was adopted? [More...]( Today's Birthday Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin (1805) [Discuss]( Considered the father of modern conjuring, Houdin was a French magician after whom Harry Houdini named himself. Trained as a watchmaker, he was mechanically savvy and used this to his advantage in his act, employing mechanical devices and the newly discovered phenomenon of electromagnetism to create his illusions. Unlike magicians who relied on supernatural explanations for their feats, he openly attributed his magic to natural means. Why did the French government send him to Algeria in 1856? [More...]( Today's Holiday Finland Independence Day [Discuss]( The Finnish people lived under [Russian control]( beginning in 1809. The Finnish nationalist movement grew in the 1800s, and when the Bolsheviks [took over Russia]( on November 7, 1917, the Finns saw a time to [declare their independence](. They did so on December 6 of that same year. This day is a national holiday celebrated with military parades in Helsinki and performances at the National Theater. It is traditionally a solemn occasion that begins with a parade of students carrying torches and one flag for each year of independence. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( You see things; and you say "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say "Why not?" [George Bernard Shaw]( (1856-1950) 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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