Word of the Day, December 20, 2022

[ ] December 20, 2022 Word of the Day [phylactery]( [Discuss]( Definition: (noun) Either of two small leather boxes, each containing strips of parchment inscribed with quotations from the Hebrew Scriptures, one of which is strapped to the forehead and the other to the left arm; traditionally worn by Jewish men during morning worship, except on the Sabbath and holidays. Synonyms: [tefillin]( Usage: Just before his bar mitzvah, David got a brand new set of phylacteries. 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. The Farlex Financial Dictionary [The Farlex Financial Dictionary] New! Define your success with the essential financial and business dictionary. ✔ 19,000+ entries covering both basic and advanced concepts—nearly 4X more than the leading financial dictionary! ✔ Cut through the jargon with clear, in-depth definitions backed by industry expertise. [Buy now](as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=farlex-el-20) Idiom of the Day [blind date]( — A date between two people who have not previously met. [More...]( Article of the Day The Ganges River [Discuss]( Sacred to Hindus, the 1,560-mile (2,510-km) Ganges River in northern India rises from the Gangotri glacier in the Himalayas and empties into the Bay of Bengal after branching into many distributaries. Although the river is highly polluted due to its proximity to major population centers, a rare species of freshwater dolphin and a critically endangered type of shark live in its waters, and its fertile plain supports many crops. About how many people are thought to live in the Ganges basin? [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson Making Suggestions with "Might" [Discuss]( The modal verb "might" can be used to make polite suggestions to someone. This is much less direct and forceful than using "should." Why? [More...]( This Day in History The Louisiana Purchase (1803) [Discuss]( Early American settlers in the western territories depended on the Mississippi River's port of New Orleans for commerce. When Spain retroceded New Orleans to France in 1800, Americans feared their access to the river would be blocked, so President Thomas Jefferson sent negotiators to broker a deal for the port city. Why did Napoleon ultimately sell the entire Louisiana territory, including New Orleans, to the US for only about 4 cents per acre, or a sum total of $15 million? [More...]( Today's Birthday Samuel Mudd (1833) [Discuss]( Mudd was the physician who set the broken leg of John Wilkes Booth, Abraham Lincoln's assassin, just hours after Booth fled the crime scene. A Confederate sympathizer, Mudd was accused of aiding Booth's escape and tried along with Booth's other accomplices. Throughout, Mudd maintained that he had not recognized the disguised Booth, an acquaintance of his, and had been unaware of the assassination, but he was nonetheless convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment. Why was he pardoned in 1869? [More...]( Today's Holiday Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade [Discuss]( Newport Harbor Christmas Boat Parade is a nightly parade of boats at [Newport Beach, California](. More than 150 boats of all kinds, wildly decorated with lights depicting [Santa Claus]( snowmen, and other symbols of winter, join the parade. Some boats carry huge inflated figures and many play music. The floating parades started in 1908 as a Fourth of July spectacular. In 1946, the city put a [tree]( and carolers on a barge and towed it around the harbor, and that began the current December parades. Today, about a million spectators watch them during the festival. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man. [Francis Bacon]( (1561-1626) 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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