Word of the Day, February 9, 2023

February 9, 2023 [The Free Dictionary]( Word of the Day [hostelry]( [Discuss]( Definition: (noun) A hotel providing overnight lodging for travelers. Synonyms: [auberge]( [inn]( [lodge]( Usage: Three large rooms were assigned to them in the monastery hostelry. Missing Idiom Contest The Free Dictionary has the largest collection of English idioms in the world. But we are 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]( Idiom of the Day [backpedal]( — To quickly and often abruptly reverse or retreat from one's position or opinion on a given subject. Refers to pedaling backwards on a bicycle (done to apply the brakes on fixed-gear bikes), or to taking quick, backward steps, as in football or boxing. ["More...]( [Idiom video]( Article of the Day Coral Reefs [Discuss]( A coral reef is a ridge of living coral, coral skeletons, and calcium carbonate deposits from organisms such as calcareous algae, mollusks, and protozoans. The resulting structure provides a critical habitat for a wide variety of fish and marine invertebrates. Coral reefs also protect shores against erosion by causing large waves to break and lose some of their force before reaching land. More than 90% of the estimated 109,800 sq mi (284,300 sq km) of reefs in the world are in what region? [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson Types of Stative Verbs [Discuss]( Stative verbs (also known as state verbs) are verbs that describe a static condition, situation, or state of being. Linking verbs are usually used as stative verbs; these include the verb "be" and the verbs of the senses. What other verbs are considered stative? [More...]( This Day in History William G. Morgan Invents Volleyball (1895) [Discuss]( William G. Morgan invented volleyball in Holyoke, Massachusetts, just four years after basketball was invented in the neighboring town of Springfield. Morgan, a physical education director, created "Mintonette" for older athletes who wanted to play indoor sports but deemed basketball too rough. The name volleyball came from the nature of the game: "volleying" a ball back and forth over a net. Players can also "spike" the ball and drive it downward into the opponents' court. What is a "pancake"? [More...]( Today's Birthday Gerhard Richter (1932) [Discuss]( Richter is considered one of the foremost German artists of the post-World War II period, indeed one of the foremost artists in the world, and the prices his works fetch at auction reflect this distinction. Unwilling to settle on any one medium or approach, Richter paints, photographs, draws, and sculpts and has varied his style from austere photorealism to satirical pop to minimalism to pure abstraction. This fluidity is interpreted by some as a reaction to the early training he received where? [More...]( Today's Holiday St. Maron's Day [Discuss]( [St. Maron]( (also spelled St. Maroun), the patron saint of Lebanon, was a monk who died in 410 CE. The Feast of St. Maron, as it is known in Lebanon, does not have the cultural significance for its citizens that it had in past eras—today, Maronites only make up one-quarter of the Lebanese population (between one-half and one million). In Lebanon and abroad, the most common ceremony of the feast day is the Maronite [liturgy]( which is a distinctive blend of Catholic doctrine, Arabic music, and singing in [Syriac-Aramaic]( a classical language that was spoken by Jesus. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, or oppose any foe, to assure the survival and the success of liberty. [John F. Kennedy]( (1917-1963) 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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