Word of the Day, April 8, 2023

April 8, 2023 [The Free Dictionary]( Word of the Day [abidance]( [Discuss]( Definition: (noun) Adherence. Synonyms: [compliance]( [conformity]( Usage: In my parents' household, strict abidance by the rules was required, so naturally I rebelled. 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. The Farlex Idioms & Slang Dictionary [The Farlex Idioms & Slang Dictionary] New! The most complete collection of idioms and slang in the English language. Thousands more words and phrases than the leading idioms dictionaries! ✔ 17,000+ entries covering idioms, slang, phrasal verbs, and more from throughout the English-speaking world. ✔ Example sentences for every definition showing how the term is used in real life by native speakers. [Buy now]( Idiom of the Day [in donkeys]( — In an exceptionally long period of time. The phrase likely originated as the rhyming slang, shortened to simply "donkeys," of "donkey's ears" —where "ears" rhymes with "years" and alludes to the length of a donkey's ears. ["More...]( [Idiom video]( Article of the Day Wasabi [Discuss]( Wasabi is a member of the cabbage family that grows naturally along stream beds in mountain river valleys in Japan. Its root is used as a strong, mustard-hot spice that produces vapors that burn the sinus cavity rather than the tongue. Wasabi paste is often served with sushi and sashimi, but because true wasabi is so expensive, most American and Japanese sushi bars serve imitation wasabi made of what? [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson "Could" and the Subjunctive Mood [Discuss]( We use the modal verb "could" instead of "can" when describing an ability that is desired or wished for. This is known as the subjunctive mood. In what kinds of situations is the subjunctive mood typically used? [More...]( This Day in History Krak des Chevaliers Conquered (1271) [Discuss]( One of the most important preserved medieval military castles in the world, the Krak des Chevaliers in Syria was the headquarters of the Knights Hospitaller during the Crusades. The largest Crusader fortress in the Holy Land, it could hold up to 2,000 soldiers and included a chapel, a storage facility, and two stables that could accommodate up to 1,000 horses. Though it is estimated that the Hospitallers could have withstood a siege for five years, the fortress was captured in 1271. How? [More...]( Today's Birthday David Rittenhouse (1732) [Discuss]( Rittenhouse was a renowned American astronomer, inventor, mathematician, surveyor, and the first director of the US Mint. A clockmaker by trade, he developed many mathematical instruments, as well as perhaps the first telescope in the US. He later used tools he created to establish several state lines as well as part of the boundary known as the Mason-Dixon Line. What is said to have happened to Rittenhouse in 1769 as he observed the rare transit of Venus that he had long anticipated? [More...]( Today's Holiday Hana Matsuri [Discuss]( Hana Matsuri is a celebration of the [Buddha]( birthday, observed in Buddhist temples throughout Japan, where it is known as Kambutsue. The highlight of the celebration is a ritual known as kambutsue ("ceremony of 'baptizing' the Buddha"), in which a tiny bronze statue of the Buddha, standing in an open [lotus flower]( is anointed with sweet tea. People use a small bamboo ladle to pour the tea, made of [hydrangea]( leaves, over the head of the statue. The custom is supposed to date from the seventh century, when perfume was used, as well as tea. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( In her face excuse Came prologue, and apology too prompt. 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