Word of the Day, April 30, 2023

April 30, 2023 [The Free Dictionary]( Word of the Day [propinquity]( [Discuss]( Definition: (noun) The property of being close together. Synonyms: [proximity]( Usage: She loved Emma Jane, but it was a friendship born of propinquity and circumstance, not of true affinity. 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 [first port of call]( — The first place where one stops to visit, accomplish something, or begin a process. Taken from nautical terminology, referring to the first port that a seafaring vessel calls in to at the beginning of a voyage. ["More...]( [Idiom video]( Article of the Day Rickshaws [Discuss]( A rickshaw is a small, two-wheeled carriage that is usually drawn by one person. The first rickshaws appeared in Japan around 1868 and became a popular mode of transportation because human labor was considerably cheaper than that of horses. Rickshaws were mainly used in Asia, but nowadays they are outlawed in many places and have been replaced by cycle and auto rickshaws. What is the origin of the carriage's name? [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson Using Indefinite Articles with Uncountable Nouns [Discuss]( Uncountable nouns cannot take the indefinite articles "a" or "an" in a sentence. Why not? [More...]( This Day in History Hitler Commits Suicide (1945) [Discuss]( In the final days of World War II, as the Red Army of the Soviet Union was closing in on his underground bunker in Berlin, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler committed suicide by shooting himself while simultaneously biting into a cyanide capsule. Hitler's body and that of Eva Braun—his mistress whom he had wed the day before—were then placed in a bomb crater, doused with gasoline, and set on fire by German officials. How did Soviet soldiers identify Hitler's remains? [More...]( Today's Birthday Kaspar Hauser (1812) [Discuss]( In 1828, a teenage boy appeared in Nuremberg, Germany, carrying a letter that stated he had been placed in the care of the anonymous author as an infant. This caretaker claimed to have taught the boy reading, writing, and religion but never let him leave the house. The boy barely spoke but confirmed that he had been kept in a dark prison hole. In the following years, he sustained several mysterious injuries, and he was fatally stabbed in 1833. Who is thought to have been behind his death? [More...]( Today's Holiday May Day Eve (Czech Republic) [Discuss]( According to an old [Czech]( superstition, witches try to enter people's homes on the eve of May Day and do them harm. The "Burning of the Witches" ceremony is observed in some parts of the country by building bonfires on the mountain tops. In Postupice, a town in the [Bohemian region]( a Maypole and Burning of the Witches Festival is held April 30-May 1 every year. The young men put up a [maypole]( in the village square on the afternoon of April 30. The next day the burning of the witches takes place, when the villagers throw their broomsticks into the bonfire and burn the witches in effigy. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. [Ralph Waldo Emerson]( (1803-1882) 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. [Apple]( [Android]( [Kindle]( [Windows]( [The Free Dictionary Pro App] The PRO version, with expanded offline content. - No ads. - A more comprehensive English offline dictionary, plus 13 other offline dictionaries: Spanish, French, German, Italian, Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch, Norwegian, Greek, Arabic, Polish, Turkish, and Russian. - Offline translations of English into more than 40 languages, plus dozens of other offline translation options. - Plus all the content of the classic free app! [Apple]( [Android]( [Kindle]( [Unsubscribe]( | [Forward](mailto:?subject=Word of%20the%20Day%20from%20TheFreeDictionary&body=Hi%20there!%20Thought%20you%20would%20find%20this%20interesting!%0A%0AWant%20to%20learn%20a%20new%20word%20every%20day?%20https%3A%2F%2Fword-of-the-day.thefreedictionary.com%2Fsubscribe.aspx) | [Terms of Use]( | [Privacy policy]( | [Advertise here]( [TheFreeDictionary logo] © 2023 Farlex, Inc. All rights reserved.