Word of the Day, May 7, 2023

May 7, 2023 [The Free Dictionary]( Word of the Day [chrism]( [Discuss]( Definition: (noun) A consecrated mixture of oil and balsam, used for anointing in church sacraments such as baptism and confirmation. Synonyms: [holy oil]( [sacramental oil]( Usage: Though his parents told him it was unlikely, he believed he could remember the smell of the chrism used in his baptism. 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 Spelling & Pronunciation Rules [Complete English Spelling & Pronunciation Rules] The latest volume in our best-selling Grammar Book series! Learn the rules and patterns that tell you exactly how any word should be spelled and pronounced. ✔ Go beyond "I before E except after C" and get all the rules and exceptions, all in one place, all explained in plain English. ✔ Simple tips and tricks to avoid the most common mistakes. [Buy now]( Idiom of the Day [gentleman's agreement]( — A legally non-binding arrangement that is guaranteed only by a verbal or mutually understood agreement by the parties involved. ["More...]( [Idiom video]( Article of the Day The Harlem Globetrotters [Discuss]( The Harlem Globetrotters, a basketball team that combines athleticism and comedy, entertains spectators around the world. Initially a standard competitive team, the Globetrotters began relying on comic routines after experiencing difficulty attracting and retaining talent in the 1950s. Players demonstrate skills such as juggling, spinning balls on their fingertips, and making unusual, difficult shots. Who are the "honorary Globetrotters?" [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson Comparative Adverbs in Affirmative Statements [Discuss]( In affirmative statements, we can use comparative adverbs to describe change or differences between two things within one sentence. What word is used after the comparative adverb in such a sentence? [More...]( This Day in History Beethoven's Ninth Symphony Premieres in Vienna (1824) [Discuss]( The Symphony No. 9 in D Minor is the last complete symphony composed by Ludwig van Beethoven. One of the best known works of the Western repertoire, it is considered one of Beethoven's greatest masterpieces. Incorporating part of Johann Schiller's "Ode to Joy," sung by soloists and a chorus, it is the first symphony in which a major composer utilizes human voices on the same level as instruments. How many standing ovations reportedly followed its premiere performance in 1824? [More...]( Today's Birthday Olympe de Gouges (1748) [Discuss]( Born Marie Gouze, de Gouges was a French author whose feminist writings during the French Revolution demanded the same rights for French women that French men were demanding. In 1791, alarmed that the new constitution did not address woman's suffrage, she wrote Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen, challenging the practice of male authority and the notion of male-female inequality. Why was she executed by guillotine during the Reign of Terror? [More...]( Today's Holiday Birthday of Tagore [Discuss]( This date commemorates the birth of [Rabindranath Tagore]( (1861-1941), the great poet, philosopher, social reformer, dramatist, and musician of [Calcutta]( India. In 1913, he was the first non-European to win the Nobel Prize for literature. Tagore's birthday is celebrated with a festival of his poetry, plays, music, and dance dramas. There are discussions at schools and universities of his ideas on education and philosophy, and screenings of films based on Tagore's short stories and novels made by filmmaker and Calcutta native, [Satyajit Ray](. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( While the laughter of joy is in full harmony with our deeper life, the laughter of amusement should be kept apart from it. The danger is too great of thus learning to look at solemn things in a spirit of mockery, and to seek in them opportunities for exercising wit. 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