Word of the Day, May 11, 2023

May 11, 2023 [The Free Dictionary]( Word of the Day [syncope]( [Discuss]( Definition: (noun) A brief loss of consciousness caused by a temporary deficiency of oxygen in the brain; a swoon. Synonyms: [deliquium]( [faint]( [swoon]( Usage: She was an enormous flirt, laughing at all the men's jokes and even feigning syncope to garner their concern. 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 Punctuation Rules [Complete English Punctuation Rules] An Amazon Best Seller! The only punctuation guide with simple, easy-to-remember rules for how to use—and not use—every punctuation mark. ✔ Side-by-side examples of both correct and incorrect punctuation. ✔ Quizzes after every topic to help you retain what you learn. [Buy now]( Idiom of the Day [get in touch (with someone)]( — To initiate or establish contact or communication with someone ["More...]( [Idiom video]( Article of the Day Cumin [Discuss]( Cumin is a low annual herb of the parsley family. Its fruits resemble the related caraway and are similarly used in cooking. Drought tolerant and requiring long hot summers for healthy growth, cumin was originally cultivated in Iran and the Mediterranean region. It is mentioned in the Bible and was known to the ancient Greeks, who kept cumin at the dining table and used it much like black pepper is frequently used today. What spice is often mistaken for cumin? [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson Defining Predicative Adjectives [Discuss]( Predicative adjectives that describe the subject of the clause will follow a linking verb. In such cases, they are known as subject complements. When predicative adjectives describe the direct object of non-linking verbs, what are they called? [More...]( This Day in History Dust Bowl: Dust Storm Hits Great Plains (1934) [Discuss]( In the 1930s, severe drought conditions in the Great Plains region of the US and decades of farming without crop rotation led to a series of devastating dust storms. The storms, called "dusters" or "black blizzards," caused widespread ecological and agricultural damage. In May 1934, one of the worst storms to hit the Dust Bowl blew massive amounts of Great Plains topsoil all the way to the East Coast and dumped the equivalent of how many pounds of debris on Chicago, Illinois? [More...]( Today's Birthday Frederick Russell Burnham (1861) [Discuss]( Burnham was an American adventurer whose outdoorsmanship helped inspire the founding of the international scout movement. He was born on an Indian reservation to a missionary family and became a horseback messenger for Western Union Telegraph Company at age 13 and soon after a scout and tracker. After two decades of ranging in the Southwest and Mexico, he moved to Africa to become the British army's chief of scouts during the Boer War. His tracking skills earned him what nickname in Africa? [More...]( Today's Holiday Frost Saints' Days [Discuss]( These three consecutive days in May mark the feasts of [St. Mammertus]( St. Pancras, and [St. Servatus](. In the wine-growing districts of France, a severe cold spell occasionally strikes at this time of year, inflicting serious damage on the grapevines; some in rural France have believed that it is the result of their having offended one of the three saints, who for this reason are called the "[frost saints]( French farmers have been known to show their displeasure over a cold snap at this time of year by flogging the statues and defacing the pictures of Mammertus, Pancras, and Servatus. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( In the new economy, information, education, and motivation are everything. 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