Word of the Day, January 31, 2023

January 31, 2023 [The Free Dictionary]( Word of the Day [coagulate]( [Discuss]( Definition: (verb) To cause transformation of (a liquid or sol, for example) into or as if into a soft, semisolid, or solid mass. Synonyms: [clot]( Usage: The medical students watched blood coagulate as part of their lesson in clotting reactions. 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 [a good voice to beg bacon]( — Used to mock someone's voice as being strange, unpleasant, or inadequate (e.g., for singing). Bacon, being a dietary staple in older times, was often used as a metaphor for financial stability or wealth; having the voice of one who must "beg bacon," then, means having a harsh voice, like someone who is undernourished. ["More...]( [Idiom video]( Article of the Day Depression Glass [Discuss]( Depression glass is clear or colored translucent glassware that was distributed throughout the US during the Great Depression era of the 1920s and 30s. During that time, the Quaker Oats Company began putting glassware in boxes of food as an incentive to purchase, much like modern cereal box prizes. Movie theaters and businesses sometimes offered pieces simply for coming in the door. Though of marginal quality, Depression glass has become highly collectible. In what colors was it made? [More...]( Daily Grammar Lesson Understanding Non-Restrictive Relative Clauses [Discuss]( Non-restrictive relative clauses give us additional information about a noun that has already been identified, but this information is not essential for the sentence to make sense. Only two of the relative adverbs, "where" and "when," can be used to introduce non-restrictive relative clauses; "why" cannot. What is the non-restrictive relative clause in the following sentence? "Paris, where I want to live, is the most beautiful city in the world." [More...]( This Day in History Private Slovik Executed for Desertion (1945) [Discuss]( US Army private Eddie Slovik was executed for desertion in 1945. His was the first such execution after the Civil War and the only one of 49 World War II desertion death sentences to be carried out. Slovik was initially separated from his unit during an artillery attack. He rejoined them but deserted after being assigned to the front lines. He later confessed in writing that he would do it again and refused offers to destroy his note and return to battle. How old was Slovik when he died? [More...]( Today's Birthday Norman Mailer (1923) [Discuss]( American writer Norman Mailer was catapulted to fame at 25 with the publication of The Naked and the Dead, a partially autobiographical novel based on his World War II service. He pioneered the use of novelistic techniques in nonfiction works, a style known as New Journalism, and won his first Pulitzer Prize in 1969 for The Armies of the Night. He won his second Pulitzer in 1980 with The Executioner's Song, a novel depicting the events surrounding whose execution? [More...]( Today's Holiday St. Paul Winter Carnival [Discuss]( This 10-day winter festival was established in 1886 in response to a newspaper story that described [St. Paul, Minnesota]( as "another [Siberia]( unfit for human habitation." A group of local businessmen set out to publicize the area's winter attractions, and the first winter carnival featured an Ice Palace in St. Paul's Central Park. Since that time, an entire legend has developed about the founding of St. Paul and is reenacted each year. Other highlights include ice golf, skating, skiing, [sled dog races]( softball on ice, ice carving and snow sculpture contests, and a parade. [More...]( Quote of the Day [Discuss]( One always tends to overpraise a long book because one has got through it. [E. M. Forster]( (1879-1970) 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! 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