Daily Content Archive
(as of Wednesday, April 9, 2025)| Word of the Day | |||||||
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palpate
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| Daily Grammar Lesson | |
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Constructing Phrasal Verbs – Particles vs. PrepositionsPhrasal verbs are made up of a verb + a preposition or an adverbial particle, and their meaning is uniquely tied to each particular combination. A particle is very similar to a preposition—in fact, they are almost always identical in appearance. What is the key difference between particles and prepositions? More... | |
| Article of the Day | |
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 Acid RainAcid precipitation, also known as acid rain, is any form of precipitation—snow, rain, sleet, or hail—that contains a heavy concentration of sulfuric and nitric acids. Automobiles, certain industrial operations, and electric power plants that burn fossil fuels emit pollutants that combine with atmospheric moisture to create these acids. Acid rain can contaminate drinking water, damage vegetation and aquatic life, and erode buildings and monuments. Where was acid rain first found? More... | |
| This Day in History | |
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 The American Civil War Ends at Appomattox Court House (1865)The first major engagement of the US Civil War was the First Battle of Bull Run, fought in 1861 partly on the farm of Wilmer McLean in Manassas, Virginia. A few years later, McLean moved to Appomattox Court House, a town which, coincidentally, would soon be the site of the war's effective end. It was there that Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant in McLean's parlor. Why did Grant stop Union troops when they began to celebrate the victory? More... | |
| Today's Birthday | |
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 Eadweard J. Muybridge (1830)Muybridge was an eccentric photographic innovator who left a vast and varied body of work. He is best known for his pioneering use of multiple still cameras to photograph the stages of motion. Hired by Leland Stanford to answer the question of whether there is a moment during a horse's stride when all four of its hooves are off the ground, he developed a special shutter for his cameras and a method for triggering them sequentially. Why was he acquitted of murdering his wife's lover? More... | |
| Quotation of the Day | |
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 The more highly public life is organized the lower does its morality sink.E. M. Forster (1879-1970) | |
| Idiom of the Day | |
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curse (someone or something) under (one's) breath— To say threatening, consternated, or disgruntled remarks (toward someone or something) in a very soft or indistinct voice, such that no one else can hear or understand them clearly. More... | |
| Today's Holiday | |
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 Bataan Day (2025)This is a national legal holiday in the Philippines, in commemoration of the disastrous World War II Battle of Bataan in 1942, in which the Philippines fell to the Japanese. It is also known as Araw ng Kagitingan, or Heroes Day. Also remembered on this date are the 37,000 U.S. and Filipino soldiers who were captured, and the thousands who died during the infamous 70-mile "death march" from Mariveles to a Japanese concentration camp inland at San Fernando. Ceremonies are held at Mt. Samat Shrine, the site of side-by-side fighting by Filipino and American troops. More... | |
| Word Trivia | |
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Today's topic: needlegab - In mechanics, a hook or a notch in a rod or lever that then engages with a pin or needle. More... in the groove - An allusion to the reproduction of music by a needle on a gramophone record. More... needle - Has the same Indo-European base as Latin nere, "to spin," and Greek nema, "thread." More... feed dog - The part of a sewing machine that feeds the material under the needle. More... | |