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| Link | Quote | Stars | Tags | Author |
| 3801066 | Hope It started out as snow, oh, big flakes floating softly, catching on my sweater, lacy on the edges of my sleeves. Snow covered the dust, softened the fences, soothe the parched lips of the land. And then it changed halfway between snow and rain, sleet, glazing the earth. Until at last it slipped into rain, light as mist. It was the kindest kind of rain that fell. Soft and then a little heavier, helping along what had already fall.. | hope rain snow | Karen Hesse | |
| e89d31c | The way I see it, hard times aren't only about money, or drought, or dust. Hard times are about losing spirit, and hope, and what happens when dreams dry up. And I'm learning, watching Daddy, that you can stay in one place and still grow. | Karen Hesse | ||
| 9c5500b | disdain | Erin McKean | ||
| f276ab3 | pan*e*gyr*ic n. a public speech or published text in praise of someone or something: | Erin McKean | ||
| 7ceefba | ac*cou*cheur n. a male midwife. | Erin McKean | ||
| ea814cb | a*vun*cu*lar adj. 1 of or relating to an uncle. kind and friendly toward a younger or less experienced person: | Erin McKean | ||
| 8d4439f | dearth n. [in sing.] a scarcity or lack of something: there is a dearth of evidence. See note at LACK. Middle English derthe (originally in the sense 'shortage and dearness of food') | Erin McKean | ||
| 5182ac7 | laugh*ing hy*e*na n. another term for SPOTTED HYENA. Linked entries: SPOTTED HYENA # laugh*ing jack*ass n. AUSTRAL. the laughing kookaburra. See KOOKABURRA. Linked entries: KOOKABURRA # laugh*ing*ly adv. with amused ridicule or ludicrous inappropriateness: we finally reached what we laughingly called civilization. in an amused way; with laughter. laugh*ing*stock n. | Erin McKean | ||
| dbabecf | laugh*ing thrush n. a gregarious thrushlike babbler of South and Southeast Asia, typically with dark gray or brown plumage and a boldly marked head, and having a cackling call. Genus Garrulax, family Timaliidae: many species. Laugh*lin a community in southern Arizona, across the Colorado River from Bullhead City; pop. 4,791. laugh*ter n. the action or sound of laughing: he roared with laughter. Old English hleahtor, of Germanic origin; r.. | Erin McKean | ||
| ba8126e | Henry IV (1367-1413), son of John of Gaunt; reigned 1399-1413; known as Henry Bolingbroke. He overthrew Richard II, establishing the Lancastrian dynasty. Henry V (1387-1422), son of Henry IV; reigned 1413-22. He renewed the Hundred Years War soon after coming to the throne and defeated the French at Agincourt in 1415. Henry VI (1421-71), son of Henry V; reigned 1422-61 and 1470-71. Henry VII (1457-1509), the first Tudor king; son of Edmu.. | Erin McKean | ||
| a70e93d | first divorce, from Catherine of Aragon, was opposed by the pope, leading to England's break with the Roman Catholic Church. Hen*ry 2 (1394-1460), Portuguese prince; known as Henry the Navigator. The third son of John I of Portugal, he organized many voyages of exploration, most notably south along the African coast, thus laying the foundation for Portuguese imperial expansion around Africa to the Far East. Hen*ry 3 the name of | Erin McKean | ||
| 8822bc5 | chap*tal*i*za*tion n. (in winemaking) the correction or improvement of must by the addition of calcium carbonate to neutralize acid, or of sugar to increase alcoholic strength. chap*tal*ize v. late 19th cent.: from the name of Jean A. Chaptal (1756-1832), the French chemist who invented the process, + -ization (see -IZE). Linked | Erin McKean | ||
| 3367ae7 | William Burnham (1824-87), U.S. Supreme Court associate justice 1880-87. A judge on the circuit court, he was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Hayes. wood sage n. another term for | Erin McKean | ||
| 16e49b2 | self-propelled or directed by remote control, carrying a conventional or nuclear explosive. early 17th cent. (as an adjective in the sense 'suitable for throwing (at a target)'): from Latin missile, neuter (used as a noun) of missilis, from miss- 'sent', from the verb mittere. mis*sile*ry n. 1 the study | Erin McKean | ||
| 9a5eb1e | pter*an*o*don n. a large tailless pterosaur of the Cretaceous period, with a long toothless beak, a long bony crest, and a wingspan of up to 7 m. | Erin McKean | ||
| d94a4f4 | French-speaking | Erin McKean | ||
| f360537 | cane n. 1 the hollow, jointed stem of a tall grass, esp. bamboo or sugar cane, or the stem of a slender palm such as rattan. - any plant that produces such stems. - stems of bamboo, rattan, or wicker used as a material for making furniture or baskets: [as adj.] a cane coffee table. - short for SUGAR CANE. - a flexible, woody stem of the raspberry plant or any of its relatives. 2 a length of cane or a slender stick, esp. one used as a suppo.. | Erin McKean | ||
| 18bd8dd | n. 1 a state of extreme physical or mental fatigue: he was pale with exhaustion. 2 the action or state of using something up or of being used up completely: the rapid exhaustion of fossil fuel reserves. - the action of exploring a subject or options so fully that there is nothing further to be said or discovered: the total exhaustion of viable systematic alternatives. - [LOGIC] the process of establishing a conclusion by eliminating all th.. | Erin McKean | ||
| ac52b66 | sen*ten*tious adj. given to moralizing in a pompous or affected manner: | Erin McKean | ||
| 063b078 | es*se n. [PHILOSOPHY] essential nature or essence. | Erin McKean | ||
| fc6dcf7 | fub*sy adj. (fub*si*er, fub*si*est) BRIT., INFORMAL fat and squat. | Erin McKean | ||
| 296fec6 | cas*u*ist*ry n. the use of clever but unsound reasoning, esp. in relation to moral questions; sophistry. | Erin McKean | ||
| 8e2b32e | bane n. [usu. in sing.] a cause of great distress or annoyance: the bane of the decorator is the long, narrow hall; the depressions that were the the bane of her existence. | Erin McKean | ||
| 9a94aae | twisted expression on a person's | Erin McKean | ||
| 958956e | u*kase n. an edict of the Russian government: Tsar Alexander I issued his famous ukase unilaterally decreeing the North Pacific Coast Russian territory. an arbitrary command: defying the publisher in the very building from which he had issued his ukase. | Erin McKean | ||
| cefef3d | quo*tid*i*an adj. [attrib.] of or occurring every day; daily: the car sped noisily off through the quotidian traffic. - ordinary or everyday, esp. when mundane: his story is an achingly human one, mired in quotidian details. | Erin McKean | ||
| a54c170 | born in England. He is remembered for character roles such as Henry VIII (The Private Life of Henry VIII, 1933) and Captain Bligh (Mutiny on the Bounty, 1935); he also played Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939). launce n. another term for SAND EEL. early 17th cent.: early variant of LANCE (because of its shape). Linked entries: SAND EEL # LANCE # Laun*ce*lot variant spelling of LANCELOT. Linked entries: LANCELOT # launch 1 v. [.. | Erin McKean | ||
| c8dbc5c | publication) to the public for the first time: the company has launched a software package specifically for the legal sector. # n. an act or an instance of launching something: the launch of a new campaign against drinking and driving. an occasion at which a new product or publication is introduced to the public: a book launch. # launch into begin (something) energetically and enthusiastically: he launched into a two-hour sales pitch. # .. | Erin McKean | ||
| b7824e3 | called MOTOR LAUNCH. HISTORICAL the largest boat carried on a man-of-war. late 17th cent. (denoting the longboat of a man-of-war): from Spanish lancha 'pinnace', perhaps from Malay lancharan, from lanchar 'swift, nimble'. Linked entries: MOTOR LAUNCH # launch*er n. a structure that holds a rocket or missile during launching. - a rocket that is used to convey a satellite or spacecraft into orbit. - a catapult for aircraft. - an attachment.. | Erin McKean | ||
| 4363dbe | pad (also launch*ing pad ) n. the area on which a rocket stands for launching, typically consisting of a platform with a supporting structure. launch ve*hi*cle n. a rocket-powered vehicle used to send artificial satellites or spacecraft into space. laun*der v. [trans.] wash, or wash and iron, (clothes or linens): he wasn't used to laundering his own bed linens | [as adj., with submodifier] (laundered) freshly laundered sheets. - conceal th.. | Erin McKean | ||
| f5d003a | laun*dry list n. a long or exhaustive list of people or things: there's a laundry list of possible triggers for migraines. laun*dry*man n. (pl. -men) a man who is employed to launder clothes and linens, or deliver them to customers. Laur*a*sia a vast continental area believed to have existed in the northern hemisphere and to have resulted from the breakup of Pangaea in Mesozoic times. It comprised the present North America, Greenland, Europ.. | Erin McKean | ||
| 6b21c07 | short for POET LAUREATE. # adj. POETIC/LITERARY wreathed with laurel as a mark of honor. (of a crown or wreath) consisting of laurel. lau*re*ate*ship n. late Middle English (as an adjective): from Latin laureatus, from laurea 'laurel wreath', from laurus 'laurel'. Linked entries: POET LAUREATE # Lau*rel a city in central Maryland, between Washington, DC, and Baltimore; pop. 19,960. lau*rel n. 1 any of a number of shrubs and other plants .. | Erin McKean | ||
| 9b09810 | short for MOUNTAIN LAUREL. - short for CHERRY LAUREL. - the bay tree. See BAY2 . 2 an aromatic evergreen shrub related to the bay tree, several kinds of which form forests in tropical and warm countries. Lauraceae 3 (usu. laurels) the foliage of the bay tree woven into a wreath or crown and worn on the head as an emblem of victory or mark of honor in classical times. FIGURATIVE honor: she has rightly won laurels for this brilliantly perc.. | Erin McKean | ||
| b3f2f6c | has already achieved that one makes no further effort. Middle English lorer, from Old French lorier, from Provencal laurier, from earlier laur, from Latin laurus. Linked entries: MOUNTAIN LAUREL # CHERRY LAUREL # BAY # Lau*rel and Har*dy U.S. comedy duo that consisted of Stan Laurel (born Arthur Stanley Jefferson) (1890-1965) and Oliver Hardy (1892-1957). British-born Laurel played the scatterbrained and often tearful innocent; Hardy playe.. | Erin McKean | ||
| 4b4fb7b | CANADIAN SHIELD. Laurentian from Latin Laurentius 'Lawrence' (from St. Lawrence River) + -AN. Linked entries: CANADIAN SHIELD # -AN # Lau*ri*er Sir Wilfrid (1841-1919), Canadian statesman; prime minister 1896-1911. He was Canada's first French-Canadian and first Roman Catholic prime minister. lau*rus*ti*nus n. an evergreen winter-flowering viburnum with dense glossy green leaves and white or pink flowers, native to the Mediterranean area a.. | Erin McKean | ||
| c8fad43 | Lau*sanne a town in southwestern Switzerland, on the north shore of Lake Geneva; pop. 123,000. Lau*sit*zer Neis*se German name for NEISSE (sense 1). Linked entries: NEISSE # lav n. INFORMAL a lavatory. early 20th cent.: abbreviation. la*va n. hot molten or semifluid rock erupted from a volcano or fissure, or solid rock resulting from cooling of this. mid 18th cent.: from Italian (Neapolitan dialect), denoting the lava stream from Vesuvius.. | Erin McKean | ||
| c107664 | la*va*bo n. (pl. -boes) (in the Roman Catholic Church) a towel or basin used for the ritual washing of the celebrant's hands at the offertory of the Mass. - ritual washing of this type. - DATED a washbasin. - a washing trough in a monastery. mid 18th cent.: from Latin, literally 'I will wash', in Lavabo inter innocentes manus meas 'I will wash my hands among the innocent' (Ps. 26:6), which was recited at the washing of hands in the Roman .. | Erin McKean | ||
| 1451539 | late 18th cent. (in the general sense 'washing, a wash'): from French, from laver 'to wash'. la*va lamp n. a transparent electric lamp containing a viscous liquid in which a brightly colored waxy substance is suspended, rising and falling in irregular and constantly changing shapes. la*vash n. a Middle Eastern crisp flatbread. Armenian, from Turkish. lav*a*to*ri*al adj. of or relating to lavatories, in particular: - (of conversation or hu.. | Erin McKean | ||
| fac03e8 | supposed to typify public lavatories: the lavatorial utility that was a feature of subway design. lav*a*to*ry n. (pl. -ries) a room or compartment with a toilet and washbasin; a bathroom. - a sink or washbasin in a bathroom. - BRIT. a flush toilet. late Middle English: from late Latin lavatorium 'place for washing', from Latin lavare 'to wash'. The word originally denoted something in which to wash, such as a bath or piscina, later (mid 1.. | Erin McKean | ||
| 5c73bb6 | lave v. [trans.] POETIC/LITERARY wash: she ran cold water in the basin, laving her face and hands. (of water) wash against or over (something): the sea below laved the shore with small, agitated waves. la*va*tion n. Old English lafian, from Latin lavare 'to wash'; reinforced in Middle English by Old French laver. lav*en*der n. 1 a small aromatic evergreen shrub of the mint family, with narrow leaves and bluish-purple flowers. Lavender ha.. | Erin McKean | ||
| b6a6b01 | DATED used in reference to refinement or gentility: [as adj.] she had a certain lavender charm. 2 a pale blue color with a trace of mauve. # v. [trans.] perfume with lavender. Middle English: from Anglo-Norman French lavendre, based on medieval Latin lavandula. lav*en*der cot*ton (CHIEFLY BRIT. also cotton lavender) n. a small aromatic shrubby plant of the daisy family, with silvery or greenish lavenderlike foliage and yellow button flower.. | Erin McKean | ||
| bc46603 | la*ver 2 n. ARCHAIC or POETIC/LITERARY a basin or similar container used for washing oneself. (in biblical use) a large brass bowl for the ritual ablutions of Jewish priests. Middle English: from Old French laveoir, from late Latin lavatorium 'place for washing' (see LAVATORY). Linked entries: LAVATORY # lav*ish adj. sumptuously rich, elaborate, or luxurious: a lavish banquet. - (of a person) very generous or extravagant: he was lavish w.. | Erin McKean | ||
| 953919b | quantities upon: the media couldn't lavish enough praise on the film. (lavish something with) cover something thickly or liberally with: she lavished our son with kisses. lav*ish*ly adv. lav*ish*ness n. late Middle English (as a noun denoting profusion): from Old French lavasse 'deluge of rain', from laver 'to wash', from Latin lavare. La*voi*sier Antoine Laurent (1743-94), French scientist. He is regarded as the father of modern chemist.. | Erin McKean | ||
| 64f64df | consist with) ARCHAIC be consistent with: the information perfectly consists with our friend's account. # n. [RAILROAD] late Middle English (in the sense 'be located or inherent in'): from Latin consistere 'stand firm or still, exist', from con- 'together' + sistere 'stand (still)'. con*sist*ence n. another term for CONSISTENCY. Linked entries: CONSISTENCY # con*sist*en*cy (also con*sist*ence ) n. (pl. -cies) 1 conformity in the | Erin McKean |