14 September 2014

mitre

[mahy-ter]

noun

1. (Christianity) the liturgical headdress of a bishop or abbot, in most western churches consisting of a tall pointed cleft cap with two bands hanging down at the back
2. short for mitre joint
3. a bevelled surface of a mitre joint
4. (in sewing) a diagonal join where the hems along two sides meet at a corner of the fabric
verb (transitive)
5. to make a mitre joint between (two pieces of material, esp wood)
6. to make a mitre in (a fabric)
7. to confer a mitre upon: a mitred abbot

Word

C14: from Old French, from Latin mitra, from Greek mitra turban

Anagram

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Today’s aphorism

Society does not consist of individuals but expresses the sum of interrelations, the relations within which these individuals stand.

– Karl Marx

On this day

14 September 1752 – the British Empire commences using the Gregorian calendar instead of the Julian calendar. To balance the calendar, the 10 days from 3 September to 13 September are written off. This is because the Gregorian claimed the annual cycle was 365.2425 days. The Julian calendar was based on 365.25 days per year, hence the leap year every 4 years to make up the 0.25 days each year.

14 September 1812 – Fire of Moscow – French troops under the command of Napoleon defeat Russian troops in the Battle of Borodino and invade Moscow. Count Fyodor Rostopchin orders Russian citizens to destroy the Kremlin and other major buildings as they retreat. The fires burn for 4 days and destroy around 75% of Moscow.

14 September 1983 – birth of Amy Winehouse. English singer-songwriter. Died 23 July 2011.