7 May 2019

suspiration

[suhs-puh-rey-shuh n]

noun

a long, deep sigh.

Origin of suspiration

1475–85; Latin suspīrātiōn- (stem of suspīrātiō ), equivalent to suspīrāt(us ) (past participle of suspīrāre to suspire) + -iōn- -ion

Dictionary.com

Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for suspiration

Historical Examples of suspiration

At times, it is true, like a deep sigh, the suspiration of the open sea rose and fell among the islands.
The Washer of the Ford
Fiona Macleod

The girl’s voice trembled, her breath came so hard Morgan could hear its suspiration where he stood.
Trail’s End
George W. Ogden

Today’s quote

If the present world go astray, the cause is in you, in you it is to be sought.

– Dante Alighieri

On this day

7 May 351 – Jews in Palestine revolt against the rule of Constantius Gallus, Caesar of the East and brother-in-law of Emperor Constantius II, after he arrived in Antioch to take up his post.

7 May 1429 – Joan of Arc leads the victorious final charge in the Siege of Orleans, marking a turning point in the One Hundred Years war.

7 May 1718 – the city of New Orleans is founded on the banks of the Mississippi River in the American state of Louisiana, by Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville.

7 May 1919 – birthday of Eva Perón, first lady of Argentina and second wife of Argentine President, Juan Perón. Her life was immortalised in the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical, Evita, which included the hit song, ‘Don’t cry for me Argentina’. Died 26 July 1952.

7 May 1952 – the concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is published by Geoffrey W.A. Drummer.

6 May 2019

tincture

[tingk-cher]

noun

1. Pharmacology. a solution of alcohol or of alcohol and water, containing animal, vegetable, or chemical drugs.
2. a slight infusion, as of some element or quality:
A tincture of education had softened his rude manners.
3. a trace; a smack or smattering; tinge :
a tincture of irony.
4. Heraldry. any of the colors, metals, or furs used for the fields, charges, etc., of an escutcheon or achievement of arms.
5. a dye or pigment.
verb (used with object), tinctured, tincturing.
6. to impart a tint or color to; tinge.
7. to imbue or infuse with something.

Origin of tincture

Latin

1350-1400; Middle English: dye; Latin tīnctūra dyeing. See tinct, -ure

Related forms

pretincture, noun
untinctured, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for tincture

Historical Examples

Mix two drams of the tincture of galls with one dram of lunar caustic, and for marking of linen, use it with a pen as common ink.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

A tincture for the gums may be made of three ounces of the tincture of bark, and half an ounce of sal ammoniac, mixed together.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

Bruise three ounces of cloves, steep them for ten days in a quart of brandy, and strain off the tincture through a flannel sieve.
The Cook and Housekeeper’s Complete and Universal Dictionary; Including a System of Modern Cookery, in all Its Various Branches,
Mary Eaton

Thou canst not withhold a tincture of lemon from the sweetest cup!
St. Cuthbert’s
Robert E. Knowles

Used as a sedative in tincture ; ten to twenty drops in water.
Cattle and Their Diseases
Robert Jennings

Externally, vesicant; used in form of ointment, or tincture.
Cattle and Their Diseases
Robert Jennings

The water or brine solution must be at least twenty times the bulk of the tincture.
Field’s Chromatography
George Field

Today’s quote

Men of genius sometimes accomplish most when they work the least, for they are thinking out inventions and forming in their minds the perfect idea that they subsequently express with their hands.

– Giorgio Vasari

On this day

6 May – Following ‘May the Fourth be with you’, and Cinco de Mayo yesterday, does this make today ‘Revenge of the Sixth?’

6 May 1937 – the German passenger dirigible (Zeppelin), The Hindenburg, crashes bursts into flames, falling 200 feet to the ground, killing 37 people. The Hindenburg was the world’s largest hydrogen airship and the disaster marked the end of the airship era. The disaster was captured on camera and a newsreel released, which can be viewed on Youtube.

6 May 1945 – Hermann Göring, Hitler’s second in command and the most powerful Nazi alive, surrenders to US forces, effectively marking the end of the Second World War. The official surrender was announced by German officers on 8 May 1945.

6 May 1954 – Roger Bannister becomes the first man to break the 4 minute mile on foot. He ran the mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds at the Iffley Road Track, Oxford, England.

5 May 2019

ewer

[yoo-er]

noun

1. a pitcher with a wide spout.
2. Decorative Art. a vessel having a spout and a handle, especially a tall, slender vessel with a base.

Origin of ewer

Middle English, Anglo-French, Old French, Latin

1275-1325; Middle English; Anglo-French; Old French evier; Latin aquārius vessel for water, equivalent to aqu(a) water + -ārius -ary

Dictionary.com
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018.

Cite This Source

Examples from the Web for ewer

Historical Examples

Without a word Oliver turned to a side-table, where stood a metal basin and ewer.
The Sea-Hawk
Raphael Sabatini

The bowl had scallops around the edge, and the ewer was tall and slim.
A Little Girl in Old Boston
Amanda Millie Douglas

He found an ewer and basin, and his ablutions refreshed and invigorated him.
The Last Of The Barons, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

And she knelt down with ewer and basin and a napkin to wash the feet of the poor.
The Ruinous Face
Maurice Hewlett

A basin of similar material and design accompanied the ewer.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 5
Various

When he had undressed, he dipped a towel into his ewer and rubbed himself all over.
Married
August Strindberg

Luckily there was no water in the ewer because we had forgotten it, only dust and spiders.
The Story of the Treasure Seekers
E. Nesbit

She was obliged to break the ewer to free the little dog’s head.
Hungarian Sketches in Peace and War
Mr Jkai

And the ewer is said to be of gold, to express the dignity of the head.
Medica Sacra
Richard Mead

He got up and poured some water from the ewer into a cracked cup and drank it.
The Angel of the Revolution
George Griffith

Today’s quote

Our revenge will be the laughter of our children.

– Bobbie Sands

On this day

5 May – Cinco de Mayo (Spanish for 5th of May), celebrates Mexican heritage and pride. It originated as a celebration of freedom for Mexicans following the victory by Mexican forces over the French at the Battle of Puebla on 5 May 1862.

5 May 1818 – birth of Karl Marx, German philosopher, economist, sociologist, historian, journalist and revolutionary socialist. One of the most influential economists in history. Marx’s work included Das Kapital, as well as The Communist Manifesto which he co-authored with German social scientist, Friedrich Engels. He fathered modern communism and socialism with the aim of putting the means of production in the hands of the workers to end exploitation at the hands of the bourgeoisie. He believed in the redistribution of wealth for the benefit of all, rather than accumulation of wealth in the hands of the few. The wealth, he believed, was created by the workers and should therefore be shared amongst the workers. He stated that communism would not succeed in the individual nation unless other nations supported it, hence the adoption of L’internationale as the socialist anthem following the ‘First International’ conference held by Marx and Engels in 1864. His international theory perhaps makes him the world’s first globalisationist. He believed socialism would not succeed in poverty, but required the building of wealth to succeed and distribution of wealth to be sustainable. Died 14 March 1883.

5 May 1821 – death of Napoleon Bonaparte, French Emperor. Born 15 August 1769.

5 May 1970 – University of New Mexico is the scene of protests against the Vietnam War, US attacks on Cambodia and the Kent State University massacre (see 4 May 1970), the National Guard and police are called in. The National Guard fixed bayonets and attacked the protestors, resulting in eleven protestors and journalists being bayonetted.

5 May 1981 – death of Bobby Sands, member of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) who died following a hunger strike while imprisoned at HM Prison Maze. He and other prisoners, were protesting against the removal of special category status which conferred a ‘Prisoner of War’ status on prisoners convicted of ‘Troubles-related’ offences in Ireland. Special Category Status meant they were subject to the Geneva Convention so didn’t have to wear prison uniforms or do prison work, were housed within paramilitary factions, received extra visits and more food. During his fast, Sands was elected to British Parliament as an anti-H-Block candidate (H-Block representing Maze Prison’s H-shaped block). Sands was one of 10 hunger strikers to die during the 1981 hunger strike. Born 9 March 1954.

3 May 2019

utilitarian

[yoo-til-i-tair-ee-uhn ]

adjective

pertaining to or consisting in utility.

having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentation, etc.
of, relating to, or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism.

noun
an adherent of utilitarianism.

RELATED WORDS

sensible, functional, pragmatic, down-to-earth, effective, efficient, hard, hardheaded, matter-of-fact, realistic, serviceable, useful, commonsensical, pragmatical, unromantic, unidealistic

NEARBY WORDS
utile dulci, utilicare, utilidor, utilisation, utilise, utilitarianism, utility, utility function, utility man, utility player

ORIGIN OF UTILITARIAN

First recorded in 1775–85; utilit(y) + -arian

SYNONYMS FOR UTILITARIAN

2. practical, useful, functional, sensible.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR utilitarian ON THESAURUS.COM

RELATED FORMS

an·ti·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective, noun
non·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective, noun
un·u·til·i·tar·i·an , adjective

Dictionary.com

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR UTILITARIAN

Is that a utilitarian approach—that you need to understand how institutions have changed to understand the way they are?
THANK CONGRESS, NOT LBJ FOR GREAT SOCIETY|JULIAN ZELIZER, SCOTT PORCH|JANUARY 4, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Everything is meant to be utilitarian and efficient, at the expense of relaxation or comfort.
WHY SMART PEOPLE ARE DUMB PATIENTS|JEAN KIM|JULY 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The problem is that professional intelligence is mechanical and functional – utilitarian .
RICHARD HOFSTADTER AND AMERICA’S NEW WAVE OF ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM|DAVID MASCIOTRA|MARCH 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST

The available options were utilitarian and only came in a few colors.
CONCEALED CARRY HANDBAGS: AN EVENING BAG FOR YOUR GUN?|ERIN CUNNINGHAM|OCTOBER 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Today’s quote

One lives in the hope of becoming a memory.

― Antonio Porchia

On this day

3 May 1913 – The Indian film industry (otherwise known as Bollywood) kicks off with the release of its first full-length feature film, Raja Harishchandra.

3 May 1915 – The iconic poem In Flanders Fields written by Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae.

3 May 1919 – birth of Peter Seeger, American singer-songwriter, musician, activist. Died 27 January 2014.

3 May 1921 – birth of Sugar Ray Robinson (born Walker Smith Jr), American welterweight and middleweight professional boxer, declared to be the greatest boxer of all time. Sugar Ray stood at 5′ 11″ (1.80m). He fought 200 fights, winning 173 (108 by knock-out), lost 19, drew six, with two no contests. By 1946 Sugar Ray had won 40 fights straight, but was denied a shot at the world welterweight championship because he refused to cooperate with the mafia, which controlled much of boxing. In December 1946, he was finally allowed to contest the world championship and won. In 1947 Sugar Ray defended his welterweight title against Jimmy Doyle. In the eighth round, Doyle was knocked out and died later that night. Sugar Ray crossed weight classes and also won the world middleweight championship. In 1950, he broke the record for the shortest fight by knocking out Jose Basora 50 seconds into the first round. The record wasn’t broken for a further 38 years. in 1951, he fought Jake La Motta in what became known as the St Valentine’s Day massacre after the fight was stopped in the 13th round when La Motta was out on his feet, unable to even lift his arms throw a punch. That fight and some of the other matches with La Motta were adapted for the Martin Scorsese movie, Raging Bull. Died 12 April 1989.

3 May 1933 – birth of James Brown, the Godfather of Soul. He died 25 December 2006.

3 May 1978 – the first spam email (unsolicited bulk email) is sent by a marketing representative for Digital Equipment Corporation to every ARPANET address on the West Coast of the USA.

2 May 2019

felicific

[fee-luh-sif-ik]

adjective

– causing or tending to cause happiness.

ORIGIN OF FELICIFIC

1860–65; < Latin fēlīci- (stem of fēlīx ) happy + -fic

Dictionary.com

EXAMPLES FROM THE WEB FOR FELICIFIC

The ‘ felicific calculus’ is enough to show the inadequacy of his method.
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME I.|LESLIE STEPHEN

We are bound to apply our ‘ felicific calculus’ with absolute impartiality.
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME I.|LESLIE STEPHEN

It is the economic equivalent of the ‘utility’ of Bentham’s ‘ felicific calculus.’
THE ENGLISH UTILITARIANS, VOLUME II (OF 3)|LESLIE STEPHEN

Today’s quote

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication

– Leonardo Da Vinci

On this day

2 May 1519 – death of Leonardo Da Vinci, Italian renaissance inventor, painter, sculptor, mathematician, writer. Born 15 April 1452.

2 May 1536 – Anne Boleyn, Queen of England, second wife of King Henry VIII and mother of the future Queen Elizabeth I, is arrested and imprisoned on charges of adultery, incest, treason and witchcraft.

2 May 1568 – Mary Queen of Scots escapes from Loch Leven Castle.

2 May 1611 – the King James Bible is published for the first time in London by Robert Barker.

2 May 1933 – Within months of becoming Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler bans trade unions. Hitler saw unions as organising the power of workers which could be a threat to his power. Police arrested union leaders and confiscated union money. The funds had essentially been provided by workers so to quell any worker uprisings, Hitler created the German Labour Force to replace the unions and to supposedly represent workers’ rights. The GLF was sold to the workers under a veil of patriotism. Strikes were banned and labelled un-German. He further duped the workers under the ‘Strength Through Joy’ movement that offered them subsided holidays and other events. To reduce unemployment he introduced forced labour. Any worker refusing to take up a job assigned to them, was imprisoned. Under the GLF wages dropped while the cost of living of increased 25%. (http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/nazi-germany/trade-unions-and-nazi-germany/)

2 May 1986 – The Ukrainian city of Chernobyl is evacuated six days after the nuclear reactor disaster.

2 May 2011 – Osama bin Laden, founder and leader of Al Qaeda, FBI’s most wanted man, is killed by US Special Forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Born 10 March 1957 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.