22 July 2016 – mephitis

22 July 2016

mephitis

[muh-fahy-tis]

noun

1. (in nontechnical use) a noxious or pestilential exhalation from the earth, as poison gas.
2. any noisome or poisonous stench.

Origin of mephitis

Latin

1700-1710; < Latin mephītis, mefītis; compare Oscan Mefit (eí) the goddess of such exhalations

Dictionary.com

Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2016.

Cite This Source

Examples from the Web for mephitis

Historical Examples

mephitis is, however, purely American wherever he comes from.
Belford’s Magazine, Vol II, No. 10, March 1889
Various

A skunk, ( mephitis Americana,) which was killed in the afternoon, made a supper for one of the messes.
The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California
Brevet Col. J.C. Fremont

Because the odor is quite like mephitis it is considered a so-called anti-spasmodic.
New, Old, and Forgotten Remedies: Papers by Many Writers
Various

Anagram

time ship
it is hemp


Today’s quote

Throw off your worries when you throw off your clothes at night.

– Napoleon Bonaparte


On this day

22 July 1298 – Battle of Falkirk in which the English, led by King Edward VI, defeated the Scots, led by William Wallace. It was part of the First War of Scottish Independence.

22 July 1456 – Siege of Belgrade, or Siege of Nandorfehervar, in which Hungarian troops defeated the Ottoman Turks under the leadership of Sultan Mehmed II. Since 22 July 2011, Hungary celebrates this as their National Memorial Day.

22 July 1933 – Wiley Post completes the world’s first solo flight around the world.

22 July 1946 – Irgun, a militant Zionist group under the leadership of Menachim Begin, bombs Jerusalem’s King David Hotel, which housed the British administrative headquarters for Palestine. The bombing killed 91 people and injured 46.

22 July 1968 – The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) hijacks its first plane, an El-Al Israel Airlines flight travelling from Rome to Tel Aviv, carrying 32 passengers and 10 crew. The plane was diverted to Algiers where 7 crew & 5 Israeli passengers were held hostage for 5 weeks until Israel agreed to exchange imprisoned Palestinian militants.

22 July 1983 – Dick Smith, Australian entrepreneur and adventurer, completes first solo helicopter flight around the world.

22 July 1983 – World’s coldest day recorded at Vostok, Antarctica where the temperature dropped to -89.2oC (128.6oF)

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