Garden Video Blog by a kid

cherub , n : (biblical) A winged creature attending on God, described by Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite (c. 5th–6th century) as the second highest order of angels, ranked above thrones and below seraphim; similar to a lamassu in the pre-exilic texts of the Hebrew Bible, more humanoid in later texts. An artistic depiction of such a being, typically in the form of a winged child or a child's head with wings but no body. (figuratively) A person, especially a child, seen as being particularly angelic or innocent. Today is All Saints’ Day in Western Christianity.

bunny boiler , n : (slang, humorous, derogatory) A person who acts (or may supposedly act) obsessively or even dangerously towards another person with whom the first person was previously, or wishes to be, in a relationship with. Boo! Happy Halloween!

escarole , n : (Canada, US) A subspecies or variety of broad-leaved endive (Cichorium endivia subsp. endivia, syn. Cichorium endivia var. latifolium), which is eaten as a vegetable.

signage , n : (uncountable) Signs, particularly those imparting commercial, directional, or road traffic information, taken collectively. (countable, chiefly India, elsewhere regarded as nonstandard) A sign, a signboard. Swedish band Ace of Base’s song “The Sign” was released in Europe on this day in 1993.

townland , n : (Ireland) A geographical unit of land smaller than a parish. Today, the last Monday in October in 2019, is Lá Saoire i mí Dheireadh Fómhair or the October Holiday in Ireland.

get a word in edgewise , v : (US, usually in the negative) To break into or participate in a conversation.

sheepshank , n : (nautical) A type of knot which is useful for shortening a rope or taking up slack without cutting it.

croft , n : An enclosed piece of land, usually small and arable and used for small-scale food production, and often with a dwelling next to it; in particular, such a piece of land rented to a farmer (a crofter), especially in Scotland, together with a right to use separate pastureland shared by other crofters. The action-adventure video game Tomb Raider, which features the fictional archaeologist Lara Croft, was launched on this day in 1996.

coin of the realm , n : (law, dated) The legal money of a country. (figuratively) Something that is valued like money within a particular context.

manageable , adj : Capable of being managed or controlled. Capable of being done or fulfilled; achievable.

lady-in-waiting , n : A lady, often a noblewoman, in the household of a queen, princess, or other woman of higher rank who attends her as a personal assistant, generally a role considered an honour. A woman who is a maid or servant to a lady, similar to a valet for a gentleman.

smell you later , interj : (humorous, informal) See you later; goodbye.

knacker's yard , n : The area of a slaughterhouse where carcasses unfit for human consumption or other purposes are rendered down to produce useful materials such as glue. (colloquial, figuratively) A (notional) place to send a person or object that is spent beyond all reasonable use.

stink to high heaven , v : To have a very strong and unpleasant smell. (figuratively) Of a person or situation: to be highly ethically dubious; also, of a person: to be very incompetent.

brae , n : (Northern England, Scotland) The sloping bank of a river valley. (Northern England, Scotland) Any hillside or slope.

thwart , v : (transitive) To cause to fail; to frustrate, to prevent. (transitive, obsolete) To place (something) across (another thing); to position crosswise. (transitive, also figuratively, obsolete) To hinder or obstruct by placing (something) in the way of; to block, to impede, to oppose. (transitive, intransitive, obsolete) To move (something) across or counter to; to cross.

chicory , n : (countable, botany) Either of two plants of the Asteraceae family. (chiefly Britain) The common chicory (Cichorium intybus), the source of Belgian endive, radicchio, and sugarloaf. (chiefly Canada, US) The endive (Cichorium endivia, the source of escarole and frisée. (uncountable, cooking) A coffee substitute made from the roasted roots of the common chicory, sometimes used as a cheap adulterant in real coffee. Today is recognized by the United Nations as World Food Day to highlight the importance of food security and good nutrition, and the need for action against hunger.

beg to differ , v : (idiomatic) To offer an opposing opinion humbly. (idiomatic) To differ (strongly) in interpretation or opinion.

Woozle effect , proper n : The phenomenon whereby frequent citation of earlier publications leads to a mistaken public belief in something for which there is no evidence, giving rise to an urban myth. British author A. A. Milne’s book Winnie-the-Pooh was first published on this day in 1926. It features a story in which Winnie-the-Pooh and Piglet follow their own tracks in the snow, believing them to be the tracks of the imaginary “Woozle”.

hogshead , n : (Britain) An English measure of capacity for liquids, containing 63 wine gallons, or about 52½ imperial gallons; a half pipe. A large barrel or cask of indefinite contents, especially one containing from 100 to 140 gallons.

eyestripe , n : (zoology) A stripe on each side of the head of an animal that includes the eye, and is of a different colour from the rest of the head; in particular (ornithology) such a stripe on each side of the head of some birds. Today, the second Saturday of October in 2019, is the second of the two World Migratory Bird Days in the year. These days were established by the Secretariats of the Agreement on the Conservation of African-Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds and the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals to highlight the importance of protecting migratory birds and their habitats.

oology , n : (ornithology) The study of birds' eggs. The hobby or practice of collecting birds' eggs, especially those of wild birds. Today, the second Friday in October in 2019, is marked as World Egg Day by the International Egg Commission, an organization representing the egg industry.

nide , n : (archaic) A nest of pheasants.

style , v : (transitive) To call or give a name or title to. (transitive) To create for, or give to, someone a style, fashion, or image, particularly one which is regarded as attractive, tasteful, or trendy. (intransitive, US, informal) To act in a way which seeks to show that one possesses style.

dojo , n : (martial arts) A training facility, usually led by one or more sensei; a hall or room used for such training. (by extension) A room or other facility used for other activities, such as meditation or software development. […] The dojo loach, Japanese weather loach, or pond loach (Misgurnus anguillicaudatus), a freshwater fish native to East Asia. Today, the second Monday of October in 2019, is Health and Sports Day in Japan, a day on which to enjoy sports and cultivate a healthy mind and body.

machicolation , n : (architecture) An opening between corbels that support a projecting parapet, or in the floor of a gallery or the roof of a portal, of a fortified building from which missiles can be shot or heated items dropped upon assailants attacking the base of the walls. (architecture) A projecting parapet with a series of such openings. Today, the first Monday of October in 2019, is designated by the United Nations as World Habitat Day to encourage reflection on the state of towns and cities, and on people’s basic right to adequate shelter. It is also marked as World Architecture Day by the International Union of Architects.

evert , v : (transitive, often biology, physiology) To turn inside out (like a pocket being emptied) or outwards. (transitive, obsolete) To move (someone or something) out of the way. (transitive, obsolete, also figuratively) To turn upside down; to overturn. (transitive, intransitive, obsolete, also figuratively) To disrupt; to overthrow.

wh-question , n : A question that is introduced by a wh-word (what, where, why, etc.) and cannot be answered by yes or no. Today is recognized by the United Nations as World Teachers’ Day to highlight the rights and responsibilities of teachers around the world.

orient , v : (transitive) To build or place (something) so as to face eastward. (transitive, by extension) To align or place (a person or object) so that his, her, or its east side, north side, etc., is positioned toward the corresponding points of the compass; (specifically, surveying) to rotate (a map attached to a plane table) until the line of direction between any two of its points is parallel to the corresponding direction in nature. (transitive) To direct towards or point at a particular direction. (transitive, reflexive) To determine which direction one is facing. (transitive, often reflexive, figuratively) To familiarize (oneself or someone) with a circumstance or situation. (transitive, figuratively) To set the focus of (something) so as to appeal or relate to a certain group. (intransitive) To change direction to face a certain way.

festschrift , n : A collection of articles, essays, etc., published together as a memorial or tribute to an academic or some other respected person. Today is Tag der Deutschen Einheit (German Unity Day), which commemorates the anniversary of German Reunification in 1990.

pleach , v : (transitive) To unite by interweaving, as (horticulture) branches of shrubs, trees, etc., to create a hedge; to interlock, to plash.