Garden Video Blog by a kid

retrenchment , n : A curtailment or reduction. (specifically) An act of reducing expenses; economizing. (specifically) An act of terminating the employment of a worker or making an employee redundant, often to reduce expenses; a layoff. [...] (military, dated) A defensive work constructed within a fortification to make it more defensible by allowing defenders to retreat into and fight from it even after the enemy has taken the outer work. Today is celebrated as International Workers’ Day or Labour Day in many countries to recognize the achievements and contributions of workers.

aver , v : (transitive, intransitive) To assert the truth of (something); to affirm (something) with confidence; to declare (something) in a positive manner. (transitive, intransitive, law) To justify or prove (an allegation or plea that one has made). (transitive, obsolete) To avouch, prove, or verify the existence or happening of (something), or to offer to do so. [...] aver n (Britain, dialectal, archaic) A beast of burden; chiefly a workhorse, but also a working ox or other animal. (Northern England, Scotland, dialectal, archaic) An old, useless horse; a nag.

camp fever , n : (archaic) An infectious disease causing fever that spreads in camps, specifically typhus.

within an inch of one's life , prepositional phrase : To a point where one is at great risk of death; or (figuratively, hyperbolic) of severe danger or trouble. (figuratively, hyperbolic) Almost as much as possible; to an extreme extent. Today is the World Day for Safety and Health at Work, which is recognized by the United Nations to promote awareness about work-related accidents and diseases.

patent , n : (law) An official document granting an appointment, privilege, or right, or some property or title; letters patent. (specifically) (originally) A grant of a monopoly over the manufacture, sale, and use of goods. A declaration issued by a government agency that the inventor of a new invention has the sole privilege of making, selling, or using the claimed invention for a specified period. (US, historical) A specific grant of ownership of a piece of real property; a land patent. (by extension) A product in respect of which a patent (sense 1.2.2) has been obtained. Short for patent leather (“a varnished, high-gloss leather typically used for accessories and shoes”). (figuratively) A licence or (formal) permission to do something. A characteristic or quality that one possesses; in particular (hyperbolic) as if exclusively; a monopoly. patent v (transitive, law) To (successfully) register (a new invention) with a government agency to obtain the sole privilege of its manufact...

Kafkatrap , n : A sophistical rhetorical device in which any denial by an accused person serves as evidence of guilt. Kafkatrap v (transitive) To employ a Kafkatrap against (someone). The Bohemian author Franz Kafka’s book Der Proceß (The Trial), which inspired the word, was first published posthumously on this day in 1925.

quinine , n : (pharmacology) An alkaloid with the chemical formula C₂₀H₂₄N₂O₂ derived from cinchona bark (from plants of the genus Cinchona) used to treat malaria and as an ingredient of tonic water, which presents as a bitter colourless powder; also, a drug containing quinine or a chemical compound derived from it. quinine v (transitive, archaic) To treat (someone) with quinine. Today is World Malaria Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to emphasize global efforts to control malaria.

sunlit uplands , n : (Britain, figuratively) A wished-for place or time of happiness and prosperity. Today is the International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace, which is recognized by the United Nations to emphasize the importance of multilateralism and international co-operation to promote peace and security, development, and human rights.

three stops short of Dagenham , adj : (Britain, slang, humorous) Crazy; mad. Today is Saint George’s Day, the feast day of the patron saint of England.

canaigre , n : (US) Rumex hymenosepalus, a species of dock native to southwestern North America with edible red stems and taproots containing tannin. (US) Tannin-containing matter obtained from the taproots of the plant. Today is the eve of UN Spanish Language Day, one of six such days established by UNESCO to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity and to promote the equal use of its working languages. The Spanish author Miguel de Cervantes is believed to have died on this day in 1616 and to have been buried the following day.

transformative , adj : That causes transformation. (linguistics) Chiefly in transformative-generative: of or relating to a theory of generative grammar in which defined operations called transformations produce new sentences from existing ones; transformational. Today is World Creativity and Innovation Day, which is recognized by the United Nations to raise awareness about the importance of creativity and innovation in problem-solving to advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

hutong , n : A narrow alley or street in a traditional residential district of a city in China, especially Beijing. Today is UN Chinese Language Day, one of six such days established by UNESCO to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity and to promote the equal use of its working languages. It is around the time of Guyu in the Chinese calendar, during which the legendary figure Cangjie, who is said to have invented Chinese characters, is celebrated.

approach , v : (intransitive) To come or go near, in place or time; to advance nearer; to draw nigh. (intransitive, golf, tennis) To play an approach shot. (transitive, intransitive, figuratively) Used intransitively, followed by to: to draw near (to someone or something); to make advances; to approximate or become almost equal. (transitive, rarely intransitive) Of an immovable object or a number of such objects: to be positioned as to (notionally) appear to be moving towards (a place). (transitive, also figuratively) To come near to (someone or something) in place, time, character, or value; to draw nearer to. (transitive) To bring (something) near something else; to cause (something) to draw near. (transitive) To attempt to make (a policy) or solve (a problem). (transitive) To bring up or propose to (someone) an idea, question, request, etc. (transitive, archaic, euphemistic) To have sexual intercourse with (someone). (transitive, military) To take approaches to (a place); to move...

fallacy fallacy , n : (logic) The formal fallacy of inferring that if an argument contains a fallacy, its conclusion must be false.

hell-bent , adj : (originally US, informal, transitive with on) Recklessly determined to do or achieve (something). hell-bent adv (originally US, informal) In a recklessly determined manner; determinedly, wholeheartedly.

the moon on a stick , n : (chiefly US, hyperbolic, idiomatic) All that one could desire, especially as an unreasonable demand; everything.

leprous , adj : Relating to or infected with one of the diseases known as leprosy. Similar to leprosy or its symptoms. Having the appearance of the skin of one infected with leprosy; flaking, peeling, scabby, scurfy. (figuratively, archaic) Immoral, or corrupted or tainted in some manner; also, ostracized, shunned. (alchemy, historical) Of gold or other metals: contaminated with other substances; impure. (botany, archaic) Synonym of leprose (“covered with thin, scurfy scales; lepidote”) (obsolete) Causing leprosy or a disease resembling it. The Belgian Roman Catholic priest Saint Damien De Veuster, better known as Father Damien, died on this day in 1889. He ministered to people with leprosy in Molokai, Hawaii, from 1873 until his death from the disease, and was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2009.

conlang , n : (linguistics, colloquial) Synonym of constructed language (“a human language such as Esperanto, Klingon, Quenya, or Volapük that has been consciously devised by an individual or a small group, as opposed to having naturally evolved as part of a culture like a natural language”) conlang v (intransitive) To create a conlang (constructed language). The Polish ophthalmologist and linguist L. L. Zamenhof, who invented the conlang Esperanto, died on this day in 1917.

vaguen , v : (transitive) To make (something) vague or more vague; to blur, to obscure. (intransitive) To become (more) vague; to blur. The Irish author, playwright, and theatre director Samuel Beckett, who coined the word, was born on this day 115 years ago in 1906.

push the envelope , v : (intransitive, idiomatic, originally aeronautics) To go beyond established limits; to pioneer. Today is the International Day of Human Space Flight, which is recognized by the United Nations to celebrate the start of the space era, to reaffirm space science and technology’s contributions towards achieving sustainable development goals, and to emphasize the need to maintain outer space for peaceful purposes. It commemorates the first human space flight by the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, which took place on this day 60 years ago in 1961.

Houston, we have a problem , phrase : (US, humorous) Used to report that a (major) problem has occurred. NASA’s Apollo 13 mission to the Moon launched on this day in 1970, but was aborted after an oxygen tank triggered an explosion. The spacecraft returned safely to Earth on April 17.

exonerating , v : present participle of exonerate (“(archaic) to relieve (someone or something) of a load; to unburden (a load); (obsolete, reflexive) of a body of water: to discharge or empty (itself); to free (someone) from an obligation, responsibility or task; to free (someone) from accusation or blame.”) Generation X proper n (originally Canada, US) (originally) A generation of people whose future is uncertain; a lost generation. (specifically) The generation of people born after the baby boom that followed World War II, especially those born from the mid 1960s to early 1980s, sometimes characterized as cynical, disaffected, lacking direction in life, and unwilling to take part fully in society. To celebrate April Fools’ Day, we are featuring a series of anagrams. Enjoy!

Gunter's line , n : (mathematics) A logarithmic line on a Gunter's scale, which is used to perform the multiplication and division of numbers mechanically with only dividers. telenursing n (medicine) The use of telecommunication technology to provide nursing services, including consulting with patients and receiving health data from them. To celebrate April Fools’ Day, we are featuring a series of anagrams. Enjoy!

magnoperate , v : (transitive) To magnify the greatness of (someone or something); to exalt. (intransitive) To act grandly. [...] (intransitive, rare) To work on one's magnum opus (“great or important work of art, literature, or music, a masterpiece; best, most popular, or most renowned achievement of an artist or author, representing their major life effort”). pomegranate n The fruit of the Punica granatum, about the size of an orange with a thick, hard, reddish skin enclosing many seeds, each with an edible pink or red pulp tasting both sweet and tart. The shrub or small tree that bears the fruit. A dark red or orange-red colour, like that of the pulp or skin of a pomegranate fruit. pomegranate:     (Australia, colloquial, derogatory, obsolete) A person of British descent, especially one who has (recently) immigrated to Australia; a pom, a pommy. pomegranate adj Of a colour like that of the pulp or skin of a pomegranate fruit; dark red or orange-red. To celebrate April Fo...

Schröderization , n : (politics) The co-opting and corruption of foreign business or political figures by hostile regimes. The former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, after whom this word was coined, was born on this day in 1944.

percontation , n : (formal, rare or obsolete) A question which cannot properly be given a one-word answer like “yes” or “no”. pernoctation n (formal) (uncountable) The action of abiding through the night at a location; (countable) an instance of this; an overnight stay. (uncountable) The action of walking about at night, especially as a vigil or watch; (countable) an instance of this. (countable, religion, chiefly Christianity, obsolete) A religious watch kept during normal sleeping hours, during which prayers or other ceremonies are performed; a vigil. To celebrate April Fools’ Day, we are featuring a series of anagrams. Enjoy!

gold star wife , n : (US military) The widow of a member of the United States armed forces who was killed in action. Today is Gold Star Wives or Gold Star Spouses Day in the United States, which recognizes the sacrifices made by the spouses of U.S. armed forces members who have fallen in the line of duty.

Easter , n : (Christianity) A Christian feast commemorating the resurrection of Jesus Christ, celebrated on the first Sunday (and Monday) following the full moon that occurs on or next after the vernal equinox, ranging from March 22 to April 25. Eastertide (“the period from Easter to Whitsun”). (specifically, Roman Catholicism, dated, now chiefly figuratively) Usually preceded by an inflection of make: the act of receiving the Eucharist during Easter. (education, law) Short for Easter term (“the summer term of the University of Cambridge, and other educational institutions, running from April to June; the third term of the legal year, running from April to May, during which the upper courts of England and Wales, and Ireland, sit to hear cases”). (paganism) A festival held in honour of the goddess Eostre or Ostara, celebrated at the vernal equinox or within the month of April; Eostre, Ostara. (obsolete) The Jewish Passover. [...] Easter v (intransitive) To celebrate Easter. (intransi...

anthropodicy , n : (Christianity, philosophy) An attempt, or an argument attempting, to justify that human beings are fundamentally good despite the commission of evil acts by some people. corytophanid n (herpetology (saurology)) Any lizard in the family Corytophanidae; a casquehead or helmeted lizard. To celebrate April Fools’ Day, we are featuring a series of anagrams. Enjoy!

reptatorial , adj : (zoology) Crawling, creeping. proletariat n (often derogatory, also figuratively) The lowest class of society; also, the lower classes of society generally; the masses. (Marxism) Wage earners collectively, excluding salaried workers; people who own no capital and depend on their labour for survival; the working class, especially when seen as engaged in a class struggle with the bourgeoisie (“the capital-owning class”). (chiefly Ancient Rome, historical) The lowest class of citizens, who had no property and few rights, and were regarded as contributing only their offspring to the state. To celebrate April Fools’ Day, we are featuring a series of anagrams. Enjoy!