Wiktionary:Word of the day/Archive/2023/January

1. (Isle of Man) The first person one encounters, either after leaving one's home or (sometimes) outside one's home, especially on New Year's Day; a first-foot.

Happy New Year from all of us at the English Wiktionary!

1. (idiomatic) Not easily categorized; not rightly belonging or fitting well in a given group or situation; also, not having the advantages of the various options.

1. The layer of gravel or other foundation on which a railway track is laid.
2. (loosely) The land on which a railway (especially one that has been closed or dismantled) was built; the roadbed for a railroad.

1. (transitive, idiomatic) To exert considerable effort to change (someone or something) into a desired state.

1. A rare species or type of bird.
2. (figuratively) A rare or unique, and thus outstanding or unusual, person or thing; a rare bird.

Today is National Bird Day in the U.S.A., which is promoted by the Avian Welfare Coalition to encourage the leaving of birds in the wild and to improve the welfare of birds in captivity.

1. A manifestation of the divinity of Jesus Christ, especially to the Magi (Matthew 2:1–12), but also at his baptism and the Wedding at Cana.
2. An annual Christian feast celebrating these events, usually on January 6, the twelfth day after Christmas.
3. The day of the celebration, January 6, or sometimes (in Western Christianity), the Sunday between January 2 and 8.
4. The season or time of the Christian church year, either from the Epiphany feast day to Shrove Tuesday (the day before Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent), or from the Epiphany feast day to the feast of Candlemas (marking the presentation of Jesus Christ in the Temple in Jerusalem).

In Western Christianity, today is Epiphany, which commemorates the visit of the Magi to the Christ child.

1. (archaic or obsolete)
   1. A period of seven consecutive days and nights; a week.
   2. (attributively) Preceded by a specified day such as Sunday, today, or yesterday: a week from (either before or after) the specified day.
2. (obsolete)
   1. Preceded by a specified day and come: a week after the specified day.
   2. Preceded by a specified day and gone or was: a week before the specified day.

1. (transitive)
   1. (chiefly jazz) To play (a musical instrument or passage of music) or to sing (a passage of music) in an improvisatory or lighthearted manner; also, to play (a series of ornamental notes) on an instrument.
   2. (US, informal) To ponder or think about (something).
2. (intransitive)
   1. (chiefly jazz) To play a musical instrument or to sing in an improvisatory or lighthearted manner; also, to play a series of ornamental notes on an instrument.
   2. (US, informal)
      1. To ponder or think, especially in an unproductive or unsystematic manner; to muse.
      2. To attempt in an informal or uncertain manner; to fiddle.
      3. Often followed by about or around: to mess around, to play.

noodle n

1. (usually in the plural) A string or flat strip of pasta or other dough, usually cooked (at least initially) by boiling, and served in soup or in a dry form mixed with a sauce and other ingredients.
2. (by extension) An object which is long and thin like a noodle (sense 1).
   1. (informal) Short for pool noodle (“a long, slender tube or rod, extruded from buoyant foam and usually brightly coloured, used as an exercise tool or toy in swimming pools”).
3. (archaic) A dumpling cooked by boiling and served in soup; a knaidel or knödel.

The Venetian explorer Marco Polo died on this day in 1324. A persistent myth, believed to have originated in the early 20th century, is that he introduced noodles from China to Italy, thus leading to the invention of pasta.

1. In full normal backwardation: the situation in a futures market where the price for future delivery of a commodity (the forward price) is lower than the price for immediate delivery (the spot price) or nearer delivery, generally arising from a near-term shortage of the commodity.
2. The situation in a stock market where the offer price for stock is lower than the bid price.
3. (obsolete) In the London Stock Exchange: a fee paid by a seller on settlement day either to the buyer or to a third party who lends stock, when the seller wishes to defer settlement until the next settlement day.

1. (also figuratively) Unwieldy because of size or weight; cumbersome.
2. (obsolete)
   1. Causing hindrance or obstruction.
   2. Giving annoyance or trouble; troublesome, vexatious.

1. (physiology, historical) A sperm cell or spermatozoon; also, the embryo that was formerly thought to be contained inside a spermatozoon in a fully developed state.
2. (zoology, archaic) A microscopic aquatic animal, including protozoa and rotifers.
3. (obsolete) A small animal.

1. (British, informal) To a great extent; by far.

1. (biology) A kind of plant virus associated with latent infection of the host, and not transmissible by many means.

1. (computing) A type of malware that is used for extortion by encrypting user files and asking for payment in exchange for the decryption key.

1. (intransitive, Australia, British, New Zealand, idiomatic) To go awry; to go wrong.

1. (weaponry, historical) A large weapon of war used during ancient and medieval times to batter fortifications, settlements, etc.; specifically, a trebuchet or other type of catapult.

1. Capable of being drawn or stretched out in length.
2. Pertaining to traction or pulling.
3. (dated) Capable of being guided, influenced, or led.
4. (obsolete, rare) Of financial assets: able to be drawn or procured from a place of deposit; liquid.

1. (music, slang, rare) A performer of crunk music.

The American rapper Lil Jon, who is regarded as instrumental in the development of crunk, was born on this day in 1971.

1. (computing) Preceded by a qualifying word: of a computer: storing multibyte numbers with the most significant byte at a particular memory address; for example, at the smallest address (big-endian) or the largest address (little-endian).

1. (archaic) A set of rooms in a building used as an office or a residential apartment.
2. (by extension, law)
   1. Chiefly in in chambers: a judge's private office which is used for hearings that do not need to be held in open court.
   2. (British) Originally, a set of rooms at an Inn of Court used by one or more barristers as an office and residence; now, the office of one or more barristers in any building.
3. Euphemistic form of chamber pot (“a container used for defecation and urination”); also, synonym of potty (“a small (chiefly plastic) pot used by children for defecation and urination when toilet-training”).
4. (British, historical) In full king's chambers: parts of the sea next to the coast of England and Wales delimited by imaginary lines connecting headlands, over which the Crown asserted exclusive jurisdiction; these have now been superseded by the concept of the territorial sea.

1. Behind or late in payment or rent; in arrears.
2. Not in a good financial state; unprosperous.
3. Not in good health; sickly, unhealthy.

back-ganging n (chiefly Northern England, Scotland)

1. A going back; a returning; also, the way back.
2. A deterioration, especially in circumstances or health; a relapse, a retrograde.

1. (weaponry) A weapon that does not use explosives or fire.

1. Of a thing: done with evasive or guilty secrecy.
2. Of a thing: that has been acquired by theft; stolen; also (generally) taken stealthily.
3. Of a person or an animal: sly, stealthy.
4. Of a person, etc.: inclined to steal; pilfering, thieving.

1. (chiefly mammalogy, also figuratively) Of, relating to, or resembling a hare or rabbit.

leporine n (mammalogy)

1. Synonym of leporid (“any mammal of the family Leporidae: the hares and rabbits”)
2. (historical) A supposed hybrid between a hare and a rabbit, now known not to exist; a leporide.

Today is the second day of the Chinese New Year. According to the Chinese zodiac, it is the year of the rabbit.

1. Something (especially a series of ideas, letters, words, etc.) used to help in remembering a thing; a memory aid.
2. (computing) The human-readable, textual form of an assembly language instruction, not including operands.
3. (obsolete) Synonym of mnemonics (“the study of techniques for remembering anything more easily”)

mnemonic adj

1. Especially of a series of ideas, letters, words, etc.: intended to help in remembering.
2. Of or relating to mnemonics (“the study of techniques for remembering anything more easily”).
3. Of or relating to memory.

Today is the International Day of Education, which is recognized by the United Nations to emphasize the importance of ensuring equitable and inclusive education at all levels so that people may acquire the knowledge and skills needed to participate fully in society and contribute towards sustainable development.

1. (Scotland) Used to wish someone well, especially as a drinking toast or a farewell.

Burns night is held on this date in celebration of the Scottish poet and lyricist Robert Burns (born on 25 January 1759), and usually involves Scottish foods and recitals of his poetry.

1. (historical)
   1. (medicine) Of, pertaining to, caused by, or characteristic of cowpox.
   2. (by extension, immunology) Of or pertaining to cowpox as a source of material for vaccination against smallpox; also, of or pertaining to such material used for vaccination.
2. (archaic) Of, pertaining to, or derived from cattle or cows.

vaccine n

1. (immunology)
   1. A substance given to stimulate a body's production of antibodies and provide immunity against a disease without causing the disease itself in the treatment, prepared from the agent that causes the disease (or a derivative of it; or a related, also effective, but safer disease), or a synthetic substitute; also, a dose of such a substance.
   2. The process of vaccination; immunization, inoculation.
   3. (historical) Material taken from cowpox pustules used for vaccination against smallpox.
   4. (also medicine, obsolete) The disease cowpox, especially as a source of material for vaccination against smallpox.
2. (figuratively)
   1. Something defensive or protective in nature, like a vaccine (sense 1.1).
   2. (computing) A software program which protects computers against, or detects and neutralizes, computer viruses and other types of malware; an antivirus.

vaccine v

1. (transitive, archaic) Synonym of vaccinate (“to treat (a person or an animal) with a vaccine to produce immunity against a disease”)

The British physician and scientist Edward Jenner, who pioneered the concept of vaccines and created the world’s first vaccine—the smallpox vaccine, died on this day 200 years ago in 1823.

1. (Australia, New Zealand)
   1. An informal gossip network, especially in a rural area such as the outback; also, a component in the network (either a person or an imagined wire).
   2. A message or story transmitted through such an informal network, especially one containing false information.
2. (Australia, historical) A system for long-distance communication used by Aboriginal Australians, chiefly using smoke signals; also, a message or signal sent using such a system.

Yesterday was Australia Day, the national day of Australia.

1. Extremely offensive or unpleasant; very annoying, contemptible, or odious.
2. (archaic or obsolete) Exposed or vulnerable to something, especially harm or injury.
3. (obsolete)
   1. Causing harm or injury; harmful, hurtful, injurious.
   2. Deserving of blame or punishment; blameworthy, guilty.
   3. Under the authority or power of someone; subject, subordinate; hence, deferential, submissive, subservient.
   4. Followed by to: likely to do something.

1. Of or pertaining to Jesus Christ as Lord.
2. (archaic) Of or pertaining to the Lord's Day, Sunday.
3. (historical) Of or pertaining to the ancient system of dominical letters, used for determining Sundays (particularly Easter Sunday) in any given year.
   1. (figuratively, obsolete) Of printed text: in a large size.
   2. (figuratively, obsolete) Red, ruddy.

dominical n (Christianity)

1. A person who keeps Sunday as a day of rest, but does not regard it as representing the Sabbath of the Old Testament of the Bible.
2. (British, historical) A payment legally due from a parishioner to the parish, because the parishioner's house was built on land, ownership of which would have originally obliged the landowner to pay a tithe to the parish.
3. (obsolete)
   1. The Lord's Day; Sunday.
   2. Short for dominical letter.

1. A physical or emotional confrontation; a battle, a fight; also, a bitter rivalry.
2. A significant or humiliating setback or defeat; a beating, a thrashing.

The American professional wrestling promotion World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) was founded as Capitol Wrestling Corporation this month 70 years ago in 1953.

1. (transitive)
   1. To keep (something, such as an aircraft) in a stationary state in the air.
   2. Of a bird: to shelter (chicks) under its body and wings; (by extension) of a thing: to cover or surround (something).
   3. (obsolete) Of a bird or insect: to flap (its wings) so it can remain stationary in the air.
2. (intransitive)
   1. To remain stationary or float in the air.
   2. (figuratively)
      1. Sometimes followed by over: to hang around or linger in a place, especially in an uncertain manner.
      2. To be indecisive or uncertain; to vacillate, to waver.
   3. (computing) Chiefly followed by over: to use a mouse or other device to place a cursor over something on a screen such as a hyperlink or icon without clicking, so as to produce a result (such as the appearance of a tooltip).
   4. (nautical) To travel in a hovercraft as it moves above a water surface.

hover n

1. An act, or the state, of remaining stationary in the air or some other place.
2. A flock of birds fluttering in the air in one place.
3. (figuratively) An act, or the state, of being suspended; a suspension.
4. (chiefly Southern England) A cover; a protection; a shelter; specifically, an overhanging bank or stone under which fish can shelter; also, a shelter for hens brooding their eggs.