noun
the practice of excising the clitoris and labia of a girl or woman and stitching together the edges of the vulva to prevent sexual intercourse. It is traditional in some northeastern African cultures but is highly controversial
Friday, January 1, 2010
Word 910: Loam
noun
a fertile soil of clay and sand containing humus
• Geology a soil with roughly equal proportions of sand, silt, and clay
• a paste of clay and water with sand, chopped straw, etc., used in making bricks and plastering walls
a fertile soil of clay and sand containing humus
• Geology a soil with roughly equal proportions of sand, silt, and clay
• a paste of clay and water with sand, chopped straw, etc., used in making bricks and plastering walls
Word 909: Rondel
noun
1. a rondeau, esp. one of three stanzas of thirteen or fourteen lines, with the first two lines of the opening quatrain recurring at the end of the second quatrain and the concluding sestet
2. a circular object
1. a rondeau, esp. one of three stanzas of thirteen or fourteen lines, with the first two lines of the opening quatrain recurring at the end of the second quatrain and the concluding sestet
2. a circular object
Word 908: Weir
noun
a low dam built across a river to raise the level of water upstream or regulate its flow
• an enclosure of stakes set in a stream as a trap for fish
a low dam built across a river to raise the level of water upstream or regulate its flow
• an enclosure of stakes set in a stream as a trap for fish
Word 907: Grisaille
noun Art
a method of painting in gray monochrome, typically to imitate sculpture
• a painting or stained-glass window in this style
Word 904: Anabiosis
noun Zoology
a temporary state of suspended animation or greatly reduced metabolism
a temporary state of suspended animation or greatly reduced metabolism
Word 903: Mozzetta
noun ( pl. -zettas or -zette)
a short cape with a hood, worn by the pope, cardinals, and some other ecclesiastics in the Roman Catholic Church
Word 902: Faro
noun
a gambling card game in which players bet on the order in which the cards will appear
a gambling card game in which players bet on the order in which the cards will appear
Word 898: Bezoar
noun
a small stony concretion that may form in the stomachs of certain animals, esp. ruminants, and which was once used as an antidote for various ailments
a small stony concretion that may form in the stomachs of certain animals, esp. ruminants, and which was once used as an antidote for various ailments
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Word 897: Verbal overshadowing
noun Psychology
the tendency of verbalization to impair the recall of visual memories, resulting in unreliable eyewitness accounts
the tendency of verbalization to impair the recall of visual memories, resulting in unreliable eyewitness accounts
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