Archives: Word of the day

a word that has come to be used with a meaning less specific than it had originally, as awful, terrific, etc.

the systematic study of the punishment of crime, in both its deterrent and its reformatory aspects.

the branch of astrophysics that studies the soundwaves that propagate throughout the sun in order to investigate its internal structure and dynamics.

a scarf, usually of fur or wool, for covering the neck, or the neck and shoulders, and usually having ends hanging down in front.

ornaments, bric-a-brac, etc., of the Victorian period.

a spiral or twisted formation or object.

having radial symmetry.

a theory of ethics based on the notion that actions must be founded in duty and moral obligation supported by universal law (opposed to consequentialism).

an inflammatory infection of the intestines characterised by prolonged intermittent diarrhoea and caused by the protozoan Giardia lamblia.

either of two carnivorous mammals of the genus Bassariscus, of America, related to the raccoon but smaller, with a sharper snout and longer tail.