Heterozygous and homozygous are terms used in biology and genetics to indicate whether a living thing has two of the same copies of a gene for a particular trait, or whether it has two different ones. For example, let’s say one parent has black hair, and one has brown hair. One of their children might get two copies of the black hair gene, while another …
Can you honestly say that you’ve never felt a slight pang of concern when waking up on the morning of Friday the 13th? You’re not alone. Maybe it’s triskaidekaphobia, the fear of the number 13, that gets you down. But, if 13s don’t bother you unless it’s Friday, you might be susceptible to what’s sometimes known as paraskevidekatriaphobia or friggatriskaidekaphobia, instead. Whether you plan on …
When you think of something (or someone) sinister, there’s a good chance it’s not a pleasant picture. Sinister is an adjective that means “threatening or portending evil, harm, or trouble.” That shadowy, sinister figure lurking in the dark alley, for example. But the word sinister, which comes from Latin, originally meant “left” or “on the left hand or side.” Even back in Latin, though, sinister …
They say an elephant never forgets. In more than 60 years, the world’s leading conservation organization—World Wildlife Fund (WWF)—has never forgotten the elephant. And neither should we. In honor of World Elephant Day 2020, Dictionary.com teamed up with WWF to go behind the scenes and share new words relating to this type of pachyderm (a fun word that refers to very large mammals with thick …
You’ve probably noticed a lot of talk about inflation in the news. But what exactly is inflation, and why is it bad? And what about deflation? Inflation and deflation sound like opposites, so why do they both have negative connotations? Both terms have to do with spending power—how far your money goes. And both are considered indicators of the direction that an economy is going. …
The 2021 Olympics closed August 8 and the Summer Paralympics ended Sept. 5, and while we did enjoy the athletic feats on display, it eventually came time to say sayonara. Do you know why? Well, both the Summer Olympic Games and Paralympics, a multi-sport event that draws athletes with disabilities from more than 100 countries, took place in the island nation of Japan. Sayonara is one way …
By Ashley Austrew Vocabulary is one of the keys to literacy, and having a strong foundational vocabulary can help kids learn more and perform better across many different subjects. Luckily, at Dictionary.com, we have customized word lists to help learners at every level improve their vocabularies, work on their spelling, and more. Getting ready for a new school year has never been simpler than with …
If you’re in Europe, it’s likely you’re taking an extended holiday during the month of August. If you’re anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere, you might just be trying to stay cool. August, a word that means “inspiring reverence or admiration,” is the name of the eighth month of the year in our Gregorian calendar. It’s the sixth month of the ancient Roman calendar used by the Roman kingdom …
by Mariel Jungkunz Whatever you know about the Caribbean, there’s one key fact that may surprise you: there are more than 7,000 islands in the region. The region encompasses the entire Caribbean Sea, which is bound to the west by Mexico and Central America, to the north by Cuba, and to the south by South America. But it goes beyond the borders of this sea. …
What’s the difference between a fiddle and a violin, anyway? They seem to look exactly the same, so why the different names? Was the fiddler on the roof secretly a violinist? And what exactly was Nero playing? No fiddlin’ around—just answers to your burning questions about the fiddle and the violin. The words fiddle and violin are two names for the same stringed instrument—fiddle is …
An anion, pronounced [ an-ahy-uhn ], is a type of ion—an electrically charged atom or group of atoms. A cation is a type of ion for cats (OK, fine, that’s not true, but it is pronounced [ kat-ahy-uhn ] ). But seriously: anions and cations are both ions. The difference is in the electrical charge. Anions have a negative charge, and cations have a positive …
by Min Straussman For many of us, our parents’ siblings are a big part of our life—from providing love and support to, let’s be honest, spoiling us. National Aunts and Uncles Day on July 26 is a time to honor and show our appreciation for these family members (and not just because they let us do the stuff our parents wouldn’t). But, perhaps because they’re …