The terms astronomy and astrology are commonly confused, which isn’t surprising, considering they both involve studying the stars and both begin with the combining form astro- (referring to stars or celestial bodies). However, only one of these star-gazing terms refers to a recognized branch of science. In this article, we will state the difference between astronomy and astrology, explain why only one is considered a …
Hypertonic, hypotonic, and isotonic are three words that are commonly used in science. Specifically, they are used to explain how water will flow between two different chemical solutions. Solutions with a lot of stuff in them, such as saltwater, are often referred to as hypertonic while plain ol’ water is said to be hypotonic. But what does this really mean? In this article, we will …
While we try to be careful, many of us have suffered a bruise every now and again. Bruises can result from many sources, such as accidental contact with table legs or awkward meetings of thumbs and hammers. But, medically speaking, what exactly is a bruise, and what medical terms do the professionals use to talk about bruises? A bruise is a discoloration that results from …
People often wonder about the difference between macro and micro and their combining forms, macro- and micro-. In particular, it is often unclear how they are used in the context of economics. In this article, we’ll put our money where our mouth is and break down the difference between macro- and micro- while explaining how they are used to mean different things in the words …
Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a blimp! Or, no, wait, is it a zeppelin? Is there really any difference between these oversized balloons? In this article, we will prove we aren’t full of hot air by breaking down the difference between a zeppelin and a blimp and explaining what airships and dirigibles are, too. Zeppelins and blimps both …
In the United States, the debt ceiling is often a major source of heated debate among members of Congress. Often, the president also finds themself brought into the debt ceiling battle. If you don’t follow politics or economics too closely, you might be wondering what the heck the debt ceiling is. Is it really so important that Congress needs to fight about it seemingly every …
Where in the world do people speak Spanish? If you sat down to make a list, you’d notice right away that the number of countries you can add to it is pretty substantial. Spanish is one of the most prevalent languages in the world, as it’s spoken not only in Spain and Mexico but also throughout North, Central, and South America and the African continent. …
by Min Straussman Lights! Camera! Vocabulary! Have you ever been stumped by the language used by film buffs and casual movie fans alike? To help you use and understand all of this language better, we have gathered a collection of essential film and movie terms. These expressions describe both the technical and artistic aspects of the moving picture, from how a film is shot to …
Ableist language doesn’t only consist of slurs. It comes in many forms, including some so familiar that you may have never stopped to think about their origins or implications. The term ableist language has two definitions in this dictionary, accounting for the different things it can refer to: words and phrases that devalue disabled people by using disability language or historical descriptions of disabilities as …
Self-coup, latine, rage farming, petfluencer, nearlywed, hellscape, talmbout, cakeage. Explore the explosive variety of new terms and meanings just added to Dictionary.com. by Nick Norlen, Senior Editor Historically significant moments. Stunningly advanced AI. Very expensive eggs. There is a lot happening out there, seeming as if it’s everything, everywhere, all at once. The events are relentless, but so is the pace with which language adapts …
Now more than ever, there’s a firehose of slang terms flowing from TikTok vids, Twitch streams, Twitter memes, and the other outlets of the extremely online. What’s a menty b? Why are TikTokers adding -ussy to everything? What does it mean to be told to touch grass? You might be sorry you asked, but we’re going to explain it all. We’ll also provide insights into …
Scrabble is a game that tests both your word knowledge and your relationship with the letter J. A rousing game of Scrabble often requires you to dig deep into your bag of tricks (or a thesaurus) to come up with rare and unusual words to maximize that triple word bonus. But sometimes you need just a little bit more help. What if you have a …