slap
Slap is slang verb meaning “to be excellent or amazing.” It’s especially used to refer to a song someone finds extremely good, as in This song slaps! Translation? When a track makes you want to…
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What Are Antibodies, And Do They Kill Viruses?
Terms and concepts to understand coronavirus antibody testing by John Kelly, Senior Research Editor at Dictionary.com Testing continues to be a major story—and concern—amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes diagnostic testing to determine if one is infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. It also includes serological tests to determine if a person has antibodies that can signal immunity to COVID-19. But what does serological …
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wet market
A wet market is a market that sells perishable foods such as meat, fish, fruits, and vegetables. Wet markets can be found around the world, but are especially common in China and Southeast Asia. A… -
Why Is The Name “Jack” Used In So Many Nursery Rhymes and Fairy Tales?
Since Jack went up the hill with Jill, Jack jumped over the candlestick, and Jack climbed the beanstalk (to name just a few of his exploits,) he must be wiped out. Doesn’t it seem like a disproportionate number of nursery rhymes and fairy tales contain a hero named Jack? Is this just a coincidence? What’s a nursery rhyme vs. a fairy tale? First things first, …
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Make Your Own Comic Book With Our Printable Template Comic Book
What’s better than a comic book when you’re a kid? How about a free printable comic book that doubles as a writing prompt for kids? Bam! Sure, reading comic books (and graphic novels for that matter) is a classic kid activity and one that’s expert-approved for helping kids commit to a lifelong love of reading. Look no further than the likes of Captain Underpants, Diary …
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“M.D.” vs. “Ph.D.” vs. “Dr.”: Are They Synonyms?
Quick: when you hear the word doctor, what do you picture? Most would probably describe someone in a white lab coat with a stethoscope hanging around their neck or someone in medical scrubs—someone you would seek out if you have a deep cut that needed stitches. That word doctor, however, is a title assigned to many who don’t come close to that description, many of …
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Easy As A, B, C: Fun Ways To Help Kids Learn Their Letters
By Lindsay Barrett Parents, caregivers, and educators celebrate children’s mastery of the ABCs as an important milestone on the road to reading and writing. But, there’s much more to learning the alphabet than a cute rendition of the ABC song. Here’s the lowdown on the different aspects of learning about letters—and plenty of fun activities to help your children or students become alphabet experts. How …
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Coronavirus: The Words You Need To Understand The News
by John Kelly, Senior Research Editor at Dictionary.com The situation of the coronavirus outbreak is changing fast. And news and information about the disease can be overwhelming, not least of which are the many new, confusing, and technical terms being used about the outbreak. Understanding these terms is essential to helping people stay informed and safe—and we take seriously our role in defining and explaining …