Definition:
1 : to relieve of a responsibility, obligation, or hardship
2 : to clear from accusation or blame
Examples:
Dana was exonerated for the crime of taking the money after it was found that her fingerprints did not match those on the cashbox.
“… a 2015 measure approved by the Legislature will provide more opportunities for convicted people to request DNA testing of evidence that might exonerate them.” — The Daily Herald(Everett, Washington), 23 Dec. 2015
by MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARIES.
Did you know that the official language in Angola is Portuguese, but they also speak Bantu and other African languages?
And did you know that Angolans greet by shaking hands but when introduced to an older person or to someone with a higher position, Angolans typically bow their heads as a sign of respect? Africans are always disciplined, you know? That is the Southern hospitality.
Definition:
: marked by or suggestive of high spirits and lively mirthfulness.
Examples:
Clayton gave a jocund shout when he entered the room and saw the many friends who had come for his surprise 50th birthday celebration.
“The jocund nature of Beethoven’s Second Symphony is in utter contradiction with Beethoven’s pathetic letter expressing the despair of inevitable deafness, both written at approximately the same time.” — D. S. Crafts, The Albuquerque (New Mexico) Journal, 13 Jan. 2012
by MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARIES.
Definition:
: former.
Examples:
I was pleased to find an interview with the whilom president of my alma mater in the local paper.
“On the eastern side settlement and agriculture have all but obliterated the whilom tallgrass prairie, so that it is hardly visible to anyone who would not seek it out on hands and knees….” — William Least Heat-Moon, The Atlantic, September 1991
by MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARIES.
Did you know that Poles eat pizza with ketchup? Pizza, or zapiekanka, in Poland does not contain tomato sauce. It is a popular street food served on a baguette with melted cheese, mushrooms, and ketchup.
And did you know that Poland is the 6th most populous and the 6th largest of the European Union’s 27 member states? Most of the country is flat, with an average elevation of 173 meters.
Definition:
: to indulge in the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences.
Examples:
Justin met up with some of his college buddies to reminisce about old times.
“Most of us have a comfort food we eat when we are reminiscing, sad or depressed.” — Marion Goldberg, The Poughkeepsie (New York) Journal, 16 Dec. 2015
by MERRIAM-WEBSTER DICTIONARIES.
Last month we started with the category: “Did you know?” where each day we post a few interesting facts of one country. Our house has many nationalities and we thought it was a great thing to share with the community.
This month, we are feeling proactive, so we start with the category of “Word of the Day” where each day we will learn a new word in English so we can improve our vocabulary. 🙂
Hope you all like it!
New Portena Team.
Did you know that The Republic of Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world in terms of area: 2 million 724.9 thousand sq. km (152089.77 sq.miles) and that it is also the world’s largest landlocked country bordering Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan?
Kazakhstan is a multicultural country with more than 120 ethnic groups and nationalities including Kazakh, Russian, Korean, German, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Uzbek, Poles, and Lithuanians to name a few.
