figurative use en
41hectic — 1. The meaning that is now the dominant one, ‘busy and confused’, is fairly recent (early 20c) and has developed in the same way as the figurative meaning of feverish. Hectic was originally an adjective or noun referring to the kind of fever that …
42Erosion — is the carrying away or displacement of solids (sediment, soil, rock and other particles) usually by the agents of currents such as, wind, water, or ice by downward or down slope movement in response to gravity or by living organisms (in the case …
43rock — {{11}}rock (n.) stone, O.E. rocc (in stanrocc stone rock or obelisk ), also from O.N.Fr. roque, from M.L. rocca (767), from V.L. *rocca, of uncertain origin, sometimes said to be from Celtic (Cf. Bret. roch). It seems to have been used in Middle… …
44Rosetta Stone — For other uses, see Rosetta Stone (disambiguation). The Rosetta Stone in the British Museum The Rosetta Stone is an ancient Egyptian granodiorite stele …
45arrogate — vb Arrogate, usurp, preempt, appropriate, confiscate mean to seize or assume something by more or less high handed methods. Arrogate (commonly followed by to and a reflexive pronoun) implies an unwarranted and usually an insolent or presumptuous… …
46Cradle of civilization — This article is about society beginnings. For the beginning of humanity before writing, see History of the world. For other uses, see Cradle of Humankind (disambiguation). The Fertile Crescent is the place most cited by scholars as the cradle of… …
47Pillory — The pillory was a device used in punishment by public humiliation and often additional, sometimes lethal, physical abuse.The word is documented in English since 1274 (attested in Anglo Latin from c.1189), and stems from Old French pellori (1168;… …
48Goddess — For other uses, see Goddess (disambiguation). A statue of the Hindu goddess Saraswati …
49Witch (etymology) — The etymology of the word witch traces back to the Old English language with the German and Indo European languages as possible older sources. Germanic etymologyThe word witch derives from the Old English nouns IPA|/ˈwitʧɑ/ (masc.) sorcerer,… …
50Moving the goalposts — (or shifting the goalposts) is a metaphor meaning changing the target of a process or competition by one side in order to gain advantage.[1] Contents 1 Etymology 2 As abuse 3 As logical fallacy …
