Factoids
Factoid is a recent coinage that may leave you wondering what is real and what is not. The -oid suffix normally imparts the meaning "resembling, having the appearance of" to the words it attaches to....
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An acre is a conventional measure of area. It was defined in the time of Edward I (1272-1307) and was supposed to be the area that a yoke of oxen could plough in a day. Acre is derived from the Latin...
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Foederatus (pl. foederati) is a Latin term whose definition and usage drifted in the time between the early Roman Republic and the end of the Western Roman Empire. Early in the history of the Roman...
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The galactic anticenter is the point in the sky that lies in the direction opposite the center of the Milky Way galaxy. It is within the constellation Auriga, and Alnath is the closest bright star....
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In mathematics, Calabi-Yau manifolds are sometimes defined as compact Kähler manifolds whose canonical bundle is trivial, though many other similar but inequivalent definitions are sometimes used.
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Coral reefs can take a variety of forms; * Apron reef - short reef resembling a fringing reef, but more sloped; extending out and downward from a point or peninsular shore. * Fringing reef - reef that...
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At the foot of the Capitoline Hill, between the Curia and the Temple of Concord stood the Carcer, the only state prison of ancient Rome. It is sometimes called the Mamertine Prison. The carcer was the...
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skerrick -noun Australian. a small piece or quantity; a bit: Not even a skerrick of cake was left. Origin: 1930-35; orig. uncert.
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The Invisible Pink Unicorn (IPU) is a parody goddess used to satirize theistic beliefs, taking the form of a unicorn that is paradoxically both invisible and pink. This makes her a rhetorical...
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Brewing specifically refers to the process of steeping, such as with tea and water, and extraction, usually through heat. Wine and cider technically aren't brewed, rather vinted, as the entire fruit...
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Cannabis Sativa: These plants are characterized by long thin flowers and spiky leaves. They originate from equatorial regions where the growing season is hotter. They are not generally used for...
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Climax vegetation is the vegetation which establishes itself on a given site for given climatic conditions in the absence of anthropic action after a long time (it is the asymptotic or...
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A costermonger is a term that originally referred to a street seller of fruit (in particular the apple) and vegetables in Britain, but is now used to describe street vendors in general. The term,...
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In the history of Ireland, "surrender and regrant" was the legal mechanism by which Ireland was converted from a power structure rooted in clan and kin loyalties to a semi-feudal system under the...
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Blood tanistry is the principle that "the most talented male member of the royal dynasty should inherit the throne, commonly by murder and war". It is used to describe the practical ramifications of...
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Iraqi citizens often use the term Ali Baba to describe looting bandits, whether they be coalition troops or insurgents of any nationality. For protection against "Ali Baba," Iraqis are allowed one...
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The Tonbogiri is one of three legendary Japanese spears created by the famed swordsmith Masazane, said to be wielded by the daimyō Honda Tadakatsu. The spear derives its name from the myth that a...
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The majority owners of the new G.M. are the American and Canadian governments, which hold 72.5 percent. A union health care trust called a Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association, or VEBA, holds...
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A small settlement in the open countryside or the densely settled fringe of a large city may not be a place as defined by the Census Bureau. As of the 1990 Census, 26% of people in the United States...
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The Third Way is a term that has been used to describe a political position which attempts to transcend left-wing and right-wing politics by advocating a mix of some left-wing and right-wing policies....
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Although superficially similar, there are a number of physical and behavioural differences between the wisent and the American bison. The Wisent has 14 ribs, while the American bison has 15. Adult...
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