On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in the First World War, then known as âthe Great War.â Commemorated as Armistice Day beginning the following year, November 11th became a legal federal holiday in the United States in ...
Augury is the practice from ancient Roman religion of interpreting omens from the observed flight of birds. When the individual, known as the augur, interpreted these signs, it is referred to as taking the auspices. 'Augur' and 'auspices' are from the Latin auspicium and auspex, literally one who looks at birds. Depending upon the birds, the auspices from the gods could be favorable or unfavorable. Sometimes bribed or politically motivated augures would fabricate unfavorable auspices in orde
âº An idle âmoment or âperiod of âtime is one in which there is no âwork or âactivity: If you have an idle âmoment, âcall me. âº without âwork: Almost âhalf of the âworkforce are now idle. Idle also âmeans not âuseful or not âbased on âfact: idle speculation. idleness noun [U] us /ËÉÉªÂ·dÉlÂ·nÉs/. noun [U] us /ËÉÉªÂ·dÉlÂ·nÉs/. idly adverb us /ËÉÉªdÂ·li, -ÉlÂ·i/ âº I will not âstand idly by while my âbusiness is being âdestroyed.