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Definition of homework

Examples of homework in a sentence.

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'homework.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1662, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Dictionary Entries Near homework

Cite this entry.

“Homework.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/homework. Accessed 11 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

Kids definition of homework, more from merriam-webster on homework.

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for homework

Nglish: Translation of homework for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of homework for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about homework

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Definition of homework noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• I always do my homework on the bus.
• physics/geography/French, etc. homework
• I still haven't done my geography homework.
• How much homework do you get?
• for homework I have to write up the notes for homework.
• (especially North American English) I have to finish this homework assignment .
• acquire/​get/​lack (an) education/​training/ (British English) (some) qualifications
• receive/​provide somebody with training/​tuition
• develop/​design/​plan a curriculum/ (especially British English) course/ (North American English) program/​syllabus
• give/​go to/​attend a class/​lesson/​lecture/​seminar
• hold/​run/​conduct a class/​seminar/​workshop
• sign up for/​take a course/​classes/​lessons
• go to/​start preschool/​kindergarten/​nursery school
• be in (North American English) the first, second, etc. grade/ (British English) year 1, 2. etc. (at school)
• study/​take/​drop history/​chemistry/​German, etc.
• (British English) leave/​finish/​drop out of/ (North American English) quit school
• (North American English) graduate high school/​college
• be the victim/​target of bullying
• (British English) play truant from/ (both British English, informal) bunk off/​skive off school (= not go to school when you should)
• (both especially North American English) skip/​cut class/​school
• (British English) cheat in/ (North American English) cheat on an exam/​a test
• get/​be given a detention (for doing something)
• be expelled from/​be suspended from school
• do your homework/ (British English) revision/​a project on something
• work on/​write/​do/​submit an essay/​a dissertation/​a thesis/​an assignment/ (North American English) a paper
• finish/​complete your dissertation/​thesis/​studies/​coursework
• hand in/ (North American English) turn in your homework/​essay/​assignment/​paper
• study/​prepare/ (British English) revise/ (North American English) review/ (North American English, informal) cram for a test/​an exam
• take/ (both British English) do/​sit a test/​an exam
• (especially British English) mark/ (especially North American English) grade homework/​a test
• (British English) do well in/ (North American English) do well on/ (especially North American English, informal) ace a test/​an exam
• pass/​fail/ (especially North American English, informal) flunk a test/​an exam/​a class/​a course/​a subject
• apply to/​get into/​go to/​start college/ (British English) university
• leave/​graduate from law school/​college/ (British English) university (with a degree in computer science)
• study for/​take/ (British English) do/​complete a law degree/​a degree in physics
• (both North American English) major/​minor in biology/​philosophy
• earn/​receive/​be awarded/​get/​have/​hold a master’s degree/​a bachelor’s degree/​a PhD in economics
• Have you finished your homework?
• Have you done your physics homework yet?
• I was helping my sister with her maths homework.
• The homework assignments are worth 10% of the final grade.
• I have some homework to do on the Civil War.
• I want you to hand in this homework on Friday.
• The science teacher always gives a lot of homework.
• They get a lot of homework in English.
• They get masses of homework at secondary school.
• We had to write out one of the exercises for homework.
• for homework
• homework  on

Join our community to access the latest language learning and assessment tips from Oxford University Press!

• You could tell that he had really done his homework (= found out all he needed to know) .

Nearby words

Definition of 'homework'

homework in American English

Homework in british english, examples of 'homework' in a sentence homework, related word partners homework, trends of homework.

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• homeward journey
• homework assignment
• homework club
• homework diary
• All ENGLISH words that begin with 'H'

Related terms of homework

• do homework
• school homework
• homework exercise
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[ hohm -wurk ]

• schoolwork assigned to be done outside the classroom ( distinguished from classwork ).
• a single assignment of such schoolwork: Homeworks are due at the beginning of class.
• paid work done at home , as piecework.

to do one's homework for the next committee meeting.

/ ˈhəʊmˌwɜːk /

• school work done out of lessons, esp at home
• any preparatory study
• work done at home for pay

Discover More

Word history and origins.

Origin of homework 1

Idioms and Phrases

Example sentences.

Now, they log on to Zoom from their bedrooms, surrounded by unfinished homework assignments and tattered stuffed animals, waiting to be assigned calls, texts and emails by the trained therapists who oversee the program.

Yow started her homework and saw Frese had gone 35-22 with two winning seasons at Ball State, which hadn’t had a winning record in its previous nine seasons.

Do some homework before investing in a diamond, and that lifelong commitment.

Another poster included an image of their losses over what appeared to be online math homework.

As we countdown to Inauguration Day, I've been doing my homework—and looking to the past for inspiration.

“I can help my children with their homework and sometimes we text in English at my job,” Santos says.

Scheunemann, meanwhile, had no idea who Spencer was, and did some homework.

She jumped at the chance to watch RT, or jumped at the chance to skip calculus homework.

And we encourage parent-student “contracts,” for class attendance, homework submission and even extra-curriculum activities.

Adicéam did his homework, spending 50 days collecting pieces, many with unexpected stories behind them.

Much of this homework is done by a very bad light and the boy's eyes suffer much.

For homework we have prepared alphabets where the letters are printed in type-writing order.

His parents were always getting angry with him for losing his clothes, or his toys, or his homework.

Only at the time when he was going to Beauregard School, with his homework.

And once a week or twice a week she was sending her homework or something to him.

Related Words

• arrangement
• construction
• establishment
• preparedness
• qualification

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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homework noun

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What does the noun homework mean?

There are three meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun homework . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the noun homework ?

How is the noun homework pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the noun homework come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun homework is in the mid 1600s.

OED's earliest evidence for homework is from 1653, in the writing of Edmund Chillenden, parliamentarian army officer and General Baptist leader.

homework is formed within English, by compounding.

Etymons: home n. 1 , work n.

Nearby entries

• homeward-bounder, n. 1837–
• homeward-bound pennant, n. 1853–
• homewardly, adv. 1797–
• homewards, adv. & adj. Old English–
• homeware, n. 1782–
• home waters, n. 1838–
• home wear, n. 1836–
• home-whining, n. a1657
• home wind, n. 1732–
• home-woe, n. 1838–
• homework, n. 1653–
• homework club, n. 1900–
• homework diary, n. 1973–
• homeworker, n. 1843–
• homeworking, n. 1844–
• home-working, adj. 1850–
• home worship, n. 1849–
• homewort, n. Old English–
• home-wreck, n. 1845–
• home-wrecker, n. 1878–
• home-wrecking, n. 1878–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for homework, n..

homework, n. was revised in September 2011.

homework, n. was last modified in September 2023.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into homework, n. in September 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

A Supplement to the New English Dictionary (1933)

• Find out more

OED Second Edition (1989)

• View homework in OED Second Edition

Please submit your feedback for homework, n.

Please include your email address if you are happy to be contacted about your feedback. OUP will not use this email address for any other purpose.

Citation details

Factsheet for homework, n., browse entry.

What is Cinco de Mayo? Holiday's meaning and origins tied to famous 1862 battle

So much more than just a day of drinking and partying, Cinco de Mayo is a day rich in history and culture for Mexico.

Celebrated annually on May 5, Cinco de Mayo recognizes Mexico's victory over the Second French Empire led by Napoleon III at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. The holiday has since become perhaps more popular in the U.S. than in Mexico and is often celebrated by people of Mexican American heritage.

The holiday's name, Cinco de Mayo, translates to the fifth of May. This year, it is on Sunday, May 5.

Cities around the U.S. celebrate every year with parades, festivals, music and more, from Los Angeles to Chicago and everywhere in between. Restaurants and brands have gotten in on the action as well, offering food and drink deals throughout the weekend.

Here's what to know about the origins of Cinco de Mayo, and why it's celebrated in the U.S. today.

What does Cinco de Mayo celebrate? Origins tied to 1862 battle

Mexican Independence Day, or Día de la Independencia, came on Sept. 16, 1810, when the country broke free of Spanish rule.

Cinco de Mayo came more than 50 years later when French Emperor Napoleon III wanted to claim Mexico for himself.

The French sent troops to force Mexico's President Benito Juárez and the government out of Veracruz. On May 5, 1862, in a small town in east-central Mexico called  Puebla, 2,000 Mexican soldiers faced 6,000 French troops  at daybreak. Incredibly, Mexico claimed victory by the evening, and Juárez declared May 5 a national holiday.

The battle also played a role in the American Civil War. With the French defeated and leaving North America, the Confederacy wasn't able to use them as an ally to win the war.

So, why are so many Americans still confused?

"Everyone thinks that it's just party time, it's Corona time," Mario García, a Chicanx historian from the University of California at Santa Barbara, previously told USA TODAY.

"It's OK for people to go out and have a good time on a holiday like Cinco de Mayo − at least they have some sense that it's some kind of a Mexican holiday," García said. "But we should go beyond that. We should have Cinco de Mayo events that go beyond partying and drinking, where we call attention to what the history is."

Part of the confusion among many Americans about what Cinco de Mayo celebrates is likely because it's much catchier-sounding and easier for English speakers to say than the day of Mexico's independence (Diez y seis de Septiembre), García said last year.

The holiday serves as a reminder of the importance of Chicanx history and its people's contributions to the U.S.

"When you study the history of Chicanos and Latinos, of course, they've been history makers," García said previously. "They've been involved in all aspects of American history, not to mention the wars ... In World War II alone, almost half a million Latinos – mostly Mexican Americans – fought in the war. And they won a disproportionate number of congressional Medals of Honor."

Why is Cinco de Mayo more popular in the U.S. than Mexico?

While there are Cinco De Mayo celebrations throughout Mexico, notably in the city of Puebla, the event doesn't compare to the celebrations of Día de la Independencia, García said.  

Meanwhile in the U.S., Cinco de Mayo has become an annual celebration of Mexican American culture.

The celebration of Cinco de Mayo began as a form of resistance to the effects of the Mexican-American War in the late 19th century. The holiday gained popularity during the  Chicano Movement  of the 1960s and 1970s.

"It becomes a Chicano holiday, in many ways, linked to the Chicano movement, because we discover Mexicans resisting a foreign invader," García said. "They link the struggle of the Chicano movement to Cinco de Mayo."

By the 1980s, companies began commercializing the holiday, especially beer companies and restaurants offering Cinco de Mayo specials and cocktails. García jokingly refers to the day as "Corona Day." 

This Cinco de Mayo, García hopes everyone enjoys their Coronas, but perhaps with a little history lesson to wash it down.

Cinco de Mayo events around the U.S.

San Diego : San Diego's Cinco de Mayo celebrations will be held May 4 and 5 in Old Town San Diego . Activities include live music, folklorico, dining and drink specials.

Denver : The Mile High city has a whole host of holiday-related activities over the weekend of May 4 for Cinco de Mayo Denver , from a community parade to a taco eating contest. Events will be held May 4-5 at Denver Civic Center Park from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

St. Paul, Minnesota : St. Paul's annual Cinco de Mayo celebration is in the city's West Side neighborhood and is one of Minnesota's largest Latino events. This year, festivities will be held May 4 starting at 10 a.m. and will include a parade, car and bike show and a dog show.

San Antonio, Texas : The city is sponsoring Cinco de Mayo celebrations through the holiday weekend in the Historic Market Square including live bands, Folklorico dance performances, Mariachi, food booths and more, running May 4-5.

Chicago : Chicago will celebrate Cinco de Mayo on May 5 with an annual parade that begins noon at the intersection of Cermak Road and Wood Street and heads west through Cermak Road to Marshall Boulevard. A festival at Douglas Park follows the parade, featuring live music, food, vendors and a carnival.

Los Angeles : Fiesta Broadway , one of the largest Latino and Cinco de Mayo festivals in the world runs down four blocks in Downtown Los Angeles. The annual festival happened this year on April 28, according to event organizers.

Cinco de Mayo deals

Of course, many restaurants will be offering discounts and promotions on May 5. Here are a few.

• Abuelo's : Visit May 5 for $5 specials all day on Mexican Grande Draft Beer, Mexican Flag Margarita, La Grandeza Margarita and Chile con Queso. In store only.
• Chevy's Fresh Mex : All day happy hour Friday, May 3-Saturday 4. Enjoy $4, $6, $8 and $10 specials in the cantina. On Sunday, May 5, enjoy a boozy brunch from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. with $12 bottomless mimosas and Bloody Marys. From 3 p.m. to close, enjoy margarita, beer and shot specials and $4 tacos.
• Chipotle : From May 1-5, use code "CINCO24" at checkout for a $0 delivery fee. Higher menu prices and additional services fees apply.
• Chuy's : Order a regular House 'Rita for $6 or a Grande House 'Rite for $10 and keep the giveaway cup, while supplies last. Enjoy $1 tequila floaters all day and Chips 'N' Dips for $5 all day Sunday.
• El Torito : All day happy hour May 3-4. Enjoy $4, $6, $8 and $10 specials in the cantina. Sunday May 5, enjoy all-you-can-eat-brunch from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with bottomless mimosas, $5 Bloody Marys, Micheladas and margaritas. From 2 p.m. to close, enjoy margaritas, beer, shot specials and $4 tacos.

Watch CBS News

Some students want their colleges to divest from Israel. Here's what that really means.

By Aimee Picchi

Edited By Anne Marie Lee

Updated on: May 6, 2024 / 6:51 PM EDT / CBS News

College endowments, usually a sleepy part of a university's operations, are now front and center in the campus protests that are spreading across the nation, with students holding up signs with slogans such as "Disclose! Divest!" and "Divest from death now!"

These demands are central to the student protesters' efforts, with many of the students condemning what they see as their universities' financial support for  Israel's war in Gaza . At Brown University, for example, student protesters  charge that the school's $6.6 billion endowment will remain "complicit" until it divests "from Israel and the military-industrial complex."

The push for schools to divest from Israel is putting a spotlight on the world of college endowments, while also raising questions about the effectiveness of divestment as a tool to enact change. To be sure, colleges aren't strangers to calls for divestment, with student protesters in the 1980s demanding that institutions  pull money  from companies doing business in apartheid-era South Africa. More recently, college students have pushed universities to cut their financial ties with the  fossil fuel industry . 

But divestment often is neither a simple nor a quick process, experts say. Endowments are funded by donors, who often direct their money to be used for specific goals, such as providing scholarships for students from certain states or to fund summer study programs. 

For instance, Columbia University, whose campus has  become a lightning rod in the pro-Palestinian protest movement, has an endowment worth $13.6 billion  that encompasses  6,200 funds . 

"An endowment isn't a monolith. They are typically comprised of many different funds, which each have different goals and purposes," noted Todd Ely, associate professor at University of Colorado Denver's School of Public Affairs and an expert on endowments. "From the perspective of endowments, the big objective is to preserve and grow the endowment," which allows the university to fund programs, support faculty and provide student scholarships.

Ely added, "That is why it becomes so challenging — the primary objective of an endowment manager isn't to respond to political and social pressure."

What does "divest" actually mean?

"Divestment" in itself simply describes the action of selling or disposing of an investment or asset. But the term has taken on another layer of meaning as college students, activists and others have used the strategy to advance their political and ethical agenda.

For instance, the protesters believe that eliminating investments in businesses that operate in or otherwise support certain countries or industries, colleges can help bring about change while ensuring they align with students' values. 

The student protesters "don't want to be part of, or have their tuition dollars go to, an institution that is profiting from" what they see as immense human rights abuses, noted Kelly Grotke, a founding partner of Pattern Recognition: A Research Collective, who researches and consults with students, alumni groups, faculty, and others on divestment and endowments. 

What are endowments, and how big are they?

Endowments are funds provided by donors to a university or college that can be earmarked for specific goals, like supporting an endowed chair for a faculty member or providing scholarships for students; or which can be used for unrestricted spending. 

In principle, endowment funds exist in perpetuity, with the university typically spending a smaller amount each year than its annual return. In that way, the endowment can continue to grow. For instance, in its most recent fiscal year, Columbia's endowment spent about 5.2% of its funds , although its trailing 10-year return is 8%. 

The current focus on college endowments comes as universities amass ever larger pools of capital. Roughly 700 college and university endowments manage a total of about $840 billion in assets, according to a recent  study  from the National Association of College and University Business Officers and the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America-College Retirement Equities Fund. 

While not an apples-to-apples comparison, an earlier Government Accountability Office  report  found that about 1,900 higher-education institutions in 2008 had a combined $400 billion in endowment holdings.

Are college endowments invested in Israel?

It's unclear given that endowments typically don't disclose their investments — a lack of transparency that has become a sticking point for many students protesting the war in Gaza.

The calls for colleges to divest from Israel aren't actually new, but are picking up supporters as the war continues. The movement stems from 2005, when some Palestinian groups launched the "boycott, divestment and sanctions" (BDS) campaign that was joined by some students and academic groups, according to Carleton University political science professor Mira Sucharov in The Conversation. 

BDS has focused on divesting from Israel, as well as urging consumers to avoid buying goods or services from the country, she noted.

Part of the difficulty of determining whether an endowment is invested in Israel, either directly or indirectly, is the changing nature of how colleges invest their funds, Grotke said. Today, a large chunk of endowments is invested in so-called "alternative investments," which describe strategies outside the typical mom-and-pop style of buying stocks and holding them for the long term. 

Alternative investments include hedge funds, private equity firms, venture capital and other vehicles that are typically cloaked in secrecy because their managers don't want to tip off rivals to their strategies. Typically, investors agree to invest their funds for a period of time, which can stretch for several years, making it impossible to withdraw money.

"There is so much privacy in what is being held, especially in alternative funds," Grotke said. "If you are dealing with an index fund, you can go in and see what's in there. You can't do that with an alternative fund."

Are colleges agreeing to divest?

Only one U.S. college, Evergreen State College, has agreed so far to divest any holdings linked with Israel. A few others, including Brown and Northwestern University, have said they will disclose their investment exposure to Israel. But even that might not provide much clarity, Grotke noted.

For instance, in the text of its deal with pro-Palestinian protesters, Northwestern said it will "answer questions from any internal stakeholder about specific holdings, held currently or within the last quarter, to the best of its knowledge and to the extent legally possible."

"That is language to get around disclosure," Grotke said. The agreement "will potentially exclude any divestment because of those contractual relationships" with alternative investment managers.

She added, "Because of the complexity of finance, they will want to look like they will cooperate, but they might not be able to."

Northwestern didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

Does divestment work?

That's up for debate, experts said. 

On one hand, the pressure on colleges to divest from the fossil fuel industry has "pushed a lot of new conversations in endowments about how to think about the climate change and carbon risk," said Georges Dyer, co-founder and executive director of the Intentional Endowments Network, which works with endowments on strategies such as low-carbon investments. 

But, he added, "A big part of the debate is what impact does divestment have."

Research on previous divestment efforts isn't encouraging, at least in terms of whether selling assets negatively impacts targeted countries, industries or companies. For instance, one analysis of the anti-apartheid divestment push in the '80s found that it "had little discernible effect either on the valuation of banks and corporations with South African operations or on the South African financial markets."

But that may not be the whole point, said Grotke, noting that the anti-apartheid movement succeeded in "raising awareness of human right abuses" in South Africa. 

Aimee Picchi is the associate managing editor for CBS MoneyWatch, where she covers business and personal finance. She previously worked at Bloomberg News and has written for national news outlets including USA Today and Consumer Reports.

More from CBS News

Sacramento State's unique approach helps bring peaceful end to campus protest

Schools rescind commencement invites to U.S. ambassador to U.N. over Gaza conflict

Police use tear gas to disperse protesters at University of Arizona Tucson

Cornell University president Martha Pollack resigns

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Meaning of homework in English

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• The kids are busy with their homework.
• My science teacher always sets a lot of homework.
• "Have you got any homework tonight ?" "No."
• I got A minus for my English homework.
• For homework I want you to write an essay on endangered species .
• academic year
• access course
• Advanced Placement
• asynchronous
• foundation course
• immersion course
• interdisciplinarity
• on a course
• open admissions
• open classroom
• work placement

homework | American Dictionary

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Here's what legal experts say Stormy Daniels' testimony could mean for Trump

"All it does, in my opinion, is show the jury how weak the case is."

Stormy Daniels' testimony at former president Donald Trump's hush money trial on Tuesday was salacious. The adult film star's allegations -- that she had sex with Trump, and he paid $130,000 to keep her quiet -- are central to prosecutors' claims that he falsified business records to protect his 2016 presidential campaign.

Trump has denied the financial charges in this case and has denied Daniels' claims of a sexual encounter.

The alleged details Daniels shared from the stand were lurid, touching upon everything from the position she said they had sex in, to the underwear she said he wore.

Merchan warned prosecutors and Daniels about going too far in the descriptions of the alleged encounter. "I do think the court instructed the prosecution that there were certain details they couldn't get into," he said.

MORE: What Stormy Daniels said on the stand about her alleged encounter with Donald Trump

Aside from a rogue raised eyebrow, jurors mostly kept straight faces through it all. Trump, on the other hand, was heard "cursing audibly" at one point during testimony, Judge Juan Merchan said during a sidebar, and the defense was denied a motion for a mistrial based on Daniels' testimony.

It's hard to predict what effect Daniels' testimony could have on the case's outcome, and legal experts are divided. Though some think the more prurient details hurt Trump's chances or prevailing, some believe it could have the opposite effect.

Daniels' description of her night with Trump served a crucial purpose for prosecutors, said Chris Timmons, a former prosecutor and ABC News legal contributor.

"Unless jurors can visualize something happening, they're not going to believe or take somebody's word that it actually happened," Timmons said. "Your goal when you try a case is to get the jurors to see a movie of the case in their heads -- it's just ironic, given that [it involves] a porn star."

It wasn't just the alleged intimate details that stand to impact the case -- Daniels' testimony about her conversations with Trump, including him allegedly telling her not to worry about his wife, Melania Trump – could help build the prosecution's case that the hush money payment was made to protect not his family, but his campaign.

"It makes it seem like he wasn't gutted about the way this will affect his marriage or his family -- he doesn't seem like an ordinary, everyday guy hiding an affair," University of Michigan law professor Ekow Yankah told ABC News. "Rather, it seems like they were focused on political damage."

Still, some legal experts think the testimony -- though embarrassing -- could actually help Trump's case. While establishing that a sexual encounter occurred is critical to demonstrating why the alleged hush money payment was made, getting too dirty with the details could serve to alienate jurors and possibly even garner sympathy for Trump.

MORE: Trump trial: Stormy Daniels tells (almost) all about alleged sexual encounter with Trump

"It could hurt [Daniels'] credibility if she offends jurors or they think she's gone too far," Kate Levine, a professor at the Cardozo School of Law, told ABC News. "Another possibility is that the embarrassing nature of the testimony might make the jury feel bad for Trump, in that he has to sit there and have this be splashed around the courtroom, especially if it's clear to the jury this testimony wasn't necessary."

"I probably wouldn't have wanted to elicit so much salacious information from the witness at this moment because I wouldn't want to either damage her credibility or make him seem more sympathetic," Levine added.

Randy Zelin, a professor at Cornell Law School, said it could make prosecutors look like they are "desperate" to "humiliate" Trump.

"All it does, in my opinion, is show the jury how weak the case is," Zelin said.

Merchan has repeatedly admonished prosecutors for eliciting too much detail about the alleged sexual encounter.

In the end, it's only the jurors who can determine what Daniels' testimony will mean for Trump.

"Reading a jury is a really hard thing to do," Yankah said. "I think the DA has to be careful that it doesn't look like they are indulging in some kind of prurient interest -- if the prosecution comes off as sort of just wanting to humiliate him, a jury can be turned off by that."

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24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events

Chinese zoo under fire after dyeing dogs to resemble pandas

HONG KONG — A zoo in China has been accused of trying to deceive visitors with a pair of dogs dyed black and white to look like panda bears .

Videos circulating on Chinese social media show the two “panda dogs” in an exhibit at Taizhou Zoo in the eastern province of Jiangsu that opened on May 1. Though the animals are patterned to look like pandas, which are endemic to China and an international symbol of the country, their wagging tails give them away.

Zoo officials told Chinese state media that they were Chow Chows — a fluffy dog breed originally from northern China — painted black and white to resemble giant pandas, adding that they had clearly advertised them as “panda dogs” and did not make any false claims.

The dogs are still at the zoo, officials told NBC News by phone on Friday, where the number of people coming to see them remained “at a normal level.”

The zoo, which does not have real pandas, was nonetheless criticized by state media and others for misleading visitors and mistreating the dogs.

“It is not funny at all to dye Chow Chow dogs to attract tourists,” one commenter wrote on the social media platform Weibo. “Their fragile skin and naturally thick coats make them susceptible to skin diseases.”

Zoo officials defended the exhibit, saying the dogs had not been harmed.

“Normal people dye their hair,” a spokesperson told Qilu Evening News. “Dogs can dye their hair, too. It’s the same as hair.”

This is not the first time that “panda dogs” have set off social media discussion in China.

In 2019, a dog cafe in the southwestern province of Sichuan raised animal rights concerns with its six Chow Chows that were also dyed to look like the bears.

In 2020, in the same province, a “panda” being walked by a woman in a video that went viral was revealed to be a dyed Chow Chow.

Other zoos in China have also been accused of having fake animals, often dogs they tried to present as wolves or African cats.

Last July, a zoo in the eastern province of Zhejiang denied that its Malayan sun bears were human beings in disguise after a video of one standing like a person went viral. Experts debunked the claim and the zoo said there was no way a person in a fur suit would be able to withstand such high summer temperatures.

Larissa Gao is a fellow on NBC’s Asia Desk, based in Hong Kong.

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Student Opinion

Are You Good at Apologizing?

Do you know how to say “I’m sorry” and really mean it? Or do you have a hard time admitting you did something wrong?

By Jeremy Engle

When was the last time you gave or received an apology?

How successful was it? Did the apology soothe hurt feelings or remedy the situation? Or was it defensive, halfhearted and insincere — only making things worse?

In “ How to Apologize Like You Mean It ,” Jancee Dunn shares six steps for making amends:

Most of us can remember receiving an unsatisfying apology. A friend of mine recently got a text message after a Bumble date stood her up: “Sry,” it read. (“He didn’t even spell out the whole word,” she told me.) When my kid was in preschool, an email arrived in my inbox. “Sorry your daughter was bitten,” it said. (The sender’s child had done the biting.) Why is it so hard to apologize? Why do so many of us get it wrong? Saying you’re sorry involves vulnerability, said Lisa Leopold, a researcher who studies apologies. “We also have to admit our own wrongdoing, our own failings,” she added, “and that requires tremendous humility.” But it’s worth making the effort, Leopold said. A meta-analysis of 175 studies found that apologies did, indeed, influence forgiveness. Other research suggests that apologies can benefit the giver as well as the receiver by reducing guilt, fostering self-compassion and strengthening relationships . But not all apologies are equal. For a show of remorse to be truly effective, it should be focused on the other person’s feelings and needs, not your own, said Karina Schumann, an associate professor of social psychology and head of the Conflict Resolution Lab at the University of Pittsburgh who researches the topic .

Ms. Dunn says that while the ingredients of a successful apology can vary, there are six that many experts agree on, such as “acknowledge any harm you’ve caused” and “offer to repair."

Here are the first two tips:

Express regret. Do not say “I want to apologize,” or “I would like to apologize,” Leopold said. “A lot of people use that language,” she explained, but expressing a desire isn’t as effective as apologizing. Instead, simply say “I apologize,” or “I’m sorry,” she said. Using an “I” statement strengthens your apology by taking responsibility, Leopold said. “I’m sorry for my outburst this morning,” for example, is more effective than saying “that shouldn’t have happened.” Explain — but keep it brief. Being specific about what you’ve done can make the other person feel understood, said Beth Polin, an associate professor of management at Eastern Kentucky University, who studies apologies. But, she added, you should keep it sincere and short. Skip justifications and excuses, she said, because an apology “should not be to make us feel better or defend our actions.” And while you are explaining, Leopold said, avoid conditional words like “but,” which can weaken the apology (“I apologize for the delay, but I had multiple deadlines to meet”). “If” is another conditional that helps us dodge responsibility. “‘I apologize if I offended anybody’ implies that there may have been no victims and hence, no transgression,” Leopold said.

Students, read the entire article and then tell us:

How good are you at apologizing? Do you feel comfortable saying sorry? Or do you usually give self-serving, defensive and excuse-filled apologies? Have you ever given one when you didn’t really “mean it”?

What makes a “successful” apology? What’s the best one you have ever given or received? How did it help to repair or remedy the situation?

What makes an “unsatisfying” apology? What’s the worst one you have ever given or received? Why was it so bad?

What do you think of the six tips for a successful apology offered in the essay? Which, if any, would you like to incorporate into your own future acts of contrition? What are your dos and don’ts for saying sorry?

Ms. Dunn writes that apologies can benefit the giver as well as the receiver by “reducing guilt, fostering self-compassion and strengthening relationships.” Do you agree? What value do you see in genuine apologies?

After reading the article, do you think you are more likely to give a sincere and meaningful apology in the future?

Students 13 and older in the United States and Britain, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public and may appear in print.

Find more Student Opinion questions here. Teachers, check out this guide to learn how you can incorporate these prompts into your classroom.

Jeremy Engle joined The Learning Network as a staff editor in 2018 after spending more than 20 years as a classroom humanities and documentary-making teacher, professional developer and curriculum designer working with students and teachers across the country. More about Jeremy Engle

Good Question: What do the different terms for a tornado warning mean?

(WKYT)—Today’s Good Question concerns terms you may have heard during our weather coverage over the last few days.

We often go over the differences between a watch and a warning, tornado watch means the conditions are favorable, a warning means a tornado has been indicated.

However, there are other terms we’ve used recently.

For example, what are the differences between radar indicated and radar confirmed when it comes to a tornado warning?

Radar indicated means the radar shows signs of strong rotation, indicating a tornado could be in progress.

Radar confirmed means the radar has been able to pick up debris in the air, that gives meteorologists a high confidence a tornado is happening.

You can also have the observed tag. That means it has been confirmed by spotters or first responders.

There are two other terms we wanted to mention. The first is a PDS watch or warning. That stands for PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION. Those are issued when forecasters believe there may be multiple violent tornadoes for an extended period in one area. It isn’t used often.

Finally, what is a Tornado Emergency? In 1999, an F5 tornado was bearing down on the Oklahoma City. Forecasters at the National Weather Service had a Tornado Warning in effect but felt that it was not enough.

“They needed to enhance the wording in the warning somehow to catch the attention of people in the path of this monster. That is when the Tornado Emergency was hatched.”

The NWS eventually created guidance for tornado emergencies, saying they should be used for the rare situations when a severe threat to human life is imminent or ongoing, catastrophic damage is imminent or ongoing, and Reliable sources confirm the tornado.

If you have a Good Question you’d like us to try to answer, send it to [email protected] .

Copyright 2024 WKYT. All rights reserved.

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