lost in thought; showing preoccupation; "an absent stare"; "an absentminded professor"; "the scatty glancing quality of a hyperactive but unfocused intelligence"
an unstable construction with playing cards; "he built three levels of his cardcastle before it collapsed"
a speculative scheme that depends on unstable factors that the planner cannot control; "his proposal was nothing but a house of cards"; "a real estate bubble"
(chess) a piece that can be moved diagonally over unoccupied squares of the same color
port wine mulled with oranges and cloves
a clergyman having spiritual and administrative authority; appointed in Christian churches to oversee priests or ministers; considered in some churches to be successors of the twelve apostles of Christ
an initial accomplishment that opens the way for further developments; "the town became a beachhead in the campaign to ban smoking outdoors"; "they are presently attempting to gain a foothold in the Russian market"
a bridgehead on the enemy's shoreline seized by an amphibious operation; "the Germans were desperately trying to contain the Anzio beachhead"
a defensive post at the end of a bridge nearest to the enemy
an area in hostile territory that has been captured and is held awaiting further troops and supplies; "an attempt to secure a bridgehead behind enemy lines"; "the only foothold left for British troops in Europe was Gibraltar"
deeply absorbed in thought; "as distant and bemused as a professor listening to the prattling of his freshman class"; "lost in thought"; "a preoccupied frown"