seward folly

Seward's Folly

noun U.S. History.
the purchase of Alaska in 1867, through the negotiations of Secretary of State W. H. Seward.
Compare Alaska Purchase.

Origin:
so called because Alaska was regarded as worthless land

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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WordNet
seward's folly

noun
the transaction in 1867 in which the United States Secretary of State William Henry Seward purchased Alaska from Russia 
WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
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00:10
Seward folly is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
a fool or simpleton; ninny.
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