Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 8, 2018 is: bird-dog \BERD-dawg\ verb 1 : to watch closely 2 : to seek out : follow, detect Examples: With millions of city dollars invested, citizens are bird-dogging the riverfront development project to its completion. "Also in line for a guaranteed budget is the new deputy inspector general for public safety charged with auditing police practices, id...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 7, 2018 is: woolgathering \WOOL-gath-uh-ring\ noun : indulgence in idle daydreaming Examples: My woolgathering in the backseat was abruptly interrupted by a question from the taxi driver. "I love the feeling of being on a train, the rumble and roar that seem to aid woolgathering, and I never tire of staring out the window, no matter the scenery." — Karl...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 6, 2018 is: scarify \SKAIR-uh-fye\ verb 1 : to make scratches or small cuts in (something, such as the skin) 2 : to lacerate the feelings of 3 : to break up, loosen, or roughen the surface of (something, such as a field or road) 4 : to cut or soften the wall of (a hard seed) to hasten germination Examples: "Recent harvests on city-owned land have removed...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 5, 2018 is: rabble \RAB-ul\ noun 1 : a disorganized or confused collection of things 2 a : a disorganized or disorderly crowd of people : mob b : the lowest class of people Examples: The university chancellor required extra security to help get him through the rabble of protestors. "Perhaps most importantly, since prescriptive rules are so psychologicall...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 4, 2018 is: cursory \KER-suh-ree\ adjective : rapidly and often superficially performed or produced : hasty Examples: James gave the instructions only a cursory look before he began to assemble the shelves and didn't realize until he was partway through that he would need a power drill. "The police report has been filed, but a detective won't be on the c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 3, 2018 is: elucidate \ih-LOO-suh-dayt\ verb 1 : to make lucid especially by explanation or analysis 2 : to give a clarifying explanation Examples: "In 'Darwin and the Meaning of Flowers' Sacks recounts how, late in his life and in poor health, Darwin turned his attention from animals to plants, continuing to elucidate his theory of evolution when he cou...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 2, 2018 is: nondescript \nahn-dih-SKRIPT\ adjective 1 : belonging or appearing to belong to no particular class or kind : not easily described 2 : lacking distinctive or interesting qualities : dull, drab Examples: The famous spy was a quiet, nondescript man that people had a difficult time describing even a few minutes after meeting him, which was clear...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 1, 2018 is: agon \AH-gahn\ noun : conflict; especially : the dramatic conflict between the chief characters in a literary work Examples: "The agon of the central character, self-besieged or plagued by circumstance, runs through the history of the director's films, as does the suspicion that man's brutality to man may have a penitential purpose." — Anthon...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 28, 2018 is: exegesis \ek-suh-JEE-sis\ noun : exposition, explanation; especially : an explanation or critical interpretation of a text Examples: "He has … a real gift for _exegesis_, unpacking poems in language that is nearly as eloquent as the poet's, and as clear as faithfulness allows." — Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 2 May 2016 "Every partici...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 27, 2018 is: tenebrous \TEN-uh-brus\ adjective 1 : shut off from the light : dark, murky 2 : hard to understand : obscure 3 : causing gloom Examples: "Stay close to me," said my brother as we walked through the tenebrous alley alongside the apartment building. "HBO's newest critical hit, which … centers on a serial-killer case in a story that unfolds...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 26, 2018 is: validate \VAL-uh-dayt\ verb 1 a : to make legally valid : ratify b : to grant official sanction to by marking c : to confirm the validity of (an election); also : to declare (a person) elected 2 a : to support or corroborate on a sound or authoritative basis b : to recognize, establish, or illustrate the worthiness or legitimacy of E...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 25, 2018 is: ad hoc \AD-HOCK\ adjective 1 a : concerned with a particular end or purpose b : formed or used for specific or immediate problems or needs   2 : fashioned from whatever is immediately available : improvised Examples: "[T]he spread of bike sharing has made millions of lives a bit easier and a bit better…. In more and more realms...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 24, 2018 is: caravansary \kair-uh-VAN-suh-ree\ noun 1 : an inn surrounding a court in eastern countries where caravans rest at night 2 : hotel, inn Examples: Most of the area's hotels are on the pricey end of the scale, but there are a few caravansaries for budget travelers. "In the town of Ishkashim, adjacent to the market, we visited the crumbling r...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 23, 2018 is: meld \MELD\ verb : to blend or mix together : merge Examples: "Right away you perceive a chorus of instruments—trumpet, piano, saxophone and [vibes](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vibes)—that have acquired the ability _to meld_ their individual voices into a complimentary, unified sound that delights the ears." — Ralph A. Miri...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 22, 2018 is: plangent \PLAN-junt\ adjective 1 : having a loud reverberating sound   2 : having an expressive and especially plaintive quality Examples: The campers were awoken by the plangent howl of a coyote off in the distance. "The music makes for exciting listening and shows Britten's mastery of choral music with each movement a contrast...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2018 is: demarcate \dih-MAHR-kayt\ verb 1 : to fix or define the limits of : delimit 2 : to set apart : distinguish Examples: Treaty negotiations are underway, and both parties have agreed to accept whatever boundaries are demarcated in that document. "These so-called stelae, some roughly 10 stories high with intricately carved stone, are thought...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 20, 2018 is: refection \rih-FEK-shun\ noun 1 : refreshment of mind, spirit, or body; especially : nourishment 2 a : the taking of refreshment b : food and drink together : repast Examples: "… I should prefer that even in the 'Children's Houses' which are situated in tenements and from which little ones, being at home, can go up to eat with the family,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 19, 2018 is: sanguine \SANG-gwun\ adjective 1 : bloodred 2 a : consisting of or relating to blood b : bloodthirsty, sanguinary c : ruddy 3 : having blood as the predominating bodily humor; also : having the bodily conformation and temperament held characteristic of such predominance and marked by sturdiness, ruddy color, and cheerfulness 4 : confident...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 18, 2018 is: panegyric \pan-uh-JEER-ik\ noun : a eulogistic oration or writing; also : formal or elaborate praise Examples: The club's president opened the awards ceremony with a touching panegyric for several prominent members who had passed away during the last year. "At Lafayette College in Northampton County in 2007, he marked the 250th anniversar...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 17, 2018 is: biddable \BID-uh-bul\ adjective 1 : easily led, taught, or controlled : docile 2 : capable of being bid Examples: "Unfailingly sweet and biddable (he never put his teeth on another creature—not even when he was bitten on the snout by a friend's ten-week-old puppy), we almost doubted his full canine credentials. No pack instincts? No resou...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 16, 2018 is: yuppify \YUP-uh-fye\ verb : to make appealing to yuppies; also : to infuse with the qualities or values of yuppies Examples: My sister rents an expensive apartment in a neighborhood that was recently yuppified. "In those days, Surry Hills was a working-class suburb, and while its northern edges have been yuppified, the southern end around...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 15, 2018 is: nebbish \NEB-ish\ noun : a timid, meek, or ineffectual person Examples: Lyle may have come across as a nebbish, but he stood up to the bully who gave him a hard time—and the students in the cafeteria who witnessed the confrontation showed their support. "Arthur Darvill is known to 'Doctor Who' fans as the nebbish-turned-stalwart-hero Rory...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 14, 2018 is: frolic \FRAH-lik\ verb 1 : to amuse oneself : make merry 2 : to play and run about happily : romp Examples: "Every year, Trolley Dances takes us on a unique journey.… Audiences are introduced to new, site-specific dance performances at stops along the trolley line…. In years past, for instance, dancers have frolicked in public fountains,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 13, 2018 is: nuts \NUTS\ adjective 1 : enthusiastic, keen 2 : insane, crazy Examples: "On Friday nights, when my kids … were younger, we would sit and watch a film. It's a fantastic feeling when you see them getting drawn into something you love. My husband, Phil, and I are nuts about West Wing, and we've gradually got my son into that as well." — Reb...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 12, 2018 is: adust \uh-DUST\ adjective : scorched, burned Examples: The adust landscape of volcanic rock and sand can be particularly beautiful at sunset. "These arid and adust creatures, looking like the mummies of some antediluvian animals, … had to all appearance come out from this long tempest of trial unscathed and unharmed." — Thomas De Quincey,...