Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 14, 2017 is: marginalia \mahr-juh-NAY-lee-uh\ noun 1 : marginal notes or embellishments (such as in a book) 2 : nonessential items Examples: "Over the next nine days, John Hughes completed the first draft of Home Alone, capped by an eight-hour, 44-page dash to the finale. Before finishing, he'd expressed concerns in the marginalia of his journal that...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 13, 2017 is: precocious \prih-KOH-shus\ adjective 1 : exceptionally early in development or occurrence 2 : exhibiting mature qualities at an unusually early age Examples: "They explained to me that we were going to watch people audition…. I ended up jumping onstage and singing something…. They thought I was precocious enough to be put in the chorus o...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 12, 2017 is: scour \SKOW-er\ verb 1 : to move about quickly especially in search 2 : to go through or range over in or as if in a search Examples: The dog scoured the terrain in search of the tennis ball I had thrown. "The rescue team scoured the ground and a New Hampshire National Guard Black Hawk helicopter also searched the area." — Emily Sweeney,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 11, 2017 is: bibelot \BEE-buh-loh\ noun : a small household ornament or decorative object : trinket Examples: "Moonlight furbished the brown cylindrical floor vase and its gnarled branch, as well as an aquarium bibelot in the shape of a ruined arch on his bedside table." — Nicholson Baker, The New Yorker, 27 June - 4 July 1994 "The sitting room is in...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 10, 2017 is: conversant \kun-VER-sunt\ adjective : having knowledge or experience Examples: The ideal candidate for the sommelier position will have expert knowledge of the various wine varieties served in the restaurant and be conversant in the rich vocabulary of viniculture. "My sister is a cognitive scientist at M.I.T., more conversant than most p...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 9, 2017 is: disport \dih-SPORT\ verb 1 : divert, amuse 2 : display 3 : to amuse oneself in light or lively fashion : frolic Examples: "At a very early hour in the morning, twice or thrice a week, Miss Briggs used to betake herself to a bathing-machine, and disport in the water in a flannel gown and an oilskin cap." — William Makepeace Thackeray, Vani...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 8, 2017 is: extemporaneous \ek-stem-puh-RAY-nee-us\ adjective 1 : composed, performed, or uttered on the spur of the moment : impromptu 2 : provided, made, or put to use as an expedient : makeshift Examples: Everyone was surprised to hear my normally taciturn brother give a heartfelt, extemporaneous speech at our parents' 50th anniversary party. "At...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 7, 2017 is: propagate \PRAH-puh-gayt\ verb 1 : to reproduce or cause to reproduce biologically : multiply 2 : to cause to spread out and affect a greater number or greater area : extend 3 : to pass along to offspring 4 : to foster growing knowledge of, familiarity with, or acceptance of (such as an idea or belief) : publicize Examples: "It is always...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 6, 2017 is: robot \ROH-baht\ noun 1 a : a machine that looks like a human being and performs various complex acts (such as walking or talking) of a human being; also : a similar but fictional machine whose lack of capacity for human emotions is often emphasized b : an efficient insensitive person who functions automatically 2 : a device that automati...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 5, 2017 is: scrupulous \SKROO-pyuh-lus\ adjective 1 : having moral integrity : acting in strict regard for what is considered right or proper 2 : punctiliously exact : painstaking Examples: "As a child, I somehow absorbed the idea that getting in the way of other people or wasting their time was a terrible offense. I have been scrupulous about standi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 4, 2017 is: fruition \froo-ISH-un\ noun 1 : pleasurable use or possession : enjoyment 2 a : the state of bearing fruit b : realization Examples: "… wife and husband had nothing to do but to link each other's arms together, and wander gently downwards towards old age in happy and perfect fruition." — William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 1848 "Man...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 3, 2017 is: vociferous \voh-SIF-uh-rus\ adjective : marked by or given to vehement insistent outcry Examples: "A few days after NBC decided to cancel time-traveling adventure drama Timeless, the network changed its mind and renewed the series for a second season, thanks in part to a vociferous fan campaign…. — USA Today, 17 July 2017 "Legislation for...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 2, 2017 is: enthrall \in-THRAWL\ verb : to hold spellbound : charm Examples: "But [Luke] Bryan didn't need much trickery to enthrall the crowd, ready to party to 'Rain is a Good Thing,' 'Crash My Party' and 'Do I' among his string of hits." — Amanda St. Amand, The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 15 June 2013 "In this picture she gazes up, her thoughts far f...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 1, 2017 is: confrere \KAHN-frair\ noun : colleague, comrade Examples: "Antonio Sánchez is a drummer of sharp and sweeping talent, best known to some observers as the percussive engine behind the movie 'Birdman' and to others as a close confrere of the guitarist Pat Metheny." — The New York Times, 2 Sept. 2016 "A practiced collaborator …, [Andy] Warho...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 31, 2017 is: soi-disant \swah-dee-ZAHNG\ adjective : self-proclaimed, so-called Examples: "It's one of the few soi-disant walking boots we've seen this month that you might be able to, you know, walk in." — The Times (London), 3 Mar. 2010 "The scene was reminiscent of the heyday of the late, great Pasadena Art Museum in the 60s and 70s when an assortmen...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 30, 2017 is: interstice \in-TER-stus\ noun 1 : a space that intervenes between things; especially : one between closely spaced things 2 : a short space of time between events Examples: "The vehicle of this affirmation—if indeed it is that—is a message that the Mara character writes on a scrap of paper and then jams into an interstice in an archway befor...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 29, 2017 is: coalesce \koh-uh-LESS\ verb 1 : to grow together 2 a : to unite into a whole : fuse b : to unite for a common end : join forces 3 : to arise from the combination of distinct elements Examples: "Parties typically struggle to coalesce on complex legislative issues." — Frances Lee, The Washington Post, 23 July 2017 "Their first gig was at the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 28, 2017 is: emissary \EM-uh-sair-ee\ noun 1 : one designated as the agent of another : representative 2 : a secret agent Examples: As the company's emissary to the meeting, Sarah was tasked with presenting the proposal that had been the focus of the team's work for several months. "In recent years, emissaries of Belgium's soccer association have been i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 27, 2017 is: accoutrement \uh-KOO-truh-munt\ noun 1 a : equipment, trappings; specifically : a soldier's outfit usually not including clothes and weapons — usually used in plural b : an accessory item of clothing or equipment — usually used in plural 2 : an identifying and often superficial characteristic or device — usually used in plural Examples: The...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 26, 2017 is: burgle \BER-gul\ verb 1 : to break into and steal from  2 : to commit burglary against Examples: The broken window alerted the security guard that the office may have been burgled. "Residents … had long been complaining about a surge in crime. One area resident tells Newsweek her house had been burgled a few years ago while she and her...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 25, 2017 is: picaresque \pik-uh-RESK\ adjective : of or relating to rogues or rascals; also : of, relating to, suggesting, or being a type of fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of a usually roguish protagonist Examples: "His specialty was the picaresque novel, which took the hero (with the reader happily perched on his shoulder) on a wild ride...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 24, 2017 is: opine \oh-PYNE\ verb 1 : to express opinions 2 : to state as an opinion Examples: In a letter to the editor, the writer _opined_ that the town library should be open for longer hours during the summer months to give bored children a place to go and something to do.  "Fans have opined about the merits and misfires of their team's unifor...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 23, 2017 is: flagrant \FLAY-grunt\ adjective : conspicuously offensive; especially : so obviously inconsistent with what is right or proper as to appear to be a flouting of law or morality Examples: In a flagrant violation of the family's code of ethics, someone had finished the ice cream and left the empty container in the freezer. "The history of acti...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 22, 2017 is: nobby \NAH-bee\ adjective : cleverly stylish : chic, smart Examples: The restaurant was a bit too nobby for my tastes, but I did enjoy the food. "Sponsorship of nobby events seems to be the favourite PR trick for City firms in the soup." — Patrick Hosking, The New Statesman, 2 June 2003 Did you know? Nobby comes from the noun nob, which is...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 21, 2017 is: hebetude \HEB-uh-tood\ noun : lethargy, dullness Examples: Tired from being out late the night before, Jennifer allowed herself to fall into the hebetude of a lazy Sunday afternoon. "The leaden weight of an irremediable idleness descended upon General Feraud, who having no resources within himself sank into a state of awe-inspiring hebetude...