Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 13, 2016 is: deter • \di-TER\  • verb 1 : to turn aside, discourage, or prevent from acting 2 : inhibit Examples: The heavy fines are meant to deter people from illegally dumping old computers and electronic devices. "The weather was chilly and the course was hilly, but it didn't deter 150 enthusiastic runners from competing in a race that helped raise t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 12, 2016 is: theriac • \THEER-ee-ak\  • noun 1 : a mixture of many drugs and honey formerly held to be an antidote to poison 2 : a remedy for all ills : cure-all, panacea Examples: "Town authorities tried to monitor the manufacture and supply of theriac to ensure that the citizens were not hoodwinked...." — Philip Ball, The Devil's Doctor, 2006 "Together...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 11, 2016 is: levigate • \LEV-uh-gayt\  • verb 1 : polish, smooth 2 a : to grind to a fine smooth powder while in moist condition b : to separate (fine powder) from coarser material by suspending in a liquid Examples: The apothecary levigated zinc oxide and calcium carbonate with linseed oil. "There were water wheels for breaking down porcelain stone, sto...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 10, 2016 is: palatable • \PAL-uh-tuh-bul\  • adjective 1 : agreeable to the palate or taste 2 : agreeable or acceptable to the mind Examples: Derrick is afraid of flying so traveling by train is the best and most palatable alternative. "Cooking with a special someone fosters a kinship, a connection, an appreciation that infuses the relationship with a se...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 9, 2016 is: rankle • \RANK-ul\  • verb 1 : to cause anger, irritation, or deep bitterness in 2 : to feel anger and irritation Examples: The ongoing roadwork has begun to rankle local owners who worry that the closed-off streets are hurting their businesses. "That goal should sit well with many neighborhood residents—but it might rankle some landlords." —...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 8, 2016 is: inflammable • \in-FLAM-uh-bul\  • adjective 1 : capable of being easily ignited and of burning : flammable 2 : easily inflamed, excited, or angered : irascible Examples: After the baserunner was called out on a close play, the crowd watched as the inflammable manager tore out of the dugout to argue with the umpire. "Building acts were introdu...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 7, 2016 is: babel • \BAY-bul\  • noun 1 : (sometimes capitalized Babel) a confusion of sounds or voices 2 : (sometimes capitalized Babel) a scene of noise or confusion Examples: Amidst the babel in the auditorium, Kathy thought she could hear someone calling her name. "A steady stream of travelers dragging wheeled suitcases and speaking a Babel of tongue...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 6, 2016 is: restaurateur • \res-tuh-ruh-TER\  • noun : the operator or proprietor of a restaurant Examples: Fred began his career in the food-service industry as a humble busboy, but today he is a successful restaurateur who recently opened his third eating establishment. "In a booming dining city such as Portland, where new restaurants open monthly, res...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 5, 2016 is: jettison • \JET-uh-sun\  • verb 1 : to throw (goods) overboard to lighten a ship or aircraft in distress 2 : discard Examples: As the boat began to take on water, the pirates argued over whether they should jettison some of the heavy, stolen loot. "… [Wayne Pathman, chair of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce] says banks have not yet jettiso...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 4, 2016 is: zaftig • \ZAHF-tig\  • adjective : having a full rounded figure : pleasingly plump Examples: "… Marilyn is lucky that … the Hollywood powers at least had the smarts not to put her on a diet. She looked plenty good zaftig." — Bookwormroom.com, 31 May 2012 "But Oprah—now there's a woman who has run the dieting gauntlet over the years. In 1988,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 3, 2016 is: camaraderie • \kahm-RAH-duh-ree\  • noun : a spirit of friendly good-fellowship Examples: The sense of camaraderie among colleagues in the sales department is the main reason Julie enjoys coming to work each day. "Today, visits combine adventure, relaxation and camaraderie. The latter is hard to come by in winter when snow and cold isolate pe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 2, 2016 is: somnolent • \SAHM-nuh-lunt\  • adjective 1 : of a kind likely to induce sleep 2 a : inclined to or heavy with sleep : drowsy b : sleepy Examples: "George, a somnolent ginger [cat] curled in an orange felt bed, was sleeping through the overtures of Molly Flanagan…." — Penelope Green, The New York Times, 6 Nov. 2015 "Traditionally, Bordeaux had...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 1, 2016 is: a cappella • \ah-kuh-PEL-uh\  • adverb or adjective : without instrumental accompaniment Examples: The audience quieted when the singer walked out and began singing a cappella. "… one woman came all the way from Portugal to sing an a cappella version of 'Space Oddity'…. She repeated before and after her solo how much she appreciated Bowie's s...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 29, 2016 is: glean • \GLEEN\  • verb 1 : to gather grain or other produce left by reapers 2 a : to gather (as information) bit by bit b : to pick over in search of relevant material 3 : to find out Examples: Investigators have been able to glean some useful information from the seized documents. "He won four gold medals in London on his talent and the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 28, 2016 is: lexical • \LEK-sih-kul\  • adjective 1 : of or relating to words or the vocabulary of a language as distinguished from its grammar and construction 2 : of or relating to a lexicon or to lexicography Examples: For her paper on youth slang, Elyse studied the lexical habits of her generation versus those of her parents and grandparents. "It...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 27, 2016 is: oaf • \OHF\  • noun 1 : a stupid person 2 : a big clumsy slow-witted person Examples: In high school Bryan was a big oaf, so we were surprised not only by his refined mien but by his position as CEO of a high-tech company. "Here is a person dedicated to minimizing the ripple she makes as she passes through the world. She took up such litt...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 26, 2016 is: keelhaul • \KEEL-hawl\  • verb 1 : to haul under the keel of a ship as punishment or torture 2 : to rebuke severely Examples: Several key employees were keelhauled for an error that cost the company millions of dollars. "Managers have been vilified, criticized and all but keelhauled for stocking teams with their own players in the past—or...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 25, 2016 is: quantal • \KWAHN-tul\  • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or having only two experimental alternatives (such as dead or alive, all or none) 2 : of or relating to a quantum or to quanta (as of energy or a neurotransmitter) Examples: "Many bioassays are based on quantal responses: Challenge assays record whether the subjects are dead or alive...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 24, 2016 is: zwieback • \SWEE-back\  • noun : a usually sweetened bread enriched with eggs that is baked and then sliced and toasted until dry and crisp Examples: The crust of the pie is made of crumbled zwieback. "Don't look for zwieback in the cracker and cookie aisle. Instead, head to the baby food section." — Pam Anderson, Cook Smart: Perfect Reci...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 23, 2016 is: hale • \HAIL\  • adjective : free from defect, disease, or infirmity : sound; also : retaining exceptional health and vigor Examples: "He was a rich and powerful noble, then in his sixty-second year, but hale and sturdy, a great horseman and hunter and a pious man." — Edith Wharton, "Kerfol," 1916 "These twins were New Year's babies in 19...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 22, 2016 is: bumptious • \BUMP-shus\  • adjective : presumptuously, obtusely, and often noisily self-assertive : obtrusive Examples: The talk show often features interesting guests, but the bumptious host's tendency to turn the interview back to himself can get annoying. "He had a sense of himself that was strong; that’s why he was successful as an ac...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2016 is: vignette • \vin-YET\  • noun 1 : a running ornament or design (as of vine leaves, tendrils, and grapes) put on or just before a title page or at the beginning or end of a chapter 2 a : a picture (such as an engraving or photograph) that shades off gradually into the surrounding paper b : the pictorial part of a postage stamp 3 a : a short...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 20, 2016 is: weird • \WEERD\  • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or caused by witchcraft or the supernatural : magical 2 : of strange or extraordinary character : odd, fantastic Examples: "Again was I suddenly recalled to my immediate surroundings by a repetition of the weird moan from the depths of the cave." — Edgar Rice Burroughs, A Princess of Mars,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 19, 2016 is: astrolabe • \A-struh-layb\  • noun : a compact instrument used to observe and calculate the position of celestial bodies before the invention of the sextant Examples: "His astrolabe of silver was the gift of the Emperor of Germany…." — Sir Walter Scott, Quentin Durward, 1823 "The astrolabe, whose invention is often attributed to the Greek...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 18, 2016 is: deasil • \DEE-zil\  • adv : clockwise Examples: The worshippers dance around the fire deasil, or sunwise. "Three times we walked deasil around our central candle. By the third cycle I felt power flowing from Sky's fingers to mine, from my fingers to Alyce's." — Cate Tiernan, Spellbound, 2001 Did you know? According to an old custom, you c...