Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 20, 2015 is: peruse • \puh-ROOZ\  • verb 1 a : to examine or consider with attention and in detail : study b : to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner 2 : read; especially : to read over in an attentive or leisurely manner Examples: Dmitri perused the menu while we waited for a table. "She comes about five days a week, does Internet res...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 19, 2015 is: incandescent • \in-kun-DESS-unt\  • adjective 1 a : white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat b : marked by brilliance especially of expression c : characterized by glowing zeal : ardent 2 a : of, relating to, or being light produced by incandescence b : producing light by incandescence Examples: The attic was lit by a single incande...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 18, 2015 is: circumlocution • \ser-kum-loh-KYOO-shun\  • noun 1 : the use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea 2 : evasion in speech Examples: Mr. Harvey was notorious for his tendency to engage in endless circumlocution when a simple, brief explanation would suffice. Did you know? In The King's English, grammarian H.W. Fowler...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 17, 2015 is: quondam • \KWAHN-dum\  • adjective : former, sometime Examples: A quondam rodeo champ, circuit preacher, and peanut farmer, Baxter has settled into his new life as a stand-up comedian. Did you know? Looking for an unusual and creative way to say "former"? "Quondam" (which came to English in the 16th century from Latin quondam, meaning "a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 16, 2015 is: haptic • \HAP-tik\  • adjective 1 : relating to or based on the sense of touch 2 : characterized by a predilection for the sense of touch Examples: Katy could tell one kind of yarn from another purely by haptic clues. Did you know? "Haptic" (from the Greek "haptesthai," meaning "to touch") entered English in the late 19th century as a me...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 15, 2015 is: modicum • \MAH-dih-kum\  • noun : a small portion : a limited quantity Examples: If you had possessed a modicum of sense, you would have paused to think before accepting such a dangerous job. "If that piece isn't covered with a swath of dressing, a modicum of blue cheese and a crumble of bacon, maneuver your knife to make that happen." -...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 14, 2015 is: neoteric • \nee-uh-TAIR-ik\  • adjective : recent in origin : modern Examples: The book's dialogue is peppered with neoteric slang and jargon that can be challenging for the reader to decode. "… he has put together a string of projects with the same modern ethos that seemed avant-garde to the point of risky at their conception-until cust...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 13, 2015 is: druthers • \DRUH-therz\  • noun : free choice : preference - used especially in the phrase if one had one's druthers Examples: If I had my druthers, I'd be relaxing at the beach this weekend instead of cleaning out my garage. "If Hammond had his druthers, the jail would move out of downtown, an idea that has taken hold in cities across t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 12, 2015 is: scupper • \SKUP-er\  • verb : (British) to defeat or put an end to : do in Examples: "Arsenal's hopes of signing summer target William Carvalho appear to have been scuppered after the Sporting Lisbon midfielder was ruled out for three months." - The Telegraph (London), 15 July 2015 "The election of Jeremy Corbyn as leader of the Labour P...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 11, 2015 is: obverse • \AHB-verss\  • noun 1 : the side of a coin or currency note bearing the chief device and lettering; broadly : a front or principal surface 2 : a counterpart having the opposite orientation or force; also : something that is opposed to some other often specified thing : an opposite 3 : a proposition inferred immediately from ano...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 10, 2015 is: ersatz • \AIR-sahts\  • adjective : being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation Examples: If I'm going to eat ice cream, I want the real thing, not some non-fat ersatz version of it. "Re-enactors dressed as British redcoats confront a group of ersatz militiamen, demanding they 'disperse at once.'" - Chris McDaniel, Th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 9, 2015 is: foodie • \FOO-dee\  • noun : a person having an avid interest in the latest food fads Examples: As a foodie, Molly gets excited whenever a new restaurant opens in the area. "Compared with other rice types, basmati is a low-yielding crop; increased demand by foodies all over the world has led to higher prices." - Ruth Taber, The El Paso (T...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 8, 2015 is: contiguous • \kun-TIG-yuh-wus\  • adjective 1 : being in actual contact : touching along a boundary or at a point 2 : adjacent 2 - used of angles 3 : next or near in time or sequence 4 : touching or connected throughout in an unbroken sequence Examples: At 14,494 feet, Mount Whitney, in California's Sierra Nevada range, is the highest pea...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 7, 2015 is: ampersand • \am-pər-sand\  • noun : a character & that is used for the word and Examples: The company coming out of this merger will have a name that combines elements of each of the original companies' names with an ampersand. "The techies attempt to log in as me. They fail.… They are flummoxed.… Did I log in too many times? Did the ampe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 6, 2015 is: turbid • \TER-bid\  • adjective 1 : cloudy or discolored by suspended particles 2 : confused, muddled Examples: The speed of the water flowing over the dam becomes obvious only when one observes the turbid water roiling below. "Overall, once white bass have spawned, they move out into the main lake and can be found in areas with a turbid...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 5, 2015 is: gargoyle • \GAR-goy-ul\  • noun 1 a : a spout in the form of a grotesque human or animal figure projecting from a roof gutter to throw rainwater clear of a building b : a grotesquely carved figure 2 : a person with an ugly face Examples: Erin drew a series of hilarious caricatures of her family portrayed as gargoyles. "I followed to the c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 4, 2015 is: affront • \uh-FRUNT\  • verb 1 a : to insult especially to the face by behavior or language b : to cause offense to 2 : to face in defiance : confront 3 : to appear directly before Examples: The challenge going ahead is to initiate the necessary changes to the organization without making those who established it feel affronted. "Would arc...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 3, 2015 is: bluestocking • \BLOO-stah-king\  • noun : a woman having intellectual or literary interests Examples: "The author is a bluestocking, with a weakness for etymology and archaic religious texts…." -Kathryn Harrison, The New York Times Book Review, 21 Dec. 2008 "Most New Yorkers, of course, will want to spend more than five minutes talking to...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 2, 2015 is: immaculate • \ih-MAK-yuh-lut\  • adjective 1 : having no stain or blemish : pure 2 : containing no flaw or error 3 a : spotlessly clean b : having no colored spots or marks Examples: Even a minor scandal has the power to tarnish an immaculate reputation. "After showing me the different levels and rooms to choose from, and showing me the p...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 1, 2015 is: rigmarole • \RIG-uh-muh-rol\  • noun 1 : confused or meaningless talk 2 : a complex and sometimes ritualistic procedure Examples: Rather than go through the annual rigmarole of filling out tax forms, Maureen would rather pay an accountant to do her taxes for her. "After years of procrastinating, I logged on to my retirement account. Just...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 31, 2015 is: vaudeville • \VAUD-vil\  • noun 1 : a light often comic theatrical piece frequently combining pantomime, dialogue, dancing, and song 2 : stage entertainment consisting of various acts (such as performing animals, comedians, or singers) Examples: Andrew's interest in vaudeville can be traced to his grandparents, who met as performers in the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 30, 2015 is: moot • \MOOT\  • adjective 1 a : open to question : debatable b : subjected to discussion : disputed 2 : deprived of practical significance : made abstract or purely academic Examples: Since the team would have lost anyway, it's a moot point whether the umpire's call was right or not. "… all such discussions are moot until both parties are...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 29, 2015 is: testimonial • \tess-tuh-MOH-nee-ul\  • noun 1 : evidence, testimony 2 a : a statement testifying to benefits received b : a character reference : letter of recommendation 3 : an expression of appreciation : tribute Examples: The contractor's website included a photo gallery of his past work and testimonials from satisfied clients. "Macari a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 28, 2015 is: prevaricate • \prih-VAIR-uh-kayt\  • verb : to deviate from the truth : equivocate Examples: In Henry Fielding's novel Tom Jones, Squire Allworthy demands of Mr. Dowling, "Do not hesitate nor prevaricate; but answer faithfully and truly to every question I ask." "Some … do a good job informing voters of issues while others exaggerate, obfus...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 27, 2015 is: sycophant • \SIK-uh-funt\  • noun : a servile self-seeking flatterer Examples: Rosemary has little use for sycophants in her office, so if you want that promotion, do your best and let your work speak for itself. "'Have I just surrounded myself with sycophants who are just telling me whatever I want to hear, regardless of the truth?' [Silic...