Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 26, 2015 is: draconian • \dray-KOH-nee-un\  • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of Draco or the severe code of laws held to have been framed by him 2 : cruel; also : severe Examples: The editorial asserts that a life sentence for any non-violent crime is draconian. "As electronic highway signs implore Californians to 'Save Water' and muni...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 25, 2015 is: grog • \GRAHG\  • noun : alcoholic liquor; especially : liquor (such as rum) cut with water and now often served hot with lemon juice and sometimes sugar Examples: The reviewer praised the restaurant for serving an eclectic range of beers and wines and not just any old grog. "In 1917 the Historical Society of the Town of Warwick held its fi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 24, 2015 is: cannibalize • \KAN-uh-buh-lyze\  • verb 1 : to take salvageable parts from (as a disabled machine) for use in building or repairing another machine 2 : to take (sales) away from an existing product by selling or being sold as a similar but new product usually from the same manufacturer; also : to affect (as an existing product) adversely by...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 23, 2015 is: august • \aw-GUST\  • adjective : marked by majestic dignity or grandeur Examples: "But a great deal of life goes on without strong passion: myriads of cravats are carefully tied, dinners attended, even speeches made proposing the health of august personages without the zest arising from a strong desire." - George Eliot, Daniel Deronda, 187...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 22, 2015 is: netiquette • \NET-ih-kut\  • noun : etiquette governing communication on the Internet Examples: "It's good netiquette to link to the article from which you borrow and to name your source." - John D. Farmer, Richmond (Virginia) Times Dispatch, May 30, 2011 "Good netiquette includes not using all caps when typing, as it comes across as shouti...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 21, 2015 is: beholden • \bih-HOHL-dun\  • adjective : being under obligation for a favor or gift : indebted Examples: "I am thankful for myself, at any rate, that I can find my tiny way through the world, without being beholden to anyone…." - Charles Dickens, David Copperfield, 1850 "Such voices would indicate that we are a nation of independent thinker...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 20, 2015 is: obeisance • \oh-BEE-sunss\  • noun 1 : a movement of the body made in token of respect or submission : bow 2 : acknowledgment of another's superiority or importance : homage Examples: "They took their hats off and made obeisance and many signs, which however, I could not understand any more than I could their spoken language …" - Bram Stoke...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 19, 2015 is: exculpatory • \ek-SKUL-puh-tor-ee\  • adjective : tending or serving to clear from alleged fault or guilt Examples: The DNA found at the crime scene proved to be exculpatory; it did not match that of the defendant, and so he was acquitted. "Authorities also were faulted for withholding exculpatory evidence from the defense, including an ini...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 18, 2015 is: jog trot • \JAHG-TRAHT\  • noun 1 : a horse's slow measured trot 2 : a routine habit or course of action Examples: The weekly Friday-night dances provided the townsfolk with a few hours of respite from the jog trot of life. "The speed of the trot can vary between the very slow jog trot at less than four miles per hour to the very fast racin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 17, 2015 is: refractory • \rih-FRAK-tuh-ree\  • adjective 1 : resisting control or authority : stubborn, unmanageable 2 : resistant to treatment or cure 3 : capable of enduring high temperatures Examples: "In patients with severe asthma that is refractory to standard treatment, intravenous magnesium sulfate is widely used…." - Stephen C. Lazarus, M.D.,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 16, 2015 is: shill • \SHIL\  • verb 1 : to act as a decoy (as for a pitchman or gambler) 2 : to act as a spokesperson or promoter Examples: A long line of A-list actresses have shilled for the company's perfumes over the decades. "In recent years, people who hawked ice cream or hot dogs, taught yoga or shilled other goods and services in Los Angeles par...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 15, 2015 is: lodestone • \LOHD-stohn\  • noun 1 : magnetite possessing polarity 2 : something that strongly attracts Examples: "The Miami thoroughfare formally known as Southwest Eighth Street is the heart of Little Havana. It's the next-best-thing to visiting Cuba for many Americans, the lodestone of the large Cuban-American community that settled in M...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 14, 2015 is: quaggy • \KWAG-ee\  • adjective 1 : marshy or boggy 2 : flabby or soft Examples: "Today is the opening of 'Expedition Alaska: Dinosaurs,' the latest installation at the museum chronicling the reptilian behemoths-and even the little ones, too-that once spanned the state from the frozen North Slope to the quaggy Southeast." - Gary Black, News...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 13, 2015 is: contumely • \kahn-TOO-muh-lee\  • noun : harsh language or treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt; also : an instance of such language or treatment Examples: Deeply hurt by the contumely directed at her, Charlotte burst into tears and ran out of the room. "She occupied the outer margins of established theater and wore that status a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 12, 2015 is: kindred • \KIN-drud\  • adjective 1 : of a similar nature or character : like 2 : of the same ancestry Examples: Jessica found a kindred songwriting spirit in Brigid, and soon the two women were collaborating on a new album. "The boys were well-behaved and inseparable. Kindred souls, as preschoolers they spoke to each other in 'twin languag...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 11, 2015 is: zydeco • \ZYE-duh-koh\  • noun : popular music of southern Louisiana that combines tunes of French origin with elements of Caribbean music and the blues Examples: The restaurant, with architecture that looks like it's straight from the French quarter of New Orleans, features authentic Cajun cuisine and live zydeco music. "Prepare your palat...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 10, 2015 is: multifarious • \mul-tuh-FAIR-ee-us\  • adjective : having or occurring in great variety : diverse Examples: John listed his multifarious interests and activities on his college application. "The report presents a convincing case that the agency has been stretched too thin in its multifarious duties-from combating counterfeiters and computer...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 9, 2015 is: pseudonym • \SOO-duh-nihm\  • noun : a fictitious name; especially : pen name Examples: Instead of using his real name, Edward signed his letter to the editor with the pseudonym "Jack Cramer." "Author J. K. Rowling announced on Twitter that she has written a third installment of her Cormoran Strike mystery series under the pseudonym Robert G...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 8, 2015 is: abstain • \ub-STAYN\  • verb : to refrain deliberately and often with an effort of self-denial from an action or practice Examples: The nurse advised Jacob to abstain from alcohol while he was on the medication. "Messick let the council know he would abstain from all votes regarding this downtown property …." - Aaron Little, Santa Rosa (Flor...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 7, 2015 is: euphemism • \YOO-fuh-miz-um\  • noun : the substitution of an agreeable or inoffensive expression for one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant; also : the expression so substituted Examples: Aunt Helen would never say that someone had "died"; she preferred to communicate the unpleasant news with euphemisms like "passed on." "Jane...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 6, 2015 is: titanic • \tye-TAN-ik\  • adjective : having great magnitude, force, or power : colossal Examples: The slugger launched a titanic home run that landed in the parking lot beyond the stadium's center-field wall. "Murray has withstood a titanic challenge from Ivo Karlovic to reach his eighth consecutive Wimbledon quarter-final." - Stuart Bathga...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 5, 2015 is: hermitage • \HER-mih-tij\  • noun 1 : the habitation of a hermit 2 : a secluded residence or private retreat; also : monastery 3 : the life or condition of a hermit Examples: "At a Catholic hermitage near Lac Saint-Jean, the Franciscan Capuchin friar Sylvain Richer told me he grew up saying 'Beam me up, Scotty.'" - Associated Press, June 29,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 4, 2015 is: infrangible • \in-FRAN-juh-bul\  • adjective 1 : not capable of being broken or separated into parts 2 : not to be infringed or violated Examples: He declared firmly that he lived his life by a set of infrangible ethical principles. "[James Bond] is content enough with his new freedom on the fringe to make it a permanent lifestyle, but it's...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 3, 2015 is: doppelgänger • \DAH-pul-gang-er\  • noun 1 : a ghostly counterpart of a living person 2 a : a person who closely resembles another living person b : the opposite side of a personality : alter ego c : a person who has the same name as another Examples: Throughout the movie, the main character is frequently mistaken for someone else, and the p...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 2, 2015 is: brusque • \BRUSK\  • adjective 1 : markedly short and abrupt 2 : blunt in manner or speech often to the point of ungracious harshness Examples: On her first day of work, Diana's new boss gave her only a brusque greeting before showing her the place where she would be working. "In a brusque statement, Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner would only say...