Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 19, 2014 is: syncretic • \sin-KRET-ik\  • adjective : characterized or brought about by a combination of different forms of belief or practice Examples: Dr. Portman practices a syncretic form of medicine, borrowing from both Eastern and Western medical traditions. "Her CV cites disparate accomplishments as a scientist, writer, and artist-and teacher…....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 18, 2014 is: oxymoron • \ahk-sih-MOR-ahn\  • noun : a combination of contradictory or incongruous words; broadly : something (such as a concept) that is made up of contradictory or incongruous elements Examples: "That's an oxymoron!" said Joanne, when she heard the DJ describe the song as an "instant classic." "A 'healthy snack' sounds like an oxymoro...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 17, 2014 is: ergonomic • \er-guh-NAH-mik\  • adjective 1 : of or relating to the science of designing and arranging things people use so that the people and things interact most efficiently and safely 2 : designed or arranged for safe, comfortable, and efficient use Examples: Clara hoped that the ergonomic arrangement of her new workstation would help...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 16, 2014 is: réchauffé • \ray-shoh-FAY\  • noun 1 : something presented in a new form without change of substance : rehash 2 : a warmed-over dish of food Examples: The day after the holiday, it was traditional to serve réchauffés and snacks rather than cook a full meal. "[It] is a réchauffé, … lifted and stitched from 'The Gastronomical Me' and other...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 15, 2014 is: incommensurable • \in-kuh-MEN-suh-ruh-bul\  • adjective : not commensurable; broadly : lacking a basis of comparison in respect to a quality normally subject to comparison Examples: The two theories are incommensurable, making any attempt at comparison across disciplines ridiculous. "Camus' own predicament as an Algerian of European desce...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 14, 2014 is: nabob • \NAY-bahb\  • noun : a person of great wealth or importance Examples: Those of us in coach had to wait while the nabobs in first class got seated ahead of us. "Roughly 70 citizens had addresses on the hill. Many of those listed on the hill worked in the useful trades. The development of the hill as an exclusive neighborhood, as th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 13, 2014 is: tractable • \TRAK-tuh-bul\  • adjective 1 : capable of being easily led, taught, or controlled 2 : easily handled, managed, or wrought Examples: The couple had hoped to find a tractable and obedient dog that wouldn't cause too much trouble, but instead they got Rufus and their life has never been the same. "But values have been steadily r...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 12, 2014 is: flapdoodle • \FLAP-doo-dul\  • noun : nonsense Examples: "Not a trace of academic fustian! Not a line of flapdoodle! Not a hint of college professor! Here was sharp and shrewd judgment." - H. L. Mencken, The Smart Set, June 1917 "Chalk that up to the triumph-rare enough these days-of facts over flapdoodle." - Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 11, 2014 is: allege • \uh-LEJ\  • verb 1 : to assert without proof or before proving 2 : to bring forward as a reason or excuse Examples: She alleges that her roommate stole hundreds of dollars from her. "The Chicago lawsuit … alleges a two-decade-long campaign by the industry to persuade doctors to make the use of painkillers routine for chronic pain...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 10, 2014 is: calumny • \KAL-um-nee\  • noun 1 : a misrepresentation intended to harm another's reputation 2 : the act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciously calculated to harm another's reputation Examples: The notion that the mayor knew about the problem before the newspaper broke the story is nothing but calumny. "Some say that...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 9, 2014 is: mellifluous • \muh-LIFF-luh-wus\  • adjective 1 : having a smooth rich flow 2 : filled with something (such as honey) that sweetens Examples: The young diva has a powerful, mellifluous voice that makes her album a sweet aural confection. "Corr recorded the album in Los Angeles with producer Mitchell Froom, and the style looks back to the m...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 8, 2014 is: greenmail • \GREEN-mail\  • noun : the practice of buying enough of a company's stock to threaten a hostile takeover and reselling it to the company at a price above market value; also : the money paid for such stock Examples: In an astonishing act of greenmail, the investor bought up all available shares of the company and leveraged his s...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 7, 2014 is: impervious • \im-PER-vee-us\  • adjective 1 a : not allowing entrance or passage : impenetrable b : not capable of being damaged or harmed 2 : not capable of being affected or disturbed Examples: Jane remains impervious to any attempt to reason with her; she’s made up her mind and nothing we can say will lead her to change it. "Boot trends...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 6, 2014 is: bouleversement • \bool-vair-suh-MAHNG\  • noun 1 : reversal 2 : a violent disturbance : disorder Examples: The darkening sky prompted a bouleversement of the captain's order to prepare to set sail. "In fact, [Susan Sontag] had written two novels at the beginning of her career, in the sixties. She didn't like them much, so she became a crit...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 5, 2014 is: deride • \dih-RYDE\  • verb 1 : to laugh at contemptuously 2 : to subject to usually bitter or contemptuous ridicule Examples: Although derided by classmates for his cocksure insistence that he would be a millionaire by the age of 25, he achieved his goal when his Internet startup went public. "The aggressive, scowling superstar who'd deri...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 4, 2014 is: caitiff • \KAY-tif\  • adjective : cowardly, despicable Examples: "Oh, horrible wretch! a murderer! unmanly murderer!-a defenceless woman smothered by caitiff hands!" - Edward Bulwer-Lytton, What Will He Do With It?, 1858 "… the Vichy cabinet accepted the German offer of air support from Sicily and Sardinia. This caitiff decision enabled t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 3, 2014 is: haggard • \HAG-urd\  • adjective a : wild in appearance b : having a worn or emaciated appearance : gaunt Examples: The mountain climbers were hungry and haggard but were otherwise in good shape after having been stranded on the mountain for more than a week. "[Dorothea] Lange's 1936 photographs of California migrant worker Florence Owens...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 2, 2014 is: shopaholic • \shah-puh-HAH-lik\  • noun : one who is extremely or excessively fond of shopping Examples: Susie is such a shopaholic that her friends refuse to set foot in a mall with her when there are big sales. "Uncle Sam is a shopaholic, the world's most prolific buyer of goods and services. Every year, the federal government spends bet...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 1, 2014 is: penultimate • \pih-NUL-tuh-mut\  • adjective 1 : occurring immediately before the last one : next to the last 2 : of or relating to the next to the last syllable of a word Examples: The word edamame places its primary stress on the penultimate syllable. "The decision to bump off two major characters in last week's episode of Boardwalk Empi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 30, 2014 is: abbreviate • \uh-BREE-vee-ayt\  • verb : to make briefer; especially : to reduce to a shorter form intended to stand for the whole Examples: Due to time constraints, the last speaker at the ceremony had to abbreviate her speech. "You know, originally, my team had prepared some remarks.… But given the dialogue that we had the last time, I...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 29, 2014 is: vicious circle • \VISH-us-SER-kul\  • noun 1 : an argument or definition that begs the question 2 : a chain of events in which the response to one difficulty creates a new problem that aggravates the original difficulty Examples: Lower profits led to spending cuts which caused falling sales, creating a vicious circle. "Diabetes symptoms d...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 28, 2014 is: heterodox • \HET-uh-ruh-dahks\  • adjective 1 : contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard, a traditional form, or an established religion : unorthodox, unconventional 2 : holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines Examples: A lifelong contrarian, Alexa was known for putting forth heterodox opinions in her weekly culture column....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 27, 2014 is: nostrum • \NAHSS-trum\  • noun : a usually questionable remedy or scheme : panacea Examples: Critics predict the mayor's plan to revitalize the downtown area by offering tax breaks to businesses will prove a costly and ineffective nostrum. "For example, the Internet will likely soon be overflowing with nostrums, essential oils, tree bark,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 26, 2014 is: crabwise • \KRAB-wyze\  • adverb 1 : sideways 2 : in a sidling or cautiously indirect manner Examples: Rather than asking his parents for a car directly, Noah approached the matter crabwise, stressing how inconvenient it was for them to have to drive him everywhere. "But personally, my bed … is just for sleeping in. It is actually … 6ft w...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 25, 2014 is: pelagic • \puh-LAJ-ik\  • adjective : of, relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea : oceanic Examples: She is studying to become a marine biologist specializing in pelagic plant life. "During this time we also have the seasonal migration of pelagic fish from the northern Gulf waters to the Key West area." - Sam O'Briant, The Ne...