Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 2, 2014 is: augur • \AW-gur\  • verb 1 : to foretell (something) or to predict the future especially from omens 2 : to give promise of : presage Examples: The state's new first-time home-buyer program augurs a healthy jump in home sales this year. "The good news for our area in 2015 is that El Niños usually translate into milder winters for those in the n...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 1, 2014 is: palmy • \PAH-mee\  • adjective 1 : marked by prosperity : flourishing 2 : abounding in or bearing palms Examples: "In Beaufort Road was a house, occupied in its palmier days, by Mr Shorthouse, a manufacturer of acids." - J.R.R. Tolkien, letter, July 1964 "The place is 101 years old so they're selling tradition hard these days, staging balloon...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 31, 2014 is: gamut • \GAM-ut\  • noun 1 : the whole series of recognized musical notes 2 : an entire range or series Examples: "The films offered at Kauai's Hawaii Ocean Film Festival run the gamut from sports to science." - Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi, Honolulu Star, August 16, 2009 "The popular program is held during school vacation week and again during summer...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 30, 2014 is: diktat • \dik-TAHT\  • noun 1 : a harsh settlement unilaterally imposed (as on a defeated nation) 2 : decree, order Examples: The company president issued a diktat that employees may not wear jeans to work. "In the past month, opposition-party mayors of San Cristobal and San Diego have been ousted and imprisoned by judicial decisions based on...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 29, 2014 is: motley • \MAHT-lee\  • adjective 1 : variegated in color 2 : composed of diverse often incongruous elements Examples: Lenny went to the medieval festival dressed in the bright motley garb of a court jester. "The detention of the monitors instantly raised the stakes in an already fraught drama pitting the Ukrainian government against motley ban...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 28, 2014 is: toxophilite • \tahk-SAH-fuh-lyte\  • noun : a person fond of or expert at archery Examples: "With this weekend's smashing debut of the movie Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen's power with a bow and arrow has made toxophilites (archery-lovers) of us all." - Rebecca J. Rosen, Atlantic Online, March 26, 2012 "Behold, the archer! Perhaps there is no...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 27, 2014 is: bricolage • \bree-koh-LAHZH\  • noun : construction (as of a sculpture or a structure of ideas) achieved by using whatever comes to hand; also : something constructed in this way Examples: Knowing that the motor was assembled from a hasty bricolage of junk parts, Raphael had little hope that it would run effectively. "Hustad reconstructs the p...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 26, 2014 is: stonewall • \STOHN-wawl\  • verb 1 : to be uncooperative, obstructive, or evasive 2 : to refuse to comply or cooperate with Examples: The company's executives stonewalled the investigation at every turn. "I think they're stonewalling because there seems to be a lack of leadership on their side as to how to respond to these serious allegations....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 25, 2014 is: spume • \SPYOOM\  • noun : frothy matter on liquids : foam, scum Examples: The spume and sea spray from the rising tide made the rocks along the beach slick and treacherous. "The ship yawns and yaws with each enormous wave that pounds the side of the boat, sending a cloud of spume and spray high into the air." - From an article by Ben Fogle in...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 24, 2014 is: kickshaw • \KIK-shaw\  • noun 1 : a fancy dish : delicacy 2 : a showy trifle : trinket Examples: The display case was filled with costume jewelry and various kickshaws from the 1920s. "Mitra's Chocolates on Military Rd in Spit Junction is a haven for sweet-toothed connoisseurs, with a smorgasbord of fine-quality, hand-crafted kickshaws that te...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 23, 2014 is: preterit • \PRET-uh-rut\  • noun : past tense Examples: While the past tense form of "sneak" is traditionally "sneaked," the alternate preterit "snuck" is increasingly common. "The next chapter introduces Elwin Cross Jr., a professor of linguistics at Marasmus State College…. He's in his 50s, directionless, nearing a point in his life when 'wh...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 22, 2014 is: speculate • \SPEK-yuh-layt\  • verb 1 a : to meditate on or ponder a subject : reflect b : to think or theorize about something in which evidence is too slight for certainty to be reached 2 : to assume a business risk in hope of gain; especially : to buy or sell in expectation of profiting from market fluctuations Examples: Mia's abrupt firing...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 21, 2014 is: offal • \AW-ful\  • noun 1 a : the waste or by-product of a process: as b : trimmings of a hide c : the by-products of milling used especially for stock feeds d : the viscera and trimmings of a butchered animal removed in dressing : the edible parts of a slaughter animal other than skeletal muscle 2 : rubbish Examples: The city's offal-strewn...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 20, 2014 is: amiable • \AY-mee-uh-bul\  • adjective 1 : generally agreeable 2 : being friendly, sociable, and congenial Examples: "Aside from being amiable, Mickey Mouse has no discernible personality of any kind, yet he has captivated the world, appeared in hundreds of films, and sold billions of dollars' worth of merchandise." - R. L. Stine, quoted in Th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 19, 2014 is: mélange • \may-LAHNZH\  • noun : a mixture often of incongruous elements Examples: We encountered a mélange of architectural styles as we strolled through the neighborhood. "Crisp and white as a chef’s toque, the newest artwork at the Culinary Institute of America made its debut last month as the perfect backdrop for commencement snapshots. Gr...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 18, 2014 is: sully • \SUL-ee\  • verb : to make soiled or tarnished : defile Examples: The mayor worried that the latest scandal had hopelessly sullied his good name. "The bank's reputation was sullied when its former chairman … was caught on tape in November discussing an alleged drug purchase." - From an article by Max Colchester in the Wall Street Journ...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 17, 2014 is: sartorial • \sahr-TOR-ee-ul\  • adjective : of or relating to a tailor or tailored clothes; broadly : of or relating to clothes Examples: Since Daniel was well-known for his impeccable sartorial taste, I asked him for help in upgrading my own wardrobe. "Her truck, specializing in clothes for plus-size women, is one of the mobile fashion retail...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 16, 2014 is: bijou • \BEE-zhoo\  • noun 1 : a small dainty usually ornamental piece of delicate workmanship : jewel 2 : something delicate, elegant, or highly prized Examples: Bijoux from around the world will be on exhibit and later auctioned off. "Bauble Bar has loads of gorgeous bijoux that won't break the bank…. The Radiant Orchid Collar Necklace is am...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 15, 2014 is: shinplaster • \SHIN-plass-ter\  • noun 1 : a piece of privately issued paper currency; especially : one poorly secured and depreciated in value 2 : a piece of paper money in denominations of less than one dollar Examples: It was the same during the Civil War when the government again turned to the printing press to finance the war. So-called '...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 14, 2014 is: eidetic • \eye-DET-ik\  • adjective : marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall especially of visual images Examples: Thanks to her eidetic memory, Kirsten was able to recall every last detail of what happened that night, including the colors of each person's outfit. "Jason Bateman, making his feature directing debut aft...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 13, 2014 is: yokel • \YOH-kul\  • noun : a naive or gullible inhabitant of a rural area or small town Examples: The yokels at the gas station looked at us funny when we walked in, but they were friendly and obliging when we asked them for directions. "Who stumbles across him but the thugs that ransacked the house Rick was staying in just a few episodes ago...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 12, 2014 is: snivel • \SNIV-ul\  • verb 1 : to run at the nose 2 : to snuff mucus up the nose audibly : snuffle 3 : to cry or whine with snuffling 4 : to speak or act in a whining, sniffling, tearful, or weakly emotional manner Examples: Mom told Jenny to stop sniveling about how mistreated she was and just do her chores. "Clearly director Alan Taylor, who...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 11, 2014 is: abrupt • \uh-BRUPT\  • adjective 1 a : characterized by or involving action or change without preparation or warning : unexpected b : unceremoniously curt c : lacking smoothness or continuity 2 : giving the impression of being cut or broken off; especially : involving a sudden steep rise or drop Examples: Although Kevin liked working at the au...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 10, 2014 is: retinue • \RET-uh-noo\  • noun : a group of retainers or attendants Examples: "The Handkerchief Prince was trailed by a retinue of 40 or so Japanese media members, complete with satellite trucks." - From an article by Anthony Rieber in Newsday, March 28, 2014 "Eight men made its retinue, and two of the eight were armed with rusty sabres-sure s...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 9, 2014 is: mien • \MEEN\  • noun 1 : air or bearing especially as expressive of attitude or personality : demeanor 2 : appearance, aspect Examples: The minister projected a stern and serious mien from the pulpit, but we found him to be friendly and welcoming when we spoke with him in the social hall after the service. "Cooking in a Seattle Seahawks cap, M...