Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 22, 2014 is: teem • \TEEM\  • verb 1 : to become filled to overflowing 2 : to be present in large quantity Examples: By mid-morning the theme park will already be teeming with visitors. "Dispensing with the last installment's cumbersome mythology, this one gets back to basics, dumping the hero on a desert planet teeming with lethal critters and determ...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2014 is: small beer • \SMAWL-BEER\  • noun 1 : weak or inferior beer 2 : something of small importance : trivia Examples: The money we spend on cable is small beer compared to the mortgage payment we have to come up with every month. "The main drink was 'small beer', which had a low alcohol content-just enough to preserve it-and was drunk by almos...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 20, 2014 is: senescence • \sih-NESS-unss\  • noun 1 : the state of being old : the process of becoming old 2 : the growth phase in a plant or plant part (as a leaf) from full maturity to death Examples: Vera avoids the pitfalls of senescence by exercising daily and staying active in her community. "Butler's book grew out of the experience of her fathe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 19, 2014 is: arch • \AHRCH\  • adjective 1 : principal, chief 2 a : mischievous, saucy b : marked by a deliberate and often forced playfulness, irony, or impudence Examples: The novel is never mocking or arch in its tone-a marked departure from the writer's usual style. "Bloomberg was harshly criticized for the slow response, especially in Queens and...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 18, 2014 is: redoubtable • \rih-DOUT-uh-bul\  • adjective 1 : causing fear or alarm : formidable 2 : illustrious, eminent; broadly : worthy of respect Examples: The theater has hired a redoubtable director to direct its upcoming production. "The study's authors-Jason Grissom, Benjamin Master, and the redoubtable Susannah Loeb-assigned researchers to s...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 17, 2014 is: probity • \PROH-buh-tee\  • noun : adherence to the highest principles and ideals : uprightness Examples: The tale of young George Washington's refusal to tell a lie after cutting down his father's cherry tree was told to us as grade schoolers to illustrate his probity. "The Senate has confirmed Jeh Johnson, once the Pentagon's top lawyer...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 16, 2014 is: lorn • \LORN\  • adjective : desolate, forsaken Examples: "One large saucepan lay lorn near the doorstep, a proof that Foster was human." - From Arnold Bennett's 1910 novel Clayhanger "It's a bit unsettling here seeing slides, climbing structures, and the like lost in lone, lorn decay." - From a photography exhibit review by Mark Feeney i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 15, 2014 is: crepitate • \KREP-uh-tayt\  • verb : to make a crackling sound : to make a series of short, sharp noises Examples: Most of the tiny town's residents had something to contribute to the bonfire, and it burned brightly and crepitated loudly late into the night. "A familiar synthetic beat starts the disc…. The band slowly fills in around the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 14, 2014 is: Cupid • \KYOO-pid\  • noun : the Roman god of erotic love 2 not capitalized : a figure that represents Cupid as a naked usually winged boy often holding a bow and arrow Examples: I purchased a large Valentine's Day card decorated with hearts and cupids. "Ever since opening Seventh Sister Bakery at the foot of Roncesvalles Avenue three yea...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 13, 2014 is: serendipity • \sair-un-DIP-uh-tee\  • noun : the faculty or phenomenon of finding valuable or agreeable things not sought for; also : an instance of this Examples: We found the restaurant by pure serendipity, rather than careful research, but it turned out to be the best deal in town. "Many young people today have never had the experience...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 12, 2014 is: deracinate • \dee-RASS-uh-nayt\  • verb 1 : uproot 2 : to remove or separate from a native environment or culture; especially : to remove the racial or ethnic characteristics or influences from Examples: The old-fashioned gardening book recommended deracinating every other plant in the row to allow the survivors room to grow. "My dilemma...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 11, 2014 is: filch • \FILCH\  • verb : to appropriate furtively or casually : to steal (something that is small or that has little value) Examples: After Devin admitted to filching a candy bar from the convenience store, he apologized to the owner but was not allowed in the store again. "(Shia) LaBeouf directed a 2012 short film, HowardCantour.com. Un...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 10, 2014 is: anodyne • \AN-uh-dyne\  • adjective 1 : serving to alleviate pain 2 : not likely to offend or arouse tensions : innocuous Examples: I felt nervous in their presence and couldn't muster anything more than an anodyne question about the weather. "The cuisine of Spain is largely misunderstood in the United States, where what passes for Spanis...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 9, 2014 is: regnant • \REG-nunt\  • adjective 1 : exercising rule : reigning 2 a : having the chief power : dominant b : of common or widespread occurrence Examples: There was increasing pressure on the regnant king to produce an heir. "As Washington considers how to save the Postal Service, it ought to cast its eyes toward Europe, where mail delivery...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 8, 2014 is: parvenu • \PAHR-vuh-noo\  • noun : one who has recently or suddenly risen to an unaccustomed position of wealth or power and has not yet gained the prestige, dignity, or manner associated with it Examples: Washington old-timers viewed the young senator as an upstart parvenu. "Today, Denver continues to reflect the brash carelessness of the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 7, 2014 is: chowderhead • \CHOW-der-hed\  • noun : dolt, blockhead Examples: "No matter how hard I have tried I cannot stop them from yelling 'Chowderhead!' and trying to poke one another's eyes out…." - From Elizabeth Berg's 2002 novel True to Form "Many of my fellow Americans enjoy the sport of football…. If you're like me, you often opine that you...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 6, 2014 is: meed • \MEED\  • noun : a fitting return or recompense Examples: For his valor displayed on the field of battle, the knight was rewarded with his due meed of praise and gratitude from the king. "At the time, and thanks to Berger, it won its meed of attention because it was worth lots of money." - From an article by Christopher Hitchens in...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 5, 2014 is: soigné • \swahn-YAY\  • adjective 1 : dressed with great care and elegance : well-groomed, sleek 2 : elegantly maintained or designed Examples: Wearing a fetching evening gown, Alyssa looked soigné and sophisticated and ready for the night's events. "'Nijinsky' opens in 1919 in a hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland, where the artist gave his...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 4, 2014 is: refulgence • \rih-FULL-junss\  • noun : a radiant or resplendent quality or state : brilliance Examples: The winning photo captured the refulgence of a full moon on a clear autumn night. "The sound the Philadelphia players mustered from the heroic opening bars of Brahms's Third Symphony was the orchestra's own, showing the richness and ref...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 3, 2014 is: simpatico • \sim-PAH-tih-koh\  • adjective 1 : agreeable, likeable 2 : being on the same wavelength : congenial, sympathetic Examples: Even though they weren't always simpatico with regard to the direction of their company, Jerry and Michael managed to be successful partners for more than 35 years. "Regular readers might be sick of my sayi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 2, 2014 is: malversation • \mal-ver-SAY-shun\  • noun 1 : misbehavior and especially corruption in an office, trust, or commission 2 : corrupt administration Examples: The city council impeached the mayor for administrative misconduct and malversation, charging that he has used his office primarily for personal gain. "The Office of the Ombudsman is st...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 1, 2014 is: pusillanimous • \pyoo-suh-LAN-uh-mus\  • adjective : lacking courage and resolution : marked by contemptible timidity Examples: The senator resorted to mudslinging, calling his opponent "a pusillanimous pawn of special interest groups." "Here's the pusillanimous and unprincipled attitude of the RUSU [Reading University Student Union] and i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 31, 2014 is: aerie • \AIR-ee\  • noun 1 : the nest of a bird on a cliff or a mountaintop 2 : an elevated often secluded dwelling, structure, or position Examples: Members of the royal family were seated in an aerie flanking the stage. "Besides scoring an aerie in the tallest, and most exquisitely renovated, building on the park, Mr. Alexander has nearl...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 30, 2014 is: passim • \PASS-im\  • adverb : here and there Examples: Readers will have no trouble determining the editor's opinions about the text, as her strongly worded footnotes appear passim. "Finally, may I say that I respect the views of those who have read and researched the same information as I, but reached the opposing conclusion, as displaye...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 29, 2014 is: logy • \LOH-ghee\  • adjective : marked by sluggishness and lack of vitality : groggy Examples: I was feeling logy after eating such a big meal, so I decided to take a brief nap. "I often feel logy before putting on a record that I'm slated to review, like I'm getting up in the morning for work. But that dissipates. The music soon becomes...