Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 3, 2014 is: writhe • \RYTHE\  • verb 1 : to move or proceed with twists and turns 2 : to twist from or as if from pain or struggling 3 : to suffer keenly Examples: After falling off the ladder, James lay on the ground, writhing in pain. "Now Revel is trying to attract more people with features such as the 'DigiPit,' a performance space on the gambling...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 2, 2014 is: endemic • \en-DEM-ik\  • adjective 1 : characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment 2 : restricted or peculiar to a locality or region Examples: A recent report identifies the country as a "failed state," citing endemic corruption at all levels of government. "Aucoin's research focuses on the development of rap...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 1, 2014 is: abecedarian • \ay-bee-see-DAIR-ee-un\  • adjective 1 a : of or relating to the alphabet b : alphabetically arranged 2 : rudimentary Examples: The children recited an abecedarian chant, beginning with "A is for apple" and ending with "Z is for zebra." "'The Future of Terror' and 'Terror of the Future' are abecedarian poems, which is to say t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 31, 2013 is: pococurante • \POH-koh-kyoo-RAN-tee\  • adjective : indifferent, nonchalant Examples: Even the most pococurante museum-goers are bound to be moved by the photos in the new exhibit. "[Anonymous restaurant reviewers] lumbered in as any other diner would, assessing astutely yet nonchalantly the performance of the coat-check girl, the host, t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 30, 2013 is: saponaceous • \sap-uh-NAY-shus\  • adjective : resembling or having the qualities of soap Examples: "When boiled or bruised in water, the leaves turn saponaceous, and the resulting lather cuts through grease." - From an article in Mountain Xpress (Asheville, North Carolina), March 16, 2005 - March 22, 2005 "Wilberforce's smooth and slippe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 29, 2013 is: imbricate • \IM-brih-kut\  • adjective : lying lapped over each other in regular order Examples: During the tour of the mansion, Glenda noted the pattern of imbricate slate tiles on the roofs of the gables, a feature common to houses of the period. "Recent geological studies and limited geophysical measurements in this region have been ci...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 28, 2013 is: mea culpa • \may-uh-KOOL-puh\  • noun : a formal acknowledgment of personal fault or error Examples: The mayor's public mea culpa didn't satisfy his critics. "Here's my mea culpa: I admit I'm carrying around 20 pounds I could do without and also don't exercise enough." - From an article by Eli Amdur in the Patriot News (Harrisburg, Pennsy...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 27, 2013 is: exhilarate • \ig-ZIL-uh-rayt\  • verb 1 : to make cheerful and excited : enliven, elate 2 : refresh, stimulate Examples: "There is nothing like a cold swim to exhilarate the body," said Susan, explaining why she was considering participating in her town's upcoming Polar Bear Plunge. "If being perched on a 2,000-foot coastal ridge in a lig...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 26, 2013 is: paraphernalia • \pair-uh-fuh-NAIL-yuh\  • noun 1 : the separate real or personal property of a married woman that she can dispose of by will and sometimes according to common law during her life 2 : personal belongings 3 a : articles of equipment : furnishings b : accessory items : appurtenances Examples: "Pearls and jewels, even though o...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 25, 2013 is: noel • \noh-EL\  • noun 1 : a Christmas carol 2 : capitalized Christmas Examples: We unwrapped our Christmas presents while listening to a CD of delightful and familiar noels. "Holiday music will fill the air as the Southern Miss Gulf Coast Civic Chorale performs their annual holiday concerts on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The performance...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 24, 2013 is: debonair • \deb-uh-NAIR\  • adjective 1 : dressing and acting in an appealing and sophisticated way : fashionable, attractive, and confident : suave, urbane 2 : lighthearted, nonchalant Examples: David, a handsome and debonair bachelor, was among the first guests to arrive at Hannah's Christmas Eve party. "One of the staunchest of these l...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2013 is: eupeptic • \yoo-PEP-tik\  • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or having good digestion 2 : cheerful, optimistic Examples: Warren's stockbroker offered some surprising eupeptic predictions about Warren's portfolio in spite of the sluggish economy. "For Ms Roach and her fellow digestion devotees nothing is too gross…. No human organ goes unpro...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2013 is: palpate • \PAL-payt\  • verb : to examine by touch especially medically Examples: The veterinarian carefully palpated the dog's leg before informing the owner that the animal had suffered a mild sprain. "Kayla Preisler closed her eyes and Courtlynn Pulcini touched her fingers to her classmate's lids, gently palpating the area.… As part of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2013 is: scofflaw • \SKAHFF-law\  • noun : a contemptuous law violator Examples: The governor's office set up a database listing the names of scofflaws who hadn't paid their traffic fines. "For the reality of professional cycling in the [Lance] Armstrong years was that just about everyone was a scofflaws, that what Armstrong did was not an attempt...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 20, 2013 is: ragout • \ra-GOO\  • noun 1 : well-seasoned meat and vegetables cooked in a thick sauce 2 : mixture, mélange Examples: The movie is an ill-conceived ragout of fantasy, science fiction, and old-fashioned romance. "Chef Tin Huynh is cooking up a menu of northern and southern Italian favorites-think pappardelle topped with pork ragout and ba...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 19, 2013 is: vivacious • \vuh-VAY-shus\  • adjective : lively in temper, conduct, or spirit : sprightly Examples: The hostess was a pretty, vivacious woman with a knack for making people feel comfortable. "Jennifer Lawrence may be everyone's hilarious, exuberant spirit animal, but it turns out the Oscar-winning actress wasn't always vivacious and outg...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 18, 2013 is: midriff • \MID-riff\  • noun 1 : a body partition of muscle and connective tissue; specifically : the partition separating the chest and abdominal cavities in mammals : diaphragm 2 : the mid-region of the human torso 3 a : a section of a woman's garment that covers the midriff b : a woman's garment that exposes the midriff Examples: Even...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 17, 2013 is: pinnacle • \PIN-ih-kul\  • noun 1 : an upright architectural formation generally ending in a small spire 2 : a structure or formation suggesting a pinnacle; specifically : a lofty peak 3 : the highest point of development or achievement : acme Examples: Winning the national championship was the pinnacle of his career. "As the 792-foot-tal...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 16, 2013 is: glom • \GLAHM\  • verb 1 : take, steal 2 : seize, catch Examples: "She signed an affidavit of confession attesting she glommed more than $284,000, the company contends." - From an article by Frank Donnelly in the Staten Island Advance, September 15, 2008 "In reality, he's a crook who glommed clinic funds for everything from plane trips to...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 15, 2013 is: agrarian • \uh-GRAIR-ee-un\  • adjective 1 : of or relating to fields or lands or their tenure 2 a : of, relating to, or characteristic of farmers or their way of life b : organized or designed to promote agricultural interests Examples: Since buying their organic farm three years ago, Ken and Sheila have been gradually adjusting to an ag...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 14, 2013 is: wherewithal • \WAIR-wih-thawl\  • noun : means, resources; specifically : money Examples: If I had the wherewithal, I’d buy that empty lot next door and put in a garden. "It's unlikely the Cubs would have the wherewithal to make a winning bid, especially if the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers go all-in for Tanaka." - From an arti...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 13, 2013 is: divulge • \dih-VULJ\  • verb : to make (something, such as a confidence or a secret) known Examples: Patty would not divulge where she had hidden her Christmas presents. "Gov. Steve Beshear and Attorney General Jack Conway are warning consumers to beware of scam artists who might try to dupe them into divulging personal information on web...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 12, 2013 is: gustatory • \GUSS-tuh-tor-ee\  • adjective : relating to or associated with eating or the sense of taste Examples: While a winter storm raged outside we enjoyed a series of gustatory delights prepared by our hosts. "[Holly] Hughes' latest collection includes writing on every type of gustatory obsession from the farms and people who produc...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 11, 2013 is: nimiety • \nih-MYE-uh-tee\  • noun : excess, redundancy Examples: Nathan is possessed of a nimiety of get-rich-quick schemes, combined with a paucity of common sense. "Despite the nimiety of blue lighting and an issue over microphone levels, this was a wonderfully gentle evening of poignant country and folk poetry set to simple melodies t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 10, 2013 is: ferrule • \FAIR-ul\  • noun 1 : a ring or cap usually of metal put around a slender shaft (as a cane or a tool handle) to strengthen it or prevent splitting 2 : a usually metal sleeve used especially for joining or binding one part to another (as pipe sections or the bristles and handle of a brush) Examples: "A band of metal called a ferr...