Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 20, 2013 is: parol • \PAIR-ul\  • noun : word of mouth : oral communication Examples: Mrs. Bridesworth had an agreement by parol with her tenant for the monthly rent, but no written lease. "One tenant in common cannot grant by deed, nor can he demise by deed or by parol, anything more than his undivided interest in the estate…." - From Massachusetts La...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 19, 2013 is: in silico • \in-SIL-ih-koh\  • adverb or adjective : in or on a computer : done or produced by using computer software or simulation Examples: "Researchers claim they are creating life forms on computers, in silico creatures as truly alive as the bacteria studied in vitro." - From an article by Joshua Quittner in Newsday (New York), July 2...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 18, 2013 is: doozy • \DOO-zee\  • noun : an extraordinary one of its kind Examples: "It should be a doozy of a year, with an aggressive ad campaign starting and work underway to take the company public," said the CEO. "The planet is a doozy, with maniacal dogs and giant scorpions, but Riddick has a keen sense of survival, so he makes a nice little life...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 17, 2013 is: adjudicate • \uh-JOO-dih-kayt\  • verb 1 : to settle judicially 2 : to act as judge Examples: After a complaint has been filed, the panel has 30 days to adjudicate on the dispute. "Both parties should ask the state Supreme Court to hear the case directly and adjudicate it fully on the merits. The justices should accept it." - From a column...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 16, 2013 is: pristine • \PRISS-teen\  • adjective 1 : belonging to the earliest period or state : original 2 a : not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted (as by civilization) : pure b : in perfect condition : fresh and clean as or as if new Examples: "Our friend … had lost a great deal of his pristine timidity, and was now, especially when fortified with li...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 15, 2013 is: ensky • \in-SKYE\  • verb 1 : to raise in rank, power, or character 2 : to praise highly : glorify Examples: "Since his death, he has been enskied and sainted by people who put heavy emphasis on his later, serious books…." - From Robertson Davies' 2008 book Selected Works on the Pleasures of Reading "Hoisted up by the cranes of populist bo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 14, 2013 is: musket • \MUSS-kut\  • noun : a heavy large-caliber muzzle-loading usually smoothbore shoulder firearm; broadly : a shoulder gun carried by infantry Examples: "They could see changes going on among the troops. There were marchings this way and that way. A battery wheeled leisurely. On the crest of a small hill was the thick gleam of many d...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 13, 2013 is: pecuniary • \pih-KYOO-nee-air-ee\  • adjective 1 : consisting of or measured in money 2 : of or relating to money Examples: Marcus was more than happy to water Rachel's plants while she was away and refused any pecuniary compensation for the job. "The suite has amenities like Art Deco detailing and showstopping views of Central Park, anoth...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 12, 2013 is: couloir • \kool-WAHR\  • noun : a steep mountainside gorge Examples: During our helicopter tour of the mountain range, we saw several snowboarders taking on the steep terrain of the couloir. "Max and his father had a tough time getting to the top of El Diente Peak in the San Juan Mountains, resorting to ice axes and crampons to get through...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 11, 2013 is: sodden • \SAH-dun\  • adjective 1 a : dull or expressionless especially from continued indulgence in alcoholic beverages b : torpid, sluggish 2 a : heavy with or as if with moisture or water b : heavy or doughy because of imperfect cooking Examples: Our shoes and socks were wet from trudging across the sodden field. "But while the classic...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 10, 2013 is: corrigendum • \kor-uh-JEN-dum\  • noun : an error in a printed work discovered after printing and shown with its correction on a separate sheet Examples: The day after running the article, the newspaper printed a corrigendum stating that the actress had been born in 1971, not 1871 as indicated. "In summary, the scientific literature is sel...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 9, 2013 is: nidus • \NYE-dus\  • noun 1 : a nest or breeding place; especially : a place or substance in an animal or plant where bacteria or other organisms lodge and multiply 2 : a place where something originates, develops, or is located Examples: The neighborhood had long been a nidus of crime and vice, but community policing and other intervention...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 8, 2013 is: pastiche • \pass-TEESH\  • noun 1 : a musical, literary, or artistic work that imitates the style of previous work or is made up of selections from different works 2 : hodgepodge Examples: The director's new murder mystery is a clever pastiche of the 1950s noir films he watched as a boy. "Chicano art is a pastiche of post-Mexican Revolution...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 7, 2013 is: incarcerate • \in-KAHR-suh-rayt\  • verb 1 : to put in prison 2 : to subject to confinement Examples: Because the accused man presented a serious threat to society, the judge ordered that he remain incarcerated while he awaited trial. "In a rare instance of bipartisanship, Congress over the past year called for 'smart criminal justice refor...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 6, 2013 is: polyglot • \PAH-lee-glaht\  • adjective 1 a : speaking or writing several languages b : composed of numerous linguistic groups 2 : containing matter in several languages 3 : composed of elements from different languages 4 : widely diverse (as in ethnic or cultural origins) Examples: Merchants in the resort city are adept at serving a polygl...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 5, 2013 is: sleuth • \SLOOTH\  • verb 1 : to act as a detective : search for information 2 : to search for and discover Examples: After I hung up the phone, I did some sleuthing to see if the caller's story had any credibility. "Allen, whose PhD is in classical archaeology, shadowed spies and sleuthed in archives on three continents to piece together t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 4, 2013 is: cat's-paw • \KATS-paw\  • noun 1 : a light air that ruffles the surface of the water in irregular patches during a calm 2 : one used by another as a tool : dupe 3 : a hitch knot formed with two eyes for attaching a line to a hook Examples: "It was one of those silent, dreamy spring days when sunshine pours down upon the yet-cold earth and t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 3, 2013 is: fimbriated • \FIM-bree-ay-tud\  • adjective : having the edge or extremity bordered by slender processes : fringed Examples: "While the animal is underwater, a fimbriated tail is adaptive in preventing rolling and tends to stabilize body motion while swimming." - From Joseph F. Merritt's 2010 book The Biology of Small Mammals "The 2- to 3-f...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 2, 2013 is: minion • \MIN-yun\  • noun 1 : a servile dependent, follower, or underling 2 : one highly favored : idol 3 : a subordinate or petty official Examples: The senior partner joked that she'd send her faithful minions out for coffee. "There's Ruckus (Michael Mayes), whose father has recently appointed him store manager and who is happily lording...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 1, 2013 is: Rubicon • \ROO-bih-kahn\  • noun : a bounding or limiting line; especially : one that when crossed commits a person irrevocably Examples: The most talented college basketball players come up against a very difficult decision: whether to stay in college or cross the Rubicon and go pro. "Much of soccer is pantomime, after all, and we all ador...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 30, 2013 is: foofaraw • \FOO-fuh-raw\  • noun 1 : frills and flashy finery 2 : a disturbance or to-do over a trifle : fuss Examples: "Marcia Edwards … turned down the offer to become dean of the College of Education because she didn't want the hassle, especially the foofaraw of being the first woman dean." - From Garrison Keillor's 2004 book Homegrow...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 29, 2013 is: betwixt • \bih-TWIKST\  • adverb or preposition : between Examples: "Whatever Prabal Gurung thinks about when he is designing … he always views those inspirations from the New York crossroads betwixt uptown and downtown, historically the great divide of American fashion." - From an article by Mark Holgate in Vogue, November 2010 "The fil...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 28, 2013 is: lucubration • \loo-kyuh-BRAY-shun\  • noun : laborious or intensive study; also : the product of such study - usually used in plural Examples: The historical archives include handwritten lucubrations from Benjamin Franklin himself. "From introspection, we are all familiar with the mental clutter, the chatter that makes up our daily life....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 27, 2013 is: disparage • \dih-SPAIR-ij\  • verb 1 : to lower in rank or reputation : degrade 2 : to depreciate by indirect means (as invidious comparison) : to speak slightingly about Examples: I explained my idea to the supervisor, but he disparaged it as a waste of company resources. "Lawmakers are not allowed to use partisan language or disparage...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 26, 2013 is: noisome • \NOY-sum\  • adjective 1 : noxious, harmful 2 a : offensive to the senses and especially to the sense of smell b : highly obnoxious or objectionable Examples: "The streets were narrow and very dirty, the air smoky and noisome, the people mostly wretched." - From Ken Follett's 1982 novel The Man From St. Petersburg "The old phot...