Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 31, 2013 is: drub • \DRUB\  • verb 1 : to beat severely 2 : to berate critically 3 : to defeat decisively Examples: After being drubbed by the worst team in the league, the hometown players slunk into the locker room with their heads hung low. "Cotchett's book drubbed Stern, Keating and other schemers for callously endangering trusting individuals to ma...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 30, 2013 is: flair • \FLAIR\  • noun 1 : a skill or instinctive ability to appreciate or make good use of something : talent; also : inclination, tendency 2 : a uniquely attractive quality : style Examples: From an early age, Martin has demonstrated a real flair for drawing and painting. "Lise de la Salle played the exuberant piano flourishes with flair...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 29, 2013 is: genial • \JEE-nee-ul\  • adjective 1 : favorable to growth or comfort : mild 2 : marked by or diffusing sympathy or friendliness 3 : displaying or marked by genius Examples: Our genial host immediately offered us refreshments and introduced us to everyone. "A few years back, in a sleepy hotel bar in Costa Rica, I found myself in one of thos...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 28, 2013 is: proximate • \PRAHK-suh-mut\  • adjective 1 : immediately preceding or following (as in a chain of events, causes, or effects) 2 a : very near : close b : soon forthcoming : imminent Examples: The proximate cause of the disaster appeared to be human error, but the ultimate fault lay with the company's lax safety policies. "And while Detroit'...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 27, 2013 is: jape • \JAYP\  • verb 1 : to say or do something jokingly or mockingly 2 : to make mocking fun of Examples: At the convention, the younger gamers japed at the low-tech graphics of the early consoles on display. "Japed Jay Leno: 'Doesn’t sequestration sound like some kind of side effect from a bad medicine?'" - From an article by J. Freedom...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 26, 2013 is: nocuous • \NAH-kyuh-wus\  • adjective : harmful Examples: Nocuous levels of toxic gases were detected in the coal mine. "'We have had a lot of positive feedback from landholders who are thankful the council is doing something proactive to get rid of this nocuous weed,' [South Burnett councillor Kathy Duff] said. 'Lantana can seriously affec...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 25, 2013 is: rowel • \ROWL\  • verb 1 : to goad with or as if with a pointed disk at the end of a spur 2 : vex, trouble Examples: With one of the best fastballs in the league combined with a wicked changeup, Lester roweled the opposing line-up for his second career no-hitter. "He folded the book shut, touched his hat, moved to the wagon, and roweled the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 24, 2013 is: corn salad • \KORN-SAL-ud\  • noun : any of several herbs (genus Valerianella) of the valerian family; especially : a low European herb (V. locusta syn. V. olitoria) that is widely cultivated for its leaves used in salads and as a potherb Examples: "Corn salad has round leaves that form a crown of leafy green. The leaves are not as crisp as...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 23, 2013 is: vapor • \VAY-per\  • verb 1 a : to rise or pass off in vapor b : to emit vapor 2 : to indulge in bragging, blustering, or idle talk Examples: Andrew spent more time vaporing about his sprint times than actually training, so his teammates were not surprised when he got beaten soundly in all of his events at the next meet. "The night was clea...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 22, 2013 is: inscrutable • \in-SKROO-tuh-bul\  • adjective : not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood : mysterious Examples: The umpire's inscrutable expression gave no hint as to what his ruling would be. "But the idea behind the project-that data can be intimate and expressive and is, in the end, ours to tinker with-is a vital one. It's th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 21, 2013 is: permeate • \PER-mee-ayt\  • verb 1 : to diffuse through or penetrate (something) 2 : to pass through the pores or interstices of Examples: The scent of lilacs permeated the air as soon as the bushes bloomed outside my window. "'Game Over.' There's no element of video-game culture that has so thoroughly permeated the mainstream. Everyone kno...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 20, 2013 is: zero-sum • \ZEER-oh-SUM\  • adjective : of, relating to, or being a situation (as a game or relationship) in which a gain for one side entails a corresponding loss for the other side Examples: A political election is a zero-sum game-only one candidate can get the job. "As long as there is a shortage of organs, transplantation will remain a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 19, 2013 is: mot juste • \moh-ZHEWST\  • noun : the exactly right word or phrasing Examples: The most successful managers-like the most successful writers and politicians-can summon the mot juste easily. "At best, thesauruses are mere rest stops in the search for the mot juste. Your destination is the dictionary." - From an article by John McPhee in the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 18, 2013 is: redound • \rih-DOWND\  • verb 1 : to have an effect 2 : to become transferred or added : accrue Examples: "It is felt that the traffic from the exhibits and classes will redound to the benefit of downtown restaurants and hotels." - From an article by Scott Eyman in the Palm Beach Post, November 13, 2009 "Ripley said he has worked the number...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 17, 2013 is: sapient • \SAY-pee-unt\  • adjective : possessing or expressing great wisdom Examples: Kara regarded her teacher as sapient on matters pertaining to both school and life, and she listened carefully to her advice whenever it was offered. "In this debut sci-fi novel, great responsibility is thrust upon a young warrior descended from rabbits w...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 16, 2013 is: liaison • \LEE-uh-zahn\  • noun 1 a : a close bond or connection b : an illicit sexual relationship : affair 2 a : communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation (as between parts of an armed force) b : one that establishes and maintains communication for mutual understanding and cooperation Examples: "T...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 15, 2013 is: miscible • \MISS-uh-bul\  • adjective : capable of being mixed; specifically : capable of mixing in any ratio without separation of two phases Examples: Mr. Remington's class demonstration showed that, to paraphrase an old saying, oil and water are indeed not miscible. "Joseph is determined to make it on his own, and succeeds in inventing t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 14, 2013 is: wowser • \WOW-zer\  • noun : chiefly Australian an obtrusively puritanical person Examples: "I'm no wowser, but I draw the line at abusive, foul-mouthed drunks." - From an article by Mike Smithson in the Sunday Mail (South Australia), July 2, 2006 "A number of well-known and not-so-well-known people have taken part in the Hello Sunday Morni...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 13, 2013 is: depone • \dih-POHN\  • verb : to assert under oath : testify Examples: "A policeman had deponed at the preliminary inquiry that Barnes had willingly given permission for the samples to be taken." - From an article by Barbara Gayle in The Weekly Gleaner (Jamaica, New York), October 11-17, 2012 "At paragraph 12 of this affidavit, it is depone...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 12, 2013 is: utmost • \UT-mohst\  • adjective 1 : situated at the farthest or most distant point : extreme 2 : of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount Examples: Dustin has the utmost respect for his uncle, who returned to school after many years to attain his degree. "These programs are of the utmost importance, as they allow stud...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 11, 2013 is: tourbillion • \toor-BIL-yun\  • noun 1 : whirlwind 2 : a vortex especially of a whirlwind or whirlpool Examples: After Rocco's hat fell into the river, it got sucked into the whirlpool, and once it was drawn into the tourbillion, we never saw it again. "Shaw refers to a study by meteorologist Bernard A. Power, who saw a tourbillon on a Queb...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 10, 2013 is: sinuous • \SIN-yuh-wus\  • adjective 1 a : of a serpentine or wavy form : winding b : marked by strong lithe movements 2 : intricate, complex Examples: The hikers followed a sinuous path that curved around a lake and in between two small hills. "The walls are covered in an exquisitely painted chinoiserie pattern, all sinuous floral motifs,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 9, 2013 is: quip • \KWIP\  • noun 1 a : a clever usually taunting remark : gibe b : a witty or funny observation or response usually made on the spur of the moment 2 : quibble, equivocation 3 : something strange, droll, curious, or eccentric : oddity Examples: To almost every comment I made, Amy responded with a quip and a smile. "To everyone's shock, M...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 8, 2013 is: orgulous • \OR-gyuh-lus\  • adjective : proud, haughty Examples: My golfing buddies and I are not orgulous members of some elitist country club; we appreciate a good course, but for us, it's about the sport, not the cachet. "The wainscoted parlor is the nuns' chapel, and the pantry is full of their canning; in autumn the broken stalks of cor...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 7, 2013 is: impetus • \IM-puh-tus\  • noun 1 a : a driving force : impulse b : incentive, stimulus c : stimulation or encouragement resulting in increased activity 2 : the property possessed by a moving body in virtue of its mass and its motion - used of bodies moving suddenly or violently to indicate the origin and intensity of the motion Examples: The...