Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 6, 2013 is: kinetic • \kuh-NET-ik\  • adjective 1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated with them 2 a : active, lively b : dynamic, energizing 3 : of or relating to kinetic art Examples: Polly's grandfather had a colorful kinetic sculpture in his garden that would rotate on windy days. "I've known John 30...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 5, 2013 is: contraband • \KAHN-truh-band\  • noun 1 : illegal or prohibited traffic in goods : smuggling 2 : goods or merchandise whose importation, exportation, or possession is forbidden; also : smuggled goods 3 : a slave who during the American Civil War escaped to or was brought within the Union lines Examples: The border police searched the car for...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 4, 2013 is: hoodwink • \HOOD-wink\  • verb : to deceive by false appearance : dupe Examples: By making it look like a fun, enjoyable privilege instead of an exhausting chore, Tom Sawyer hoodwinks Ben Rogers into helping him whitewash Aunt Polly's fence. "In Moliére's classic comedy, the religious fraud Tartuffe has hoodwinked rich merchant Orgon and is...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 3, 2013 is: effusive • \ih-FYOO-siv\  • adjective 1 : marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm 2 archaic : pouring freely 2 : characterized or formed by a nonexplosive outpouring of lava Examples: Lila's history teacher wrote an effusive letter of recommendation. "It's never easy for opponents from the opposite party to find...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 2, 2013 is: footle • \FOO-tul\  • verb 1 : to talk or act foolishly 2 : to waste time : trifle, fool Examples: "La Queue exclaimed that they were just being lazy and footling about." - From Douglas Parmée's 1984 translation of Émile Zola's story "Coqueville on the Spree" (originally published in 1907) "Well, we could not possibly intervene ourselves. We...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 1, 2013 is: boffin • \BAH-fin\  • noun : a scientific expert; especially : one involved in technological research Examples: The auto manufacturer's boffins have become a driving force in reshaping the company's product line. “Unlike 'innovation,' invention has escaped being stereotyped by management theorists, and still conjures cheerful images of ideal...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 31, 2013 is: pinchbeck • \PINCH-bek\  • adjective 1 : made of an alloy of copper and zinc used especially to imitate gold in jewelry 2 : counterfeit or spurious Examples: Though our hosts were not outwardly unfriendly, we suspected that their kindness to us was pinchbeck. "Presently, your uncommon brooch will interest folks who collect scarab or Victorian...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 30, 2013 is: cocoon • \kuh-KOON\  • verb : to wrap or envelop in or as if in a cocoon Examples: Lily got out of the water and cocooned herself in a large beach blanket. "I discovered, and for years, lived by, the color-coded 'Mom’s Super Busy Schedule' calendar. For those of you who are cocooned in the electronic world of mobile apps, iPhones and digital...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 29, 2013 is: suffuse • \suh-FYOOZ\  • verb : to spread over or through in the manner of fluid or light : flush, fill Examples: Mother opened the curtains and instantly the room was suffused with the light of morning. "Given that the 1999 original worked as a crude-but-endearing corrective to the likes of 'Porky's,' the gently bittersweet tone suffusing th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2013 is: maverick • \MAV-rik\  • noun 1 : an unbranded range animal; especially : a motherless calf 2 : an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party Examples: The award-winning columnist was regarded as a political maverick who clashed with his colleagues on many issues. "His famous dishes look more like freaky sea-life than f...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 27, 2013 is: cineast • \SIN-ee-ast\  • noun : a devotee of motion pictures; also : moviemaker Examples: The once modest film festival is now a huge commercial event that draws cineasts and movie-industry insiders from around the world. "This just strikes me as a film that cineasts will savor, but the general public might have trouble digesting, considerin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 26, 2013 is: labile • \LAY-byle\  • adjective a : readily or frequently changing: as b : readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown c : characterized by wide fluctuations (as in blood pressure) d : emotionally unstable Examples: The researcher spent years studying chemically labile compounds in the hopes that t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2013 is: repertoire • \REP-er-twahr\  • noun 1 : a list or supply of plays, operas, pieces, or parts which a company or performer is prepared to present 2 : a supply of skills, devices, or expedients; broadly : amount, supply 3 : a list or supply of capabilities Examples: Though I have a limited repertoire when it comes to cooking, I managed to put to...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2013 is: fard • \FAHRD\  • verb : to paint (the face) with cosmetics Examples: We were greeted at the door by a young woman with heavily farded cheeks. "Truda drew her tin from her top pocket. 'Isa, you've been too long in my company. Why should I harbor you? You look as if you're farded up for Hallows Eve!'" - From Anna Lawrence Pietroni's 2010 novel...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2013 is: aseptic • \ay-SEP-tik\  • adjective 1 a : preventing infection b : free or freed from pathogenic microorganisms 2 : lacking vitality, emotion, or warmth Examples: Patients with compromised immune systems must be treated in aseptic environments. "[The company's] innovative technology enables it to kill the bacteria that cause foods to go bad a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2013 is: chicanery • \shih-KAY-nuh-ree\  • noun 1 : deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry : trickery 2 : a piece of sharp practice (as at law) : trick Examples: The mayor's spokeswoman quickly denied the charges of nepotism, financial indiscretions, and political chicanery. "[The film] Now You See Me tries to mystify you with its cinematic chica...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 21, 2013 is: irascible • \ir-RASS-uh-bul\  • adjective : marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger Examples: That tidy little house belongs to an irascible old crank who never has a kind word for any of his neighbors. "Barra has written a close study of two ballplayers who were heroes to him when he (and they) were younger. In the end, his heart goes...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 20, 2013 is: hawkshaw • \HAWK-shaw\  • noun : detective Examples: Though she risked being late for an appointment, Amanda could not bring herself to set the book down until the novel's hawkshaw had solved the mystery. "The imitators never quite get the personality right. He's too sarcastic or too smug, never Doyle's gleeful hawkshaw who dazzles with deduc...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2013 is: umbrage • \UM-brij\  • noun 1 : shade, shadow 2 a : vague suggestion : hint b : a reason for doubt 3 : a feeling of resentment at some often fancied slight or insult Examples: I take umbrage at her suggestion that I just couldn't be bothered to call. "If someone disagrees with him, he doesn't take umbrage. He treats all people alike, a collea...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2013 is: addlepated • \AD-ul-pay-tud\  • adjective 1 : being mixed up : confused 2 : eccentric Examples: The patient was blabbering like an addlepated fool. "She had lost what little ability she ever had to concentrate and her addlepated mind flitted butterflylike from one often unrelated subject to another." - From Tessa Harris's 2012 novel The Anato...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2013 is: resplendent • \rih-SPLEN-dunt\  • adjective : shining brilliantly : characterized by a glowing splendor Examples: All eyes were drawn to the beautiful young woman-resplendent in an elegant evening gown-who had just appeared at the top of the stairway. "On a dazzling Saturday afternoon, splashed with resplendent sunshine after too many cool gr...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2013 is: booboisie • \boob-wah-ZEE\  • noun : the general public regarded as consisting of boobs Examples: "'Elitism' was always the sneer of the booboisie against opera…." - From an article by Stephanie Von Buchau in Opera News, July 1998 "[Simon] Doonan's silliness is a delight. This is not a rote throwback to the 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' ad...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2013 is: nary • \NAIR-ee\  • adjective : not any : not one Examples: "I must have it back as I have nary other copy." - From a 1961 letter by Flannery O'Connor "It was 4-0 in Cleveland's favor by then, and the way the Rangers were going down meekly-nary a runner reaching second base-the deficit seemed much larger." - From an article by Gil LeBreton in...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 14, 2013 is: frisson • \free-SAWN\  • noun : a brief moment of emotional excitement : shudder, thrill Examples: The emotionally-charged scene adds a frisson of tension to the play's final act. "By the end of the book the party is over, but it is hard to feel any frisson of regret when the party was so little fun when it was going on." - From an article by...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 13, 2013 is: fungible • \FUN-juh-bul\  • adjective 1 : being of such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another equal part or quantity in the satisfaction of an obligation 2 : interchangeable 3 : flexible Examples: Since fruits and vegetables are regarded as fungible in this diet, you are allowed a total of five servings of either or bo...