Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 9, 2013 is: de rigueur • \duh-ree-GUR\  • adjective : prescribed or required by fashion, etiquette, or custom : proper Examples: Although the teen was wearing a dinner jacket and a tie, his jeans and sneakers were hardly de rigueur for the formal occasion. "'Wait, wait, wait! Put on my eyeglasses,' I insisted, substituting my mom's lightweight frames for...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 8, 2013 is: indoctrinate • \in-DAHK-truh-nayt\  • verb 1 : to instruct especially in fundamentals or rudiments : teach 2 : to imbue with a usually partisan or sectarian opinion, point of view, or principle Examples: New hires were indoctrinated with the company's philosophy during a two-day orientation. "This is why sworn peace officers are indoctrinated...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 7, 2013 is: gnomic • \NOH-mik\  • adjective 1 : characterized by aphorism 2 : given to the composition of aphoristic writing Examples: Some critics have praised the young artist's gnomic utterances, while others argue that her sayings are simply pretentious rubbish. "The film is grand but complex, canny and sincere.… If Spielberg were more intellectual o...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 6, 2013 is: meritorious • \mair-uh-TOR-ee-us\  • adjective : worthy of reward, gratitude, honor, or esteem Examples: Mrs. Goodman received the town's Meritorious Service Award for her untiring efforts to keep the library open. "In February 2011, President Barack Obama bestowed upon [Stan] Musial the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian awa...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 5, 2013 is: allusion • \uh-LOO-zhun\  • noun 1 : an implied or indirect reference especially in literature; also : the use of such references 2 : the act of making an indirect reference to something : the act of alluding to something Examples: The book's frequent literary allusions and high-flown turns of phrase made its narrative difficult to follow. "S...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 4, 2013 is: paltry • \PAWL-tree\  • adjective 1 : inferior, trashy 2 : mean, despicable 3 : trivial 4 : meager, measly Examples: Anna told us she was tired of engaging in paltry work and longed to do something meaningful with her life. "Monday, I tried to cheer up snow fans who have been frowning at Seattle's paltry 0.6" of snowfall this winter by statin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 3, 2013 is: abandon • \uh-BAN-dun\  • noun : a thorough yielding to natural impulses; especially : enthusiasm, exuberance Examples: We chased one another through the snow, hurling snowballs with complete abandon. "He slid head first, dived for balls, threw runners out, stole home against the Phillies, played with the sort of reckless abandon that endeare...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 2, 2013 is: thimblerig • \THIM-bul-rig\  • verb 1 : to cheat by trickery 2 : to swindle by a trick in which a small ball or pea is quickly shifted from under one to another of three small cups to fool the spectator guessing its location Examples: The appraiser looked closely at the painting and then reluctantly told us that we had been thimblerigged into...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 1, 2013 is: clepsydra • \KLEP-suh-druh\  • noun : an instrument designed to measure time by the fall or flow of a quantity of water : water clock Examples: The ancient Greeks were known to time political speeches with a clepsydra; when the water was gone, the oration was over. "One of the earliest mechanisms to measure time ... was a clepsydra or water c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 28, 2013 is: tchotchke • \CHAHCH-kuh\  • noun : knickknack, trinket Examples: Upon returning home from his trip to Maine, Jerry ceremoniously placed his new ceramic lobster next to the other tchotchkes on his mantelpiece. "Everywhere there is something to delight the eye-not tchotchkes, but art. Eccentric art, angular art, modern art, all a signifier...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 27, 2013 is: expunge • \ix-SPUNJ\  • verb 1 : to strike out, obliterate, or mark for deletion 2 : to efface completely : destroy 3 : to eliminate (as a memory) from one's consciousness Examples: Time and the forces of nature have expunged any evidence that a thriving community once existed in that location. "Eligible veterans can avoid jail time or ge...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 26, 2013 is: pugilism • \PYOO-juh-liz-um\  • noun : boxing Examples: Long fascinated by the art and science of pugilism, Shane has collected biographies of noted boxers such as Muhammad Ali, Jack Dempsey, and Sonny Liston. "At 48, Cyr has found a way to make amateur pugilism pay. He's a participant and prime motivator behind an increasingly popular bo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 25, 2013 is: idiopathic • \id-ee-uh-PATH-ik\  • adjective 1 : arising spontaneously or from an obscure or unknown cause 2 : peculiar to the individual Examples: "Some dogs have idiopathic epilepsy, which means there's no real explanation for their seizures, though even a reasonably mild stressor may increase the odds of a seizure." - From an article b...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 24, 2013 is: roseate • \ROH-zee-ut\  • adjective 1 : resembling a rose especially in having a pink color 2 : overly optimistic : viewed favorably Examples: Her memories of her childhood are pleasant, bordering on roseate; some of her siblings recall things a bit differently. "A delectable avocado and bacon-topped burger-smoky and juicy-has a lovely ch...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 23, 2013 is: manifesto • \man-uh-FESS-toh\  • noun : a written statement declaring publicly the intentions, motives, or views of its issuer Examples: On the day of his sudden departure from the company, Rick posted an angry manifesto on the bulletin board outlining his reasons for leaving. "Mr. Eddie Lampert, the chairman of Sears Holdings and masterm...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 22, 2013 is: recuse • \rih-KYOOZ\  • verb : to disqualify (oneself) as a judge in a particular case; broadly : to remove (oneself) from participation to avoid a conflict of interest Examples: The judge recused herself because she was the sister-in-law of the defendant. "Planning commissioners in particular have been accused of conflict of interest for...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2013 is: ephemeral • \ih-FEM-uh-rul\  • adjective : lasting a very short time Examples: The young pop star's fame turned out to be ephemeral. "During the creation of the ephemeral show-the walls will be erased for a new exhibition later this month, leaving only a series of framed drawings behind-Ms. Dary visited the local library and copied pages...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 20, 2013 is: trousseau • \TROO-soh\  • noun : the personal possessions of a bride usually including clothes, accessories, and household linens and wares Examples: I am fortunate to be in possession of various family heirlooms, including several items from my great-grandmother's trousseau. "Kate will promise to love, comfort, honor and keep Prince Will...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 19, 2013 is: white elephant • \WYTE-EL-uh-funt\  • noun 1 : a property requiring much care and expense and yielding little profit 2 : an object no longer of value to its owner but of value to others 3 : something of little or no value Examples: The town's white elephant is the run-down but historic theater, which has been closed for several years but...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 18, 2013 is: portend • \por-TEND\  • verb 1 : to give an omen or anticipatory sign of 2 : indicate, signify Examples: In the short story, the appearance of a black cat portends danger for the protagonist. "These changes portend better possibilities for American manufacturers and American job growth…." - From an article by James Fallows in The Atlantic...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 17, 2013 is: clamant • \KLAY-munt\  • adjective 1 : clamorous, blatant 2 : demanding attention : urgent Examples: Clamant students gathered outside the college president's office, protesting the denial of tenure for the popular professor. "My clamant desire, clamant need, for some protected wilderness in the Yaak Valley of northwestern Montana … somet...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 16, 2013 is: espouse • \ih-SPOWZ\  • verb 1 : marry 2 : to take up and support as a cause : become attached to Examples: The new theory has been espoused by many leading physicists. "[The food collection drive] was scheduled on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in the spirit of giving that King espoused." - From an article by Charles A. Peterson in T...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 15, 2013 is: intemperate • \in-TEM-puh-rut\  • adjective 1 : not moderate or mild : severe 2 : lacking or showing lack of restraint 3 : given to excessive use of alcoholic beverages Examples: The journalist eventually apologized for her intemperate rant against the governor. "Judge Dougan was forced to defend himself not for even a hint of corruption...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 14, 2013 is: heartstring • \HAHRT-string\  • noun : the deepest emotions or affections - usually used in plural Examples: "Thou touchest my inmost centre, boy; thou art tied to me by cords woven of my heart-strings." - From Herman Melville's novel Moby Dick, 1851 "This former Indy icon still tugs on the heartstrings of local baby boomers, who recall c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 13, 2013 is: companionable • \kum-PAN-yuh-nuh-bul\  • adjective : marked by, conducive to, or suggestive of companionship : sociable Examples: I've come to enjoy sharing a dorm room with Brad; he's a companionable roommate and we get along well together. "Most of the 100 or more mama cows and calves stand in a companionable cluster as they munch on ry...