Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 12, 2013 is: aegis • \EE-jus\  • noun 1 : a shield or breastplate 2 a : protection b : controlling or conditioning influence 3 : auspices, sponsorship b: control or guidance especially by an individual, group, or system Examples: The studies were conducted under the aegis of the National Institutes of Health. "[Julian Fellowes] is also at work on a bi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 11, 2013 is: meretricious • \mair-uh-TRISH-us\  • adjective 1 : of or relating to a prostitute : having the nature of prostitution 2 a : tawdrily and falsely attractive b : superficially significant : pretentious Examples: The critic panned the book as a well-written but meretricious work with little substance beneath its veneer of forceful rhetoric a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 10, 2013 is: reprove • \rih-PROOV\  • verb 1 : to scold or correct usually gently or with kindly intent 2 : to express disapproval of : censure 3 : to express rebuke or reproof Examples: "Remember to say 'thank you,'" the mother gently reproved her toddler. "He reproved me, good-naturedly: 'Well, I don't think it's very nice to make fun of my accent!'...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 9, 2013 is: froufrou • \FROO-froo\  • noun 1 : a rustling especially of a woman's skirts 2 : showy or frilly ornamentation Examples: Styled in the manner of a Victorian mansion, the bed-and-breakfast featured so much froufrou that Darlene and Brian dared not touch a thing. "Indeed, there was less froufrou on display over all, a development that may-at...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 8, 2013 is: métier • \MET-yay\  • noun 1 : vocation, trade 2 : an area of activity in which one excels : forte Examples: Within a short time of Sonia's first piano lessons, it was clear to her parents that music was her métier. "The protagonist in [Cary] Fagan's first story ... is a judge on the Ontario Supreme Court who handles sensational cases and...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 7, 2013 is: lackluster • \LAK-luss-ter\  • adjective : lacking in sheen, brilliance, or vitality : dull, mediocre Examples: In spite of its owner's hard work, the little shop was forced to close due to lackluster sales. "After a lackluster first half, the Cabrillo girls water polo team began to find the net and pulled away from Paso Robles, on the way...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 6, 2013 is: factotum • \fak-TOH-tuhm\  • noun 1 : a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities 2 : a general servant Examples: After graduating from college, Jerry worked for several years as an office factotum. "It also was in contrast to the burgeoning and ballooning bureaucracy of the bank, which may not have rivaled the U.N. in its...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 5, 2013 is: sangfroid • \SAHNG-FRWAH\  • noun : self-possession or imperturbability especially under strain Examples: The lecturer's sangfroid never faltered, even in the face of some tough questions from the audience. "Daniel Craig portrays a vulnerability far removed from the glib sangfroid of his celluloid predecessors and has retired to an exotic...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 4, 2013 is: eurytopic • \yur-ih-TAH-pik\  • adjective : tolerant of wide variation in one or more environmental factors Examples: Eurytopic groups are observed in a wide range of habitats. "Eurytopic species tend to have longer geologic ranges than stenotopic ones because they are more likely to survive environmental disturbances and therefore persist...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 3, 2013 is: redolent • \RED-uh-lunt\  • adjective 1 : exuding fragrance : aromatic 2 a : full of a specified fragrance : scented b : evocative, suggestive Examples: The house was redolent with the aroma of baking bread. "Clam chowder, redolent of sweet cream and thick with clams and diced carrots, was a hearty companion for the numerous panini (which...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 2, 2013 is: largesse • \larh-ZHESS\  • noun 1 : liberal giving (as of money) to or as if to an inferior; also : something so given 2 : generosity Examples: Thanks to their grandparents' largesse, both children were able to go to college. "Just how heavily a borrower may rely on family largess to cover a down payment depends on the type of mortgage inv...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 1, 2013 is: amortize • \AM-er-tyze\  • verb 1 : to pay off (as a mortgage) gradually usually by periodic payments of principal and interest or by payments to a [sinking fund](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sinking fund) 2 : to gradually reduce or write off the cost or value of (as an asset) Examples: "It's time we made permanent decisions...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 31, 2013 is: jabberwocky • \JAB-er-wah-kee\  • noun : meaningless speech or writing Examples: "The salesman started spewing computer jabberwocky at me like an auctioneer. I understood about every sixth word he uttered."- From an article by Larry D. Clifton in The Tampa Tribune, September 6, 1998 "When LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh stepped in...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 30, 2013 is: mala fide • \mal-uh-FYE-dee\  • adverb or adjective : with or in bad faith Examples: The company's board is accused of acting mala fide and with criminal intentions. "NTC analyzes each traveler's risk before departure to identify ... criminal activity, fraud, and other mala fide travelers, including U.S. citizens." - From a document in Con...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 29, 2013 is: nomothetic • \nah-muh-THET-ik\  • adjective : relating to, involving, or dealing with abstract, general, or universal statements or laws Examples: "Even the authors that emphasize the existence of cross-cultural differences ... acknowledge that a nomothetic characterization of a country cannot apply equally to every member of its populatio...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 28, 2013 is: gambit • \GAM-bit\  • noun 1 : a chess opening in which a player risks minor pieces to gain an advantage 2 : a remark intended to start a conversation 3 : a calculated move Examples: Mentioning that he had nothing to do on Saturday night was an obvious gambit by Miles to get invited to Donna's party. "Square's gift card gambit is its lates...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 27, 2013 is: whelm • \WELM\  • verb 1 : to cover or engulf completely with usually disastrous effect 2 : to overcome in thought or feeling : overwhelm 3 : to pass or go over something so as to bury or submerge it Examples: The avalanche whelmed everything in its path. "Nevertheless, much will remain whelmed in mystery. Messrs Cameron and Clegg both pro...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 26, 2013 is: provocateur • \proh-vah-kuh-TER\  • noun : one who incites or stimulates another to action Examples: The show's host is a notable provocateur who has made a career of creating controversy for its own sake. "The 66-year-old director has always fared best as a provocateur. His 1991 film, JFK, might not be great history, but it did prompt the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 25, 2013 is: satiate • \SAY-shee-ayt\  • verb : to satisfy (as a need or desire) fully or to excess Examples: After eating three pieces of pie and one of cake at the potluck, Jamie's sweet tooth was finally satiated. "Consequently, I have to satiate my craving for Louisiana citrus at Hollygrove Market and Farm or the Crescent City Farmers Market in Mid...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 24, 2013 is: engagé • \ahn-gah-ZHAY\  • adjective : committed to or supportive of a cause Examples: Our next-door neighbor Michael, an engagé environmental activist, uses solar power to heat his home and drives a hybrid automobile. "George MacDonald was a Scottish Congregationalist who pastored an English Congregationalist chapel for a while, drifted a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 23, 2013 is: fanfaronade • \fan-fair-uh-NAYD\  • noun : empty boasting : bluster Examples: Having grown weary of the former governor's fanfaronade and lack of concrete action, voters sent a clear message at the polls and elected his opponent by a landslide. "I don't intend this as an article about how to divorce oneself from conceit, narcissism and fan...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 22, 2013 is: euchre • \YOO-ker\  • verb 1 : to prevent from winning three tricks in the card game euchre 2 : to cheat or trick Examples: "'You fooled us good,' Frank confessed. 'After Northfield, Jesse knew we'd been euchred somehow. But I wouldn't have suspected you in a thousand years.'" - From Matt Braun's 2008 novel Manhunter / Deadwood "He'd never...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 21, 2013 is: zarzuela • \zahr-ZWAY-luh\  • noun : a usually comic Spanish operetta Examples: "The first major trip was leaving Spain, with my sister and our aunt, to travel by ship to Mexico, where my parents had set up their own zarzuela company." - From an interview with Placido Domingo in the Chicago Tribune, October 14, 2012 "In Napa, Calif., the J...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 20, 2013 is: preen • \PREEN\  • verb 1 : to groom with the bill 2 : to dress or smooth up : primp 3 : to pride or congratulate (oneself) on an achievement : to behave or speak with obvious pride or self-satisfaction Examples: Even though he was particularly thrilled about the promotion, Jeff tried hard not to preen in front of his coworkers. "Both bird...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 19, 2013 is: mentor • \MEN-tor\  • noun 1 : a trusted counselor or guide 2 : tutor, coach Examples: The young man regarded the professor not only as a mentor, but as a good friend as well. "Every time a Strong Women Strong Girls (SWSG) group from Point Park speaks to an after-school program full of elementary school girls, they introduce them to a posi...