Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 28, 2012 is: livelong • \LIV-lawng\  • adjective : whole, entire Examples: They worked hard all the livelong day and finally fell into their beds, exhausted, well past sundown. "The sass and vigour of American politics and attendant media coverage is a thing to behold. All you have to do is turn on the darn TV and there it is … playing out in late-nig...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 27, 2012 is: viva voce • \vye-vuh-VOH-see\  • adverb : by word of mouth : orally Examples: According to the town's bylaws, members of the town council must vote viva voce or by a show of hands. "He was examined according to standard inquisitorial procedures derived from Roman law and medieval practice. Interrogators put questions to the accused who an...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 26, 2012 is: empirical • \im-PEER-uh-kul\  • adjective 1 : originating in or based on observation or experience 2 : relying on experience or observation alone often without due regard for system and theory 3 : capable of being verified or disproved by observation or experiment 4 : of or relating to empiricism Examples: The students have collected plen...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 25, 2012 is: conclave • \KAHN-klayv\  • noun 1 : a private meeting or secret assembly 2 : a gathering of a group or association Examples: "The shadowy world of Ministers' meetings and security service conclaves ... was never explored." -- From an article by Mary Riddell in The Observer, February 2004 "On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Lin and other village...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 24, 2012 is: henchman • \HENCH-mun\  • noun 1 : a trusted follower : a right-hand man 2 : a political follower whose support is chiefly for personal advantage 3 : a member of a gang Examples: The play opens with the main character, a gangster, onstage surrounded by his henchmen. "[U.S. Attorney George E.Q.] Johnson vigorously took the fight to Capone...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 23, 2012 is: exegesis • \ek-suh-JEE-sis\  • noun : exposition, explanation; especially : an explanation or critical interpretation of a text Examples: For his senior thesis, John wrote an exegesis of the novels of D. H. Lawrence. "Were it not for another mini-exegesis hanging alongside 'Witness,' uninitiated viewers might have trouble interpreting thi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 22, 2012 is: abjure • \ab-JOOR\  • verb 1 a : to renounce upon oath b : to reject solemnly 2 : to abstain from : avoid Examples: The expatriate solemnly *abjured his allegiance to his native land. "Gingrich delivered a lengthy speech to a Jewish Republican organization during which he abjured even the mention of Romney's name." -- From an article by N...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2012 is: copious • \KOH-pee-us\  • adjective 1 a : yielding something abundantly b : plentiful in number 2 : full of thought, information, or matter 3 : lavish, abundant Examples: After a copious harvest, the tribe holds a lavish feast accompanied by lively dancing and rituals honoring the gods. "In addition to beer and popcorn, football fans who...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 20, 2012 is: duende • \doo-EN-day\  • noun : the power to attract through personal magnetism and charm Examples: The magician was not only a talented illusionist; he also had the duende that kept the audience rapt throughout the entire show. "It took all my nerve to dance in front of people who have been steeped in this tradition their whole lives. It...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 19, 2012 is: extemporaneous • \ek-stem-puh-RAY-nee-us\  • adjective 1 : composed, performed, or uttered on the spur of the moment : impromptu 2 : provided, made, or put to use as an expedient : makeshift Examples: A group of revelers at the pub launched into an extemporaneous rendition of "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling." "Members give prepared speeches...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 18, 2012 is: critique • \kruh-TEEK\  • noun : an act of criticizing; especially : a critical estimate or discussion Examples: All Sherry wanted to do was offer critiques of other people's plans; she never had any suggestions of her own. "In their first critique of the Banning Ranch development plans, California Coastal Commission staff members found t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 17, 2012 is: comix • \KAH-miks\  • noun : comic books or comic strips Examples: Raw, founded by Art Spiegelman and Françoise Mouly in 1980, was the leading avant-garde comix journal of its time. "[George Kuchar] became involved in comix through his neighbor in San Francisco in the 1980s, Art Spiegelman; he went on to do many comix storyboards as well...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 16, 2012 is: rabble • \RAB-ul\  • noun 1 : a disorganized or confused collection of things 2 a : a disorganized or disorderly crowd of people : mob b : the lowest class of people Examples: He hasn't become comfortable glad-handing the voters as a gubernatorial candidate and always appears to be merely condescending to an unpleasant stroll among the ra...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 15, 2012 is: abnegate • \AB-nih-gayt\  • verb 1 : deny, renounce 2 : surrender, relinquish Examples: The mayor has ordered the city's finance control board to abnegate its powers. "Meanwhile, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which is charged with protecting reliability, abnegated its statutory responsibilities as the rule was being written."...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 14, 2012 is: aubade • \oh-BAHD\  • noun 1 : a song or poem greeting the dawn 2 a : a morning love song b : a song or poem of lovers parting at dawn 3 : morning music Examples: The play opens with the heroine's lover awakening her with a sweet aubade. "The score, in five movements, has a French flavor, no doubt inspired by the harp. The second movement...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 13, 2012 is: mutt • \MUT\  • noun 1 : a stupid or insignificant person : fool 2 : a mongrel dog : cur Examples: Dogs were revered in ancient Egypt, but only royals were permitted to own purebred dogs -- commoners could keep only mutts. "At this time of year, when many people are in desperate financial straits, it's appropriate to ask why anyone would...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 12, 2012 is: vade mecum • \vay-dee-MEE-kum\  • noun 1 : a book for ready reference : manual 2 : something regularly carried about by a person Examples: Her latest book is an accessible and amusing vade mecum of the English literary tradition. "Well into the 20th century, John Barlow's Ideal Handbook, the vade mecum of the rifleman, carried instruction...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 11, 2012 is: catercorner • \KAT-ee-kor-ner\  • adverb or adjective : in a diagonal or oblique position : kitty-corner Examples: The café was catercorner to the salon, so after I got my hair cut I walked across the intersection to get some lunch. "Also new to downtown is the Mars & Beyond exhibit in the Rialto building (catercorner from Sparkroot), whi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 10, 2012 is: ludic • \LOO-dik\  • adjective : of, relating to, or characterized by play : playful Examples: The members of the acting troupe had become well-known for their ludic behavior, evidenced by the practical jokes they played on each other off-stage. "Accompanied by his trademark mirror-written notes -- often unrelated to the images -- Leonard...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 9, 2012 is: adulation • \aj-uh-LAY-shun\  • noun : excessive or slavish admiration or flattery Examples: The star was somewhat embarrassed by the adulation of his teenage fans. "I think that I was somebody who was pretty immature emotionally, and when thrust into a situation that was very abnormal of fame and adulation, I wasn't really equipped to dea...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 8, 2012 is: prescind • \prih-SIND\  • verb : to withdraw one's attention Examples: If we prescind from the main issue for a moment, there is much to be gained by studying some corollary questions. "For my purposes, we may happily prescind from the metaphysics." -- From John Collins' 2011 book The Unity of Linguistic Meaning Did you know? "Prescind" de...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 7, 2012 is: cacography • \ka-KAH-gruh-fee\  • noun 1 : bad spelling 2 : bad handwriting Examples: The letter was marred by cacography and poor punctuation, among other flaws. "I sprang out of the car, sensing that I was different, and that I had only begun to comprehend the enigmas underlying mankind and cacography." -- From Jeff Deck's 2011 book The...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 6, 2012 is: propinquity • \pruh-PING-kwuh-tee\  • noun 1 : nearness of blood : kinship 2 : nearness in place or time : proximity Examples: Many of the retirement community's residents cite the propinquity of the area's various cultural offerings as a significant reason for their choice of the facility. "Canada was faced with the overwhelming propinqui...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 5, 2012 is: circumvent • \ser-kum-VENT\  • verb 1 : to hem in 2 : to make a circuit around 3 : to manage to get around especially by ingenuity or stratagem Examples: Even though a clear detour route has been marked for all to use, some motorists have sought their own creative ways to circumvent the road construction. "But [non-disclosure agreements] a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 4, 2012 is: lymphatic • \lim-FAT-ik\  • adjective 1 a : of, relating to, or produced by lymph, lymphoid tissue, or lymphocytes b : conveying lymph 2 : lacking physical or mental energy : sluggish Examples: Because of the snowstorm, the day was a lazy one and the whole family felt lymphatic. "Tonsils are collections of lymphatic tissue on both sides of...