Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 20, 2011 is: elucidate • \ih-LOO-suh-dayt\  • verb 1 : to make lucid especially by explanation or analysis 2 : to give a clarifying explanation Examples: During her speech, the governor attempted to elucidate exactly what kind of impact the new sports arena would have on the state's economy. "His stylish criticism, marked by an easy erudition, was inv...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 19, 2011 is: gargantuan • \gahr-GAN-chuh-wuhn\  • adjective : tremendous in size, volume, or degree : gigantic, colossal Examples: The town's wealthiest family lived in a gargantuan mansion at the top of the hill, complete with twelve bedrooms, two swimming pools and a tennis court. "Contrary to my expectations, I did not have nightmares about gargant...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 18, 2011 is: vulcanize • \VUL-kuh-nyze\  • verb : to subject to or to undergo the process of treating crude or synthetic rubber or similar plastic material chemically to give it useful properties (as elasticity, strength, and stability) Examples: Rubber that has been vulcanized is not just for tires -- a wide range of articles, from hoses and hockey p...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 17, 2011 is: haberdasher • \HAB-er-dash-er\  • noun 1 : a dealer in notions 2 : a dealer in men's clothing and accessories Examples: Mr. Watson planned to visit the haberdasher during the week to find some new shirts for his wardrobe. "Under his ownership, the store's reputation spread. Clients flew into Portland and stayed at the Heathman Hotel to aw...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 16, 2011 is: mountebank • \MOUN-tih-bank\  • noun 1 : a person who sells quack medicines from a platform 2 : a boastful unscrupulous pretender : charlatan Examples: In his newspaper column, Gavin criticized the talk-radio host as "a mountebank whose 'expert' opinions and advice are complete hooey." "Bring your five-minute tales related to all things f...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 15, 2011 is: tramontane • \truh-MAHN-tayn\  • adjective 1 : situated on the north side of the Alps : transalpine 2 : lying on or coming from the other side of a mountain range Examples: He kept a journal on his journey to the tramontane region of the country. "The lesser known area of Emporda, just across the border from Roussillon in France, is a rug...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 14, 2011 is: bamboozle • \bam-BOO-zul\  • verb 1 : to deceive by underhanded methods : dupe, hoodwink 2 : to confuse, frustrate, or throw off thoroughly or completely Examples: Olivia couldn’t believe that she had been bamboozled into giving money to a phony charity. "Football at every level involves repeated acts of deception. A quarterback fakes a h...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 13, 2011 is: gyre • \JYRE\  • noun : a circular or spiral motion or form; especially : a giant circular oceanic surface current Examples: Sophia will be focusing her graduate studies on the effects of ocean gyres on North America's climate. "When gyres of warm wind coming over the Pacific hit the cold water in the Bay, the air chills and condenses to...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 12, 2011 is: lachrymose • \LAK-ruh-mohss\  • adjective 1 : given to tears or weeping : tearful 2 : tending to cause tears : mournful Examples: "'What a shame it is,' he said, wiping at his own eyes. Magee was a sucker for weeping women, and lachrymose when he had been drinking." -- From Michael Chabon’s short story "Smoke," as published in his 2005 co...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 11, 2011 is: cumulate • \KYOO-myuh-layt\  • verb 1 : to gather or pile or become gathered or piled in a heap 2 a : to combine into one 3 a: to build up by addition of new material b : to increase gradually in quantity or number Examples: "You've demonstrated great proficiency in cumulating a collection of excuses," Elise told her employee, "but your e...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 10, 2011 is: ziggurat • \ZIG-uh-rat\  • noun : an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower consisting of a lofty pyramidal structure built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top; also : a structure or object of similar form Examples: "The [dietary] guidelines will be turned into something like the familiar food pyramid. The new...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 9, 2011 is: fey • \FAY\  • adjective 1 : marked by a foreboding of death or calamity 2 a : marked by an otherworldly air or attitude b : crazy 3 a : excessively refined : precious b : quaintly unconventional : campy Examples: Grandfather always said grandmother was "fey," and he often joked that he believed she was raised by woodland fairies. "The Dan...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 8, 2011 is: overwhelm • \oh-ver-WELM\  • verb 1 : upset, overthrow 2 a : to cover over completely : submerge b : to overcome by superior force or numbers c : to overpower in thought or feeling Examples: The flurry of term papers and exams during the final weeks of the semester can overwhelm some students. "So-called 'denial of service' attacks involve...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 7, 2011 is: archipelago • \ahr-kuh-PEL-uh-goh\  • noun 1 : an expanse of water with many scattered islands 2 : a group of islands 3 : something resembling an archipelago; especially : a group or scattering of similar things Examples: "Both attacks took place in the Lamu archipelago, a string of white-sand islands that are the first significant settlem...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 6, 2011 is: ruminate • \ROO-muh-nayt\  • verb 1 : to engage in contemplation : meditate 2 : to chew again what has been chewed slightly and swallowed : chew the cud Examples: After meeting with her counselor, Meg passed the afternoon ruminating on the question of what to do with her life. "We could ruminate all day about the negatives of economic down...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 5, 2011 is: visceral • \VIS-uh-rul\  • adjective 1 : felt in or as if in the internal organs of the body 2 : not intellectual : instinctive 3 : dealing with crude or elemental emotions 4 : of, relating to, or located on or among the internal organs of the body Examples: The steady, pounding bass lines and infectious harmonies give the music a real vis...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 4, 2011 is: discriminate • \diss-KRIM-uh-nayt\  • verb 1 a : to see the special features of b : to perceive a difference in : differentiate 2 : to distinguish by discerning or exposing differences; especially : to distinguish from another like object 3 : to make a difference in treatment or favor on a basis other than individual merit Examples: One of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 3, 2011 is: patina • \puh-TEE-nuh\  • noun 1 a : a usually green film formed on copper and bronze by exposure to moist air and often valued aesthetically for its color b : a surface appearance of something grown beautiful especially with age or use 2 : an appearance or aura that is derived from association, habit, or established character 3 : a superf...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 2, 2011 is: onomatopoeia • \ah-nuh-mah-tuh-PEE-uh\  • noun 1 : the naming of a thing or action by a vocal imitation of the sound associated with it (as buzz, hiss) 2 : the use of words whose sound suggests the sense Examples: "Bam!" "Pow!" "Crash!" These and other words created by onomatopoeia flashed on the screen throughout the show's fight scenes....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 1, 2011 is: cerulean • \suh-ROO-lee-un\  • adjective : resembling the blue of the sky Examples: The painting depicted a series of tall, verdant trees surrounding a cerulean lake. "I try to summon the Russian fairy tale about the prince in exile and his beautiful swan-princess …. I think of cerulean-blue waves, a swirling red skirt and a silver-white m...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 31, 2011 is: virga • \VER-guh\  • noun : wisps of precipitation evaporating before reaching the ground Examples: The virga trailing the evening clouds created an eerie backdrop for our Halloween expedition. "High temperatures and updrafts assure that the rainfall on Venus becomes virga…. Any inhabitants on the surface would be grateful that the Venusia...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 30, 2011 is: impetuous • \im-PECH-uh-wus\  • adjective 1 : marked by impulsive vehemence or passion 2 : marked by force and violence of movement or action Examples: After graduating college, rather than embark on a career, Tom made the impetuous decision to hitchhike across the country. "And it's when he's on the radio one day that he's interrupted by...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 29, 2011 is: encapsulate • \in-KAP-suh-layt\  • verb 1 : to enclose in or as if in a capsule : to completely cover 2 : to show or express in a brief way : epitomize, summarize 3 : to become enclosed in a capsule Examples: To avoid the risks that come with stripping asbestos insulation from pipes, it is sometimes best to encapsulate the pipes with paint...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 28, 2011 is: precipitate • \prih-SIP-uh-tut\  • adjective 1 : falling, flowing, or rushing with steep descent b: precipitous, steep 2 : exhibiting violent or unwise speed Examples: Our precipitate decision to invest in the company proved unwise. "'The South Korean government recognises that a precipitate change in the North would present it with immens...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 27, 2011 is: catachresis • \kat-uh-KREE-sis\  • noun 1 : use of the wrong word for the context 2 : use of a forced and especially paradoxical figure of speech Examples: "Online dictionaries are handy. One can click on synonyms and antonyms, follow new links and lures, and get pleasantly lost in a high-tech thicket of info. Being a tap or two away, more...