Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 9, 2011 is: organoleptic • \or-guh-noh-LEP-tik\  • adjective 1 : being, affecting, or relating to qualities (as taste, color, odor, and feel) of a substance (as a food or drug) that stimulate the sense organs 2 : involving use of the sense organs Examples: "In addition to extra virgin olive oil, there are a number of other grades which define chemical an...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 8, 2011 is: cloud-cuckoo-land • \kloud-KOO-koo-land\  • noun : a realm of fantasy or of whimsical or foolish behavior Examples: If the boss really thinks he can up productivity and increase profit after the company is downsized, he is living in cloud-cuckoo-land. "I vastly prefer to live in my own cloud cuckoo land. Anything else sends me into such depre...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 7, 2011 is: conventicle • \kun-VEN-tih-kul\  • noun 1 : an assembly of an irregular or unlawful character 2 : an assembly for religious worship; especially : a meeting for worship not sanctioned by law 3 : meetinghouse Examples: In 18th-century England, it was a capital offense to preach in any conventicle. "The radicals tended to meet in small conventic...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 6, 2011 is: stultify • \STUL-tuh-fye\  • verb 1 : to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical 2 a : to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective : negate b : to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on Examples: Placing too many people in decision-making positions often has the effect of stultifying discussion and new ideas. "Without cont...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 5, 2011 is: abrogate • \AB-ruh-gayt\  • verb 1 : to abolish by authoritative action : annul 2 : to treat as nonexistent Examples: The newspaper’s editors abrogated their responsibilities by failing to investigate the wrongful actions of the mayor’s office more forcefully. "Israelis are worrying that a new government in Egypt could abrogate the two countr...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 4, 2011 is: Ruritanian • \rur-uh-TAY-nee-un\  • adjective : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an imaginary place of high romance Examples: "The dancers are dressed in vaguely Ruritanian costumes, the men in military, the women in stiff tutus." -- From an article by John Rockwell in The New York Times, September 9, 2006 "ABC's Good Morning...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 3, 2011 is: doff • \DAHF\  • verb 1 a : to remove (an article of wear) from the body b : to take off (the hat) in greeting or as a sign of respect 2 : to rid oneself of : put aside Examples: Although the temperature at the beach was a far cry from its August highs, the children doffed their shoes and made a game of teasing the surf. "As faithful as the '...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 2, 2011 is: meshuggener • \muh-SHUG-uhner\  • noun : a foolish or crazy person Examples: Alex wondered what kind of meshuggener would be foolish enough to buy bonds from a known scam artist. "'Take no notice,' she said…. 'The man's a meshuggener.'" -- From Howard Jacobson's 2010 novel The Finkler Question Did you know? From "bagel" and "chutzpah" to "sht...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 1, 2011 is: riddle • \RID-ul\  • noun 1 : a mystifying, misleading, or puzzling question posed as a problem to be solved or guessed : conundrum, enigma 2 : something or someone difficult to understand Examples: Despite Nick's outgoing nature, he doesn't share many details about his background and personal life, so he remains something of a riddle. "Begin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 31, 2011 is: osculate • \AHSS-kyuh-layt\  • verb : kiss Examples: "I've been osculated by everyone in the building!" Kevin exclaimed, wiping his cheeks to remove the vestiges of kisses planted there by adoring family on his wedding day. "When a pretty girl steps forward fully puckered up and expecting an appropriate response, it would be ungentlemanly to...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 30, 2011 is: proximity • \prahk-SIM-uh-tee\  • noun : the quality or state of being proximate : closeness Examples: Although the proximity of the large dog made her nervous, Carla tried to keep her composure. "The tiny island nation of Malta, owing to its proximity to Libya -- Tripoli is closer to Malta than to Benghazi -- has emerged as a major transpor...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 29, 2011 is: wraith • \RAYTH\  • noun 1 a : the exact likeness of a living person seen usually just before death as an apparition b : ghost, specter 2 : an insubstantial form or semblance : shadow 3 : a barely visible gaseous or vaporous column Examples: We paused on our morning hike to watch the wraiths of mist rising from the swamps beyond the low hill...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 28, 2011 is: farouche • \fuh-ROOSH\  • adjective 1 : unruly or disorderly : wild 2 : marked by shyness and lack of social graces Examples: The writer’s publicist was often frustrated by her client, who was urbane and eloquent on the page but farouche when it came to meeting with fans and giving interviews. "The girl is classical, farouche as a Jamesian h...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 27, 2011 is: jimjams • \JIM-jamz\  • noun plural : jitters Examples: "Just thinking about my presentation today gives me the jimjams," confided Joseph to his coworker. "'Now, don't make me repeat myself,' the man said, still musical but jittery, as though talking to kids gave him the jimjams." -- From Ingrid Law's 2008 novel Savvy Did you know? When "jim...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 26, 2011 is: legerity • \luh-JAIR-uh-tee\  • noun : alert facile quickness of mind or body Examples: With legerity, the prefect noted that the man had just divulged information about the murder that had not been made public, and which placed him at the scene of the crime. "I think, the results will not take long to appear, taking into account the legerit...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 25, 2011 is: nonplus • \nahn-PLUS\  • verb : to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do : perplex Examples: The student's unexpected about-face during the class discussion nonplussed the teacher. "I spent a few days making phone calls, talking to perplexed and befuddled healthcare providers who were absolutely nonplussed by the fact that I...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 24, 2011 is: toothsome • \TOOTH-sum\  • adjective 1 a : agreeable, attractive b : sexually attractive 2 : of palatable flavor and pleasing texture : delicious Examples: The cookbook has recipes for a number of toothsome Italian dishes, including one for gnocchi in Bolognese sauce. "I had never had hominy and I instantly fell in love with the white, tooth...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 23, 2011 is: billion • \BILL-yun\  • noun 1 : the number 1,000,000,000 : a thousand million b British, old-fashioned : the number 1,000,000,000,000 : a million million 2 : a very large number Examples: If you were to count to a billion at the rate of one number per second, it would take you over 31 and a half years to finish. "'Charlie Sheen has been lin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 22, 2011 is: vespertine • \VESS-per-tyne\  • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or occurring in the evening 2 : active, flowering, or flourishing in the evening Examples: A vespertine fog crept over the farm, concealing the outbuildings and the orchard and stranding the house in an inky ocean of darkness as the evening turned to night. "In research involving...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 21, 2011 is: savant • \sa-VANT\  • noun : a person of learning; especially : one with detailed knowledge in some specialized field (as of science or literature) Examples: Since she knew that Brad was a savant when it came to cars, Millicent sought his advice on which of the year’s new models she should test-drive. "It takes a certain type of savant to at...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 20, 2011 is: truncate • \TRUNG-kayt\  • verb : to shorten by or as if by cutting off Examples: The phone cut out, truncating Susan's sentence, and I was left wondering what she had intended to communicate. "Thanks to the State of the Union Address, The Biggest Loser was cut in half this week. And while in the past, we've seen the editors truncate the eve...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 19, 2011 is: Kafkaesque • \kahf-kuh-ESK\  • adjective : of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially : having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality Examples: Though he had always filed his taxes swiftly, completely, and with full documentation, Michael was chosen to go through the Kafkaesque experience of bei...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 18, 2011 is: expatriate • \ek-SPAY-tree-ut\  • noun : a person who lives in a foreign country; also : a person who has renounced his or her native country Examples: After college Joshua got a job teaching English in Prague, where he shared an apartment with several fellow expatriates. "Carlos operated a catering business within one of the country’s large...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 17, 2011 is: galley-west • \gal-ee-WEST\  • adverb : into destruction or confusion Examples: A rogue wave knocked the anchored boats galley-west. "'Get the door, Scott.' 'Daddy, what if he's … there?' 'Then I'll knock him galley-west with this thing.'" -- From Stephen King's 2006 novel Lisey's Story Did you know? American author Mark Twain is on record a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 16, 2011 is: microcosm • \MY-kruh-kahz-um\  • noun 1 : a little world; especially : the human race or human nature seen as an epitome of the world or the universe 2 : a community or other unity that is an epitome of a larger unity Examples: The city’s downtown shopping district, where several stores have come and gone in the last six months, is a microco...