Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 15, 2011 is: continual • \kun-TIN-yoo-ul\  • adjective 1 : continuing indefinitely in time without interruption 2 : recurring in steady usually rapid succession Examples: The continual blaring of the car alarm outside made it very difficult for Jane to focus on her work that morning. "The international community must help the Afghan government approach t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 14, 2011 is: batten • \BAT-un\  • verb 1 a : to grow or make fat b : to feed gluttonously 2 : to grow prosperous especially at the expense of another -- usually used with on Examples: There have always been unscrupulous individuals who batten on the misfortunes of others. "At the same time, others who had battened on the business of originating mortgages...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 13, 2011 is: hermetic • \her-MET-ik\  • adjective 1 : relating to or characterized by occultism or abstruseness : recondite 2 a : airtight b : impervious to external influence c : recluse, solitary Examples: The infomercial claimed that the new containers used modern technology to guarantee a hermetic seal that would keep food fresh for months. "Is all t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 12, 2011 is: ancillary • \AN-suh-lair-ee\  • adjective 1 : of lower or secondary class or rank : subordinate, subsidiary 2 : providing additional help or support : auxiliary, supplementary Examples: One ancillary benefit to Beatrice’s job at the movie theater is the ability to catch an early glimpse of all the new releases. "The arts are not ancillary to...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 11, 2011 is: fulvous • \FULL-vus\  • adjective : of a dull brownish yellow : tawny Examples: The dog had an unusual coat of fulvous fur with black and white splotches. "'Do you realize what you’re monkeying with here, Mr. Swillenale? A HISTORICAL DISTRICT. What if your neighbors wanted to capriciously paint their home fawn with fulvous trim because it wa...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 10, 2011 is: ignoramus • \ig-nuh-RAY-mus\  • noun : an utterly ignorant person : dunce Examples: "You ignoramus -- you can't splice wires of different colors. You'll start an electrical fire," bawled Adam to his roommate. "I think, you know, I've been called edgy, but you know, in all honestly, I think that there is a safety in what I do because I'm alwa...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 9, 2011 is: zibeline • \ZIB-uh-leen\  • noun : a soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair, alpaca, or camel's hair Examples: An elegant zibeline scarf was the perfect complement to her outfit. "A single shoulder, ruffled beyond belief with taffeta and organza layers, tops the silk-zibeline A-line gown, which is finished with a sweep train." -- From a photo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 8, 2011 is: deem • \DEEM\  • verb 1 : to come to think or judge : consider 2 : to have an opinion : believe Examples: Based on the testimony of two forensic psychologists, the judge deemed the defendant competent to stand trial. "By the end of Notre Dame's two snowbound days at a hotel near O'Hare, Tyrone Nash had digested an entire season of 'Mad Men' a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 7, 2011 is: collop • \KAH-lup\  • noun 1 : a small piece or slice especially of meat 2 : a fold of fat flesh Examples: "I kept my eyes fixed on my dish. It was a fast day, and I could not imagine how to swallow the collop of tench that lay there…." -- From Emma Darwin's 2008 novel A Secret Alchemy "You put the collops of meat in a pan with wine, marjoram...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 6, 2011 is: lapidary • \LAP-uh-dair-ee\  • noun 1 : a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones usually other than diamonds 2 : the art of cutting gems Examples: Grandfather had many hobbies, and was especially skilled in both woodworking and lapidary. "White earned a doctorate degree in homeopathy and acupuncture at Open International University...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 5, 2011 is: volte-face • \vawlt-FAHSS\  • noun : a reversal in policy : about-face Examples: The mayor’s abrupt volte-face on new town zoning regulations made some of his critics wonder if he was being persuaded by special interest groups. "I worried that [Anthony Bourdain] might be showing the signs of creeping celebrity rot -- the expensive haircut, th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 4, 2011 is: raffish • \RAF-ish\  • adjective 1 : marked by or suggestive of flashy vulgarity or crudeness 2 : marked by a careless unconventionality : rakish Examples: Gina often seemed to be attracted to the raffish and rebellious boys, rather than the quiet intellectuals in her classes. "They rode a bus a few stops and got off in the raffish suburb of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 3, 2011 is: declension • \dih-KLEN-shun\  • noun 1 a : noun, adjective, or pronoun inflection especially in some prescribed order of the forms b : a class of nouns or adjectives having the same type of inflectional forms 2 : a falling off or away : deterioration 3 : descent, slope Examples: The most common declension in modern English is the set of nouns...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 2, 2011 is: enigmatic • \en-ig-MAT-ik\  • adjective : of, relating to, or resembling an enigma : mysterious Examples: When Rolf asked Tianna where she had been all day, she gave him an enigmatic smile and answered, "Oh, here and there." "Perhaps the most enigmatic feature of the heart-shaped cherimoya is its evocative green, scaled armor-like exterior: I...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 1, 2011 is: acceptation • \ak-sep-TAY-shun\  • noun 1 : acceptance; especially : favorable reception or approval 2 : a generally accepted meaning of a word or understanding of a concept Examples: I may not be an "athlete," in the common acceptation of that word, but I do enjoy my daily workouts at the gym. "'I first met Anup in 2003 when he walked into t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 28, 2011 is: cuspidor • \KUSS-puh-dor\  • noun : a receptacle for spit : spittoon Examples: Hannah loves to repurpose old, interesting-looking objects, most recently using an antique brass cuspidor as a planter. "When a passenger pulled the bell cord, porters were to answer swiftly and cheerfully. Just do what the passengers asked -- or demanded. Shin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 27, 2011 is: circuitous • \ser-KYOO-uh-tus\  • adjective 1 : having a circular or winding course 2 : not being forthright or direct in language or action Examples: Jenn came up with the same answer I did, but her method was more circuitous, so I showed her how she could do the problem a lot faster. "The splashy DeSean Jackson and the serene Jeremy Mac...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 26, 2011 is: gormandize • \GOR-mun-dyze\  • verb : to eat gluttonously or ravenously Examples: Lady Baleforth watched in horror as Lord Hoggwood gormandized the hors d'oeuvres, polishing off the entire lot before any of the other guests even arrived. "People stuff themselves, they gorge, they gormandize; their fingers are greasy from morning to night....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 25, 2011 is: apposite • \AP-uh-zit\  • adjective : highly pertinent or appropriate : apt Examples: Before sending the final draft of his novel to his editor, Lyle searched for an apposite quotation that could serve as the book’s epigraph. "The Venetian merchants who travelled to other lands or cities were especially useful; it is apposite, too, that i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 24, 2011 is: snaffle • \SNAFF-ul\  • verb : to obtain especially by devious or irregular means Examples: Jacob snaffled up the last cookie, leaving his sister none. "Started on Tyneside in the late 1930s, the chain has expanded by snaffling up other bakeries…." -- From an article by Will Self in the New Statesman, December 13, 2010 Did you know? The o...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 23, 2011 is: edacious • \ih-DAY-shus\  • adjective 1 : having a huge appetite : ravenous 2 : excessively eager : insatiable Examples: My edacious dining companion could always be counted on to order the largest -- and often most expensive -- item on the menu. "My adoration is edacious, idolatrous. I have loved a lot of cakes. And I have loved some of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 22, 2011 is: congenial • \kun-JEEN-yul\  • adjective 1 : having the same nature, disposition, or tastes : kindred 2 a : existing together harmoniously b : suited to one's nature, tastes, or outlook c : sociable, genial Examples: Olga found the college's interdisciplinary curriculum congenial to the breadth of her academic interests. "Visiting a neighb...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2011 is: fraternize • \FRAT-er-nyze\  • verb 1 : to associate or mingle as brothers or on fraternal terms 2 a : to associate on close terms with members of a hostile group especially when contrary to military orders b : to be friendly or amiable Examples: The boss warned that fraternizing with the junior employees could be a risky career move for...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 20, 2011 is: cartographer • \kahr-TAH-gruh-fer\  • noun : one that makes maps Examples: A retired cartographer, Uncle Charlie has maps of the city that date all the way to the early 1800s. "Not so many years ago, the task of sending census statistics to the states so they could redraw voting districts involved trips to the loading dock. Cathy McCully,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 19, 2011 is: cabbage • \KAB-ij\  • verb : steal, filch Examples: In the late 18th-century play The Reconciliation, Mrs. Grim confesses that she "now and then cabbaged a penny." "He cabbaged parts from sources that ranged from an old washing machine wringer to the cam shaft from a six-cylinder Chevrolet engine." -- From an article by Larry Porter in th...