Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 10, 2010 is: precentor • \prih-SEN-ter\  • noun : a leader of the singing of a choir or congregation Examples: He was deeply devoted to our congregation, and served as precentor at the church for the last 20 years of his life. "Congregations were led in song by a precentor, who would choose a tune to fit a psalm, then sing each phrase for the congrega...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 9, 2010 is: sylvan • \SILL-vun\  • adjective 1 a : living or located in the woods or forest b : of, relating to, or characteristic of the woods or forest 2 a : made, shaped, or formed of woods or trees b : abounding in woods, groves, or trees : wooded Examples: We walked along a sylvan path for several miles and then emerged into a clearing. "Although...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 8, 2010 is: ineluctable • \in-ih-LUK-tuh-bul\  • adjective : not to be avoided, changed, or resisted : inevitable Examples: Even the best athletes have to contend with the ineluctable fact that they will grow older and must someday face opponents who are younger, faster, and stronger. "The breadth and sweep of Ms. Mearns's dancing is extraordinary her...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 7, 2010 is: fossick • \FAH-sik\  • verb a : to search about : rummage b : to search for by or as if by rummaging : ferret out Examples: As teenagers, the twins spent many summer afternoons fossicking for opals in the old mine. "Meanwhile that little dog of ours, whose pedigree goes back some 400 years, is out the front fossicking round on the lawn and...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 6, 2010 is: vagary • \VAY-guh-ree\  • noun : an erratic, unpredictable, or extravagant manifestation, action, or notion Examples: Stock market analysts were pressed to determine whether the sharp decline in prices was a one-day vagary or a sign of more serious economic trouble on the horizon. "Allocating water is not an easy job, especially considerin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 5, 2010 is: greasy spoon • \GREE-see-SPOON\  • noun : a dingy small cheap restaurant Examples: For dinner, Juan and his sister, who was visiting him at college, went to his favorite greasy spoon in the city. "When I first went on the road, I went into every truck stop and greasy spoon in the country just to experience it all." -- Trisha Yearwood, quot...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 4, 2010 is: ululate • \ULL-yuh-layt\  • verb : howl, wail Examples: The puppy ululated in distress every time he was left alone. "[Singer] Sussan Deyhim is one of Iran's most potent voices in exile, for the simple reason that she possesses a marvelously potent voice. She wails and coos and ululates, the sound of the soul in translation." -- From a mus...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 3, 2010 is: pungle • \PUNG-gul\  • verb : to make a payment or contribution of money -- usually used with up Examples: We all decided to pungle up for pizza. "They visited the pound over the weekend with their own Chihuahua, Kiki, to make sure the two dogs would get along. And they pungled up $107 to cover the adoption fee, castration fee, inoculation...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 2, 2010 is: psephology • \see-FAH-luh-jee\  • noun : the scientific study of elections Examples: Erin is a political science major with a particular interest in psephology. "To help voters make up their minds, this issue contains a 20-page briefing on personality, policy and psephology." -- From an article in The Economist, April 10, 2010 Did you know...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 1, 2010 is: contrite • \kun-TRYTE\  • adjective : feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming Examples: Mom finally let Jamie off the hook for the prank when she believed he understood why she was angry and was truly contrite. "A contrite, clean-shaven Joaquin Phoenix returned to David Letterman and his 'Late Show' last night to con...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 31, 2010 is: hobgoblin • \HAHB-gahb-lin\  • noun 1 : a mischievous goblin 2 : a source of fear, perplexity, or harassment Examples: Max was convinced that hobgoblins had taken over his computer, which was why it was flashing garbled error messages. "For one thing, the turtle was an enjoyable hobgoblin for the kids who swim in the lake. They used to sta...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 30, 2010 is: misconstrue • \miss-kun-STROO\  • verb : to understand or explain wrongly : misinterpret Examples: According to the candidate, her comments about the city's schools were misconstrued by the media. "It's now been 10 years since humans deciphered the digital code that, in a very real sense, defines us as a species. It's hard to overestimate...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 29, 2010 is: vanguard • \VAN-gahrd\  • noun 1 : the troops moving at the head of an army 2 : the forefront of an action or movement Examples: The manufacturer is in the vanguard of green technology. "Classical beauty is easy, but a taste for the difficult, the unconventional, the ugly, has often been seen as a mark of sophistication, a passport into th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 28, 2010 is: incognito • \in-kahg-NEE-toh\  • adverb or adjective : with one's identity concealed Examples: The food critic made an incognito visit to the restaurant. "[Mary, Queen of Scots] loved St. Andrews, where she kept a small vacation cottage and often stayed incognito, doing her own shopping and cooking, and playing golf along the links by the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 27, 2010 is: notch • \NAHTCH\  • noun 1 : a V-shaped hollow in an edge or surface 2 : a narrow pass between two mountains 3 : degree, step Examples: The instructions said to cut small notches at the corners of the fabric. "The center said at 5 p.m. EDT that Paula had dropped a notch from a Category 2 storm as it took a track forecast to pass very near...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 26, 2010 is: lethargic • \luh-THAHR-jik\  • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or characterized by lethargy : sluggish 2 : indifferent, apathetic Examples: After eating a large plate of spaghetti and meatballs I often feel lethargic and sleepy. "What's not to like about a $30 billion boost to small biz, which has been taking it on the chin on this lethargi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 25, 2010 is: sea change • \SEE-CHAYNJ\  • noun : a marked change : transformation Examples: The mayor said that she doubts the project will proceed, unless there's a sea change in public opinion. "Homeowners are flocking to refinance their mortgage loans at record low interest rates, but unlike past refinancing waves, few are using their homes like ATM...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 24, 2010 is: mendacious • \men-DAY-shus\  • adjective : given to or characterized by deception or falsehood or divergence from absolute truth Examples: Liza wasn't about to fall for the unrealistic claims being touted by the mendacious car salesman. "Don Draper, the creative ad man extraordinaire on 'Mad Men,' is so deeply flawed that his likability an...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 23, 2010 is: qualm • \KWAHM\  • noun 1 : a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea 2 : a sudden fear 3 : a feeling of doubt or indecision in matters of right and wrong Examples: Much to the dismay of those in the music industry, many people have no qualms about illegally downloading music files from the Internet. "Genetic engineering is already...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 22, 2010 is: jawboning • \JAW-boh-ning\  • noun : the use of public appeals (as by a president) to influence the actions especially of business and labor leaders; broadly : the use of spoken persuasion Examples: The debate included a lot of jawboning as each candidate tried to persuade voters to see the issues his way. "Here in America vast amounts of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 21, 2010 is: renovate • \REN-uh-vayt\  • verb 1 : to restore to a former better state (as by cleaning, repairing, or rebuilding) 2 : to restore to life, vigor, or activity : revive Examples: Mom renovated the kitchen three years ago, and is now planning to buy all new furniture for the living room. "Last year, the city approved a $2.8 million plan to r...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 20, 2010 is: farraginous • \fuh-RAJ-uh-nus\  • adjective : consisting of a confused mixture : formed of various materials in no fixed order or arrangement Examples: The large box at the hotel’s lost and found desk contained a farraginous assortment of hats, umbrellas, cell phones, and other personal items. "Like the Habsburg empire, the kingdom of Swed...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 19, 2010 is: peculation • \pek-yuh-LAY-shun\  • noun : embezzlement Examples: The employee's peculation might never have been discovered had he not misdirected an e-mail intended for his bookie to the company bookkeeper. "Starting with Kansas in 1911, most states passed laws to protect investors from nefarious sales practices and other peculation in th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 18, 2010 is: outlandish • \out-LAN-dish\  • adjective 1 : of or relating to another country : foreign 2 a : strikingly out of the ordinary : bizarre b : exceeding proper or reasonable limits or standards 3 : remote from civilization Examples: The author’s award-winning novels are noted for their lush, fantastical settings and outlandish characters. "La...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 17, 2010 is: hie • \HYE\  • verb 1 : to go quickly : hasten 2 : to cause (oneself) to go quickly Examples: Every autumn, we hie ourselves down to the county fair for a day of greasy food and entertainment. "If you're interested in acting, and you're between 14 and 19, hie thee to the Long Wharf Theatre this week, where Annie DiMartino is running auditi...