Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 16, 2010 is: eddy • \EDD-ee\  • noun 1 a : a current of water or air running contrary to the main current; especially : a circular current : whirlpool b : something moving similarly 2 : a contrary or circular current (as of thought or policy) Examples: The strong gusts whipped up eddies of fallen leaves. "At a time when the moneyed life in New York fee...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 15, 2010 is: zeroth • \ZEE-rohth\  • adjective : being numbered zero in a series; also : of, relating to, or being a zero Examples: Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov's Zeroth Law for robots --"A robot may not harm humanity" -- supersedes his First Law disallowing a robot to harm an individual human being. "For us to consider 2009 the end of the decad...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 14, 2010 is: boustrophedon • \boo-struh-FEE-dahn\  • noun : the writing of alternate lines in opposite directions (as from left to right and from right to left) Examples: The archaeologist was quick to see that the text was written in boustrophedon. "Some writing systems, like the ancient Greeks' boustrophedon, in which alternate lines are read in oppo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 13, 2010 is: erstwhile • \ERST-wile\  • adverb : in the past : formerly Examples: We were delighted to discover a new community garden where erstwhile had been a trash-filled vacant lot. "In Florida, the erstwhile popular Republican governor, Charlie Crist, dropped out of the party's Senate primary race to run as an independent after encountering Tea P...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 12, 2010 is: gimcrack • \JIM-krak\  • noun : a showy object of little use or value : gewgaw Examples: The silver yo-yo that Jerry kept on his office desk was a gimcrack he had won as a carnival prize many years ago. "Know how many times you're willing to stop and how much money you're willing to spend on treats and souvenirs on the drive. If one hat, T...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 11, 2010 is: abrasive • \uh-BRAY-siv\  • adjective 1 : tending to wear away by rubbing 2 : causing irritation Examples: Coworkers tolerated John's abrasive personality because he was also brilliant, but many privately wished he could learn to be a bit more polite. "Every time I watch my husband, who is a chef like me, sharpen our knives on one of his o...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 10, 2010 is: supersede • \soo-per-SEED\  • verb 1 : to cause to be set aside 2 : to take the place or position of 3 : to displace in favor of another Examples: The special-effects technologies used in films of the 20th century have been superseded by developments in computer-generated imagery. "Wednesday's appeals court ruling supersedes a decision iss...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 9, 2010 is: tendentious • \ten-DEN-shus\  • adjective : marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view : biased Examples: The author’s tendentious history of the chemical company glosses over its role in one of the most catastrophic environmental accidents in history. "YouTube-style montages and mash-ups have been an excellent tool for see...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 8, 2010 is: foliage • \FOH-lee-ij\  • noun 1 : a representation of leaves, flowers, and branches for architectural ornamentation 2 : the aggregate of leaves of one or more plants 3 : a cluster of leaves, flowers, and branches Examples: The autumn foliage is often a resplendent display of reds, oranges, and yellows. "The Virginia Tech football team's su...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 7, 2010 is: untoward • \un-TOH-erd\  • adjective 1 : difficult to guide, manage, or work with : unruly, intractable 2 : not favorable : adverse, unpropitious 3 : improper, indecorous Examples: The coach forewarned the players that any untoward behavior, on or off the field, would not be tolerated. "According to preliminary reports, the voting on Wednes...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 6, 2010 is: kismet • \KIZZ-met\  • noun : fate Examples: Penelope and Richard believed it was kismet that brought them together on that day when they met and fell in love. "He was sitting at the bar of the Fairmont Hotel…. It was pure kismet that I sat down next to him." -- From an article in Simple Justice, August 29, 2010 Did you know? Is it your fat...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 5, 2010 is: sigmoid • \SIG-moyd\  • adjective 1 a : curved like the letter C b : curved in two directions like the letter S 2 : of, relating to, or being the sigmoid colon Examples: Glancing out the airplane's window, I could see the sigmoid curvature of the river below us. "In my opinion, Missouri's deer herd is following the classic sigmoid populatio...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 4, 2010 is: dorsal • \DOR-sul\  • adjective : relating to or situated near or on the back especially of an animal or of one of its parts Examples: "I might have identified the bird as a yellow-throated vireo if I'd had more than a dorsal view," explained Roger. "The sleek, rounded head of an orca breaks the surface, tall black dorsal fin trailing behin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 3, 2010 is: caucus • \KAW-kus\  • noun : a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy; also : a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause Examples: Delegates attending the local caucus chose the candidates they wanted placed on the ballot at the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 2, 2010 is: amok • \uh-MUK\  • adverb 1 : in a murderously frenzied state 2 a : in a violently raging manner b : in an undisciplined, uncontrolled, or faulty manner Examples: "We simply can’t have children running amok all over the school,” said the principal when asked to explain the school’s hallway pass policy. "Massing in moonlight, legions of crit...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 1, 2010 is: tittup • \TITT-up\  • verb : to move in a lively manner often with an exaggerated or affected action Examples: As the curtains part, the play's main characters tittup to and fro across the stage. "Ahead of him Sulla could see Gaius Julius Caesar's women tittupping along on the high cork soles and higher cork heels of their winter shoes…." -...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 30, 2010 is: raconteur • \ra-kahn-TER\  • noun : a person who excels in telling anecdotes Examples: A bona fide raconteur, Turner can turn even mundane experiences into hilariously entertaining stories. "The story is constructed as a light mentor piece in which Henry, a sometime college literature professor, Christmas ball collector and raconteur, ta...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 29, 2010 is: parlay • \PAHR-lay\  • verb 1 : to bet in a parlay 2 a : to exploit successfully b : to increase or otherwise transform into something of much greater value Examples: The young actor parlayed his popularity as a teen heartthrob into a successful film career. "By combining on-the-job training with a willingness to learn new skills and tak...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 28, 2010 is: eternize • \ih-TER-nyze\  • verb 1 a : to make eternal b : to prolong indefinitely 2 : immortalize Examples: The poet with her pen eternizes what is fleeting in the world. "Today, almost a century after her death, Ida Saxton McKinley has been eternized as a representative of all American first ladies at her Canton home." -- From an artic...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 27, 2010 is: rectilinear • \rek-tuh-LINN-ee-er\  • adjective 1 : moving in or forming a straight line 2 : characterized by straight lines Examples: Maps of rectilinear states like Colorado and Utah are much easier to draw freehand than those of states with jagged outlines. "The four-story structure extends the original 1907 Beaux Arts building's low...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 26, 2010 is: phatic • \FATT-ik\  • adjective : of, relating to, or being speech used for social or emotive purposes rather than for communicating information Examples: Joe has a tendency to take even phatic inquiries seriously, so when Kristen asked him how he was feeling, I knew the answer would be much longer than "better, thanks." "Conversation is...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 25, 2010 is: flippant • \FLIP-unt\  • adjective : lacking proper respect or seriousness Examples: We were disturbed by the mayoral candidate's flippant response to a question about the city's debt. "Sonja Richter, who plays Mona, works wonders with just a fearful glance or flippant smirk, and it's obvious she's mastered this role." -- From a movie re...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 24, 2010 is: demeanor • \dih-MEE-ner\  • noun : behavior toward others : outward manner Examples: The professor's friendly and laid-back demeanor made him a favorite among the students. "Through it all, Bradford never seemed rattled, never lost composure. And more importantly, his demeanor did not suggest that of a rookie in his first NFL game right...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 23, 2010 is: reminisce • \rem-uh-NISS\  • verb : to indulge in the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences Examples: She reminisced with old friends at her high school reunion. "He reminisced about his grandma in the kitchen, early in the morning, stirring up her Cuban specialties and he would awake with his mouth watering t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 22, 2010 is: permeable • \PER-mee-uh-bul\  • adjective : capable of being permeated : penetrable; especially : having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through Examples: The best workout clothes are those made of permeable fabrics that allow body heat to escape. "The county is under a federal consent order to stop the overflows u...