Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 13, 2010 is: flagitious • \fluh-JISH-us\  • adjective : marked by scandalous crime or vice : villainous Examples: "Those leading the fight against erotica distribution compiled lists of flagitious books, but tried to keep their lists confidential…." (Jay A. Gertzman, Bookleggers and Smuthounds) Did you know? "Flagitious" derives from the Latin noun "flagi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 12, 2010 is: polyonymous • \pah-lee-AH-nuh-mus\  • adjective : having or known by various names Examples: Common epithets of Shiva, the polyonymous Hindu god of destruction and regeneration, are Shambhu, Shankara, Mahadeva, and Mahesha. Did you know? "Polyonymous" comes to us from Greek. The "poly-" part means "many," and the "-onymous" part derives from...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 11, 2010 is: argy-bargy • \ahr-jee-BAHR-jee\  • noun : a lively discussion : argument, dispute Examples: After much argy-bargy, Paul and Hugh finally came up with a plan that satisfied them both. Did you know? "Argy-bargy" and its slightly older variant "argle-bargle" have been a part of British English since the second half of the 19th century. "Argy" an...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 10, 2010 is: ambuscade • \AM-buh-skayd\  • noun : a trap in which concealed persons lie in wait to attack by surprise; also : the persons so concealed or their position Examples: "They were apprized of the ambuscade by one of the flanking party, before the Indians fired upon them…." (George Washington, letter, August 4, 1756) Did you know? "Ambuscade" der...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 9, 2010 is: delegate • \DEL-uh-gayt\  • verb 1 : to entrust to another 2 : to appoint as one's representative 3 : to assign responsibility or authority Examples: In order to get everything done on time, the committee leader chose to delegate some of the minor tasks to junior members. Did you know? To "delegate" is literally or figuratively to send another...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 8, 2010 is: obstreperous • \ub-STREP-uh-rus\  • adjective 1 : marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : clamorous 2 : stubbornly resistant to control : unruly Examples: On her first day of substitute teaching, Joanna expected to encounter a classroom of obstreperous teenagers, but the students were mostly well behaved. Did you know? The handy Latin prefi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 7, 2010 is: balletomane • \ba-LET-uh-mayn\  • noun : a devotee of ballet Examples: Balletomanes across the country eagerly bought tickets to the famous ballerina's final performance. Did you know? If you suspected that "balletomane" originated with the idea of a "mania" for ballet, you are correct. What you may not have guessed is that the language that i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 6, 2010 is: olla podrida • \ah-luh-puh-DREE-duh\  • noun 1 : a rich seasoned stew of slowly simmered meat and vegetables that is a traditional Spanish and Latin-American dish 2 : hodgepodge Examples: Ask around for ideas on how to stop hiccups and you’ll get an olla podrida of bizarre remedies. Did you know? In 1599, lexicographer John Minsheu wanted to k...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 5, 2010 is: ferret • \FAIR-ut\  • verb 1 : to hunt game with ferrets 2 : to drive out of a hiding place 3 : to find and bring to light by searching -- usually used with out Examples: The program was intended to ferret out inefficiency in the state's pension programs. Did you know? Since the 14th century, English speakers have used "ferret" as the name of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 4, 2010 is: Gretna Green • \gret-nuh-GREEN\  • noun : a place where many eloping couples are married Examples: "During the 1920s through the '40s, Greenwich had a world-reputation as the 'Gretna Green' of the nation, the magnet for couples in a hurry to get married." (Bernie Yudain, Connecticut Post Online, May 26, 2009) Did you know? In the England of th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 3, 2010 is: apotheosis • \uh-pah-thee-OH-sis\  • noun 1 : elevation to divine status : deification 2 : the perfect example : quintessence Examples: "Long before celebrity reached its apotheosis, the great gossip columnist and radio broadcaster Walter Winchell … understood that celebrity was a basis for an ongoing, daily national conversation…." (Neal Gabl...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 2, 2010 is: nidifugous • \nye-DIFF-yuh-gus\  • adjective : leaving the nest soon after hatching Examples: "Little is known about the mortality of nidifugous shorebird chicks." (Hans Schekkerman, et al., Journal of Ornithology, January 2009) Did you know? "Nidifugous" hatched from the Latin words "nidus," meaning "nest," and "fugere," meaning "to flee." It...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 1, 2010 is: brainiac • \BRAY-nee-ak\  • noun : a very intelligent person Examples: The company employs an army of geeky brainiacs who are devoted to providing the best in computer game graphics and technology. Did you know? As Superman fans know, "Brainiac" was the superintelligent villain in the Action Comics series and its spin-offs. You don't need x-ra...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 31, 2010 is: callithump • \KAL-uh-thump\  • noun : a noisy boisterous band or parade Examples: Energized with cookies, cake, ice cream, fruit punch, and other sugary treats, the children erupted into a callithump, blowing noisemakers and banging pails. Did you know? "Callithump" and the related adjective "callithumpian" are Americanisms, but their roots st...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 30, 2010 is: qui vive • \kee-VEEV\  • noun : alert, lookout Examples: Newspaper copy editors must always be on the qui vive for factual as well as grammatical errors. Did you know? When a sentinel guarding a French castle in days of yore cried, "Qui vive?" your life depended upon your answer -- the right one was usually something like "Long live the king!"...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 29, 2010 is: disaster • \dih-ZAS-ter\  • noun : a sudden calamitous event bringing great damage, loss, or destruction; broadly : a sudden or great misfortune or failure Examples: As soon as we saw the storm clouds gathering to the west, we knew our picnic was going to be a disaster. Did you know? "Disaster" has its roots in the belief that the positions of...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 28, 2010 is: juxtapose • \JUK-stuh-pohz\  • verb : to place side by side Examples: "His expansive narrative poems juxtapose themes of melancholy and loss with a sense of elation and pure joy…." (Daina Savage, Sunday News [Lancaster, Pennsylvania], April 4, 2010) Did you know? A back-formation is a word that has come about through the removal of a prefix or...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 27, 2010 is: vibrissa • \vye-BRISS-uh\  • noun 1 : one of the stiff hairs that are located especially about the nostrils or on other parts of the face in many mammals and that often serve as tactile organs 2 : one of the bristly feathers near the mouth of many and especially insectivorous birds that may help to prevent the escape of insects Examples: The m...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 26, 2010 is: whilom • \WYE-lum\  • adjective : former Examples: "His fatal miscalculation, however, might be his personal attacks on his whilom friend...." (The Baltimore Sun, May 2003) Did you know? "Whilom" shares an ancestor with the word "while." Both trace back to the Old English word "hwil," meaning "time" or "while." In Old English "hwilum" was an a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 25, 2010 is: foppery • \FAH-puh-ree\  • noun 1 : foolish character or action : folly 2 : the behavior or dress of a fop Examples: "There was certainly no harm in his travelling sixteen miles twice over on such an errand; but there was an air of foppery and nonsense in it which she could not approve." (Jane Austen, Emma) Did you know? The word "fop" once re...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 24, 2010 is: luscious • \LUSH-us\  • adjective 1 : having a delicious sweet taste or smell 2 : sexually attractive 3 a : richly luxurious or appealing to the senses b : excessively ornate Examples: The luscious aroma of freshly baked apple pies drifted from the open window of the farmhouse kitchen. Did you know? Have you ever heard a young child say someth...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 23, 2010 is: defalcation • \dee-fal-KAY-shun\  • noun 1 : the act or an instance of embezzling 2 : a failure to meet a promise or an expectation Examples: "'She made off with the money, an act of defalcation that disqualifies her from receiving a bankruptcy discharge,' the judge ruled." (Orlando Sentinel, March 21, 2004) Did you know? "The tea table shall...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 22, 2010 is: lily-livered • \LILL-ee-LIV-erd\  • adjective : lacking courage : cowardly Examples: "I regret not hurling myself into university life because I was too … lily-livered to live a little." (Laura Barton, The Guardian [London], August 16, 2001) Did you know? The basis of the word "lily-livered" lies in an old belief. Years ago, people thought tha...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 21, 2010 is: amerce • \uh-MERSS\  • verb : to punish by a fine whose amount is fixed by the court; broadly : punish Examples: "A freeman is not to be amerced for a small offence save in accordance with the manner of the offence.…" (Magna Carta, 1215) Did you know? If you break the law, you could find yourself "at the mercy" of the court. As you await your...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 20, 2010 is: bully pulpit • \BULL-ee-PULL-pit\  • noun : a prominent public position (as a political office) that provides an opportunity for expounding one's views; also : such an opportunity Examples: Mariah has used her position on the city council as a bully pulpit to denounce the corruption in the mayor’s office. Did you know? "Bully pulpit" comes fro...