Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 30, 2010 is: chevron • \SHEV-run\  • noun a : a figure, pattern, or object having the shape of a V or an inverted V: as b : a heraldic charge consisting of two diagonal stripes meeting at an angle usually with the point up c : a sleeve badge that indicates the wearer's rank and service (as in the armed forces) Examples: "A young cavalry soldier in a red...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 29, 2010 is: uxorial • \uk-SOR-ee-ul\  • adjective : of, relating to, or characteristic of a wife Examples: “He watered the plants, cleared aspen leaves and debris from the rock garden, and cut the lawn … without any uxorial prompting.” (Rois M. Beal, The Washington Post, July 19, 2007) Did you know? With help from "-ial," "-ious," and "-icide," the Lati...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 28, 2010 is: pullulate • \PUL-yuh-layt\  • verb 1 a : germinate, sprout b : to breed or produce freely 2 : swarm, teem Examples: The coastal resort town is quiet now, but with summer approaching it will soon be pullulating with tourists. Did you know? To remember the history of "pullulate," think chickens. This may sound like odd advice, but it makes sen...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 27, 2010 is: esemplastic • \es-em-PLAS-tik\  • adjective : shaping or having the power to shape disparate things into a unified whole Examples: "The prison walls of self had closed entirely round him; he was walled completely by the esemplastic power of his imagination -- he had learned by now to project mechanically, before the world, an acceptable coun...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 26, 2010 is: shibboleth • \SHIB-uh-luth\  • noun 1 : catchword, slogan 2 : a widely held belief or truism 3 : a custom or usage regarded as distinctive of a particular group Examples: “Taxpayers beware: Don't buy into the shibboleth that more money automatically translates into better schools.” (Press Journal [Vero Beach, FL], July 27, 2003) Did you know...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 25, 2010 is: nefarious • \nih-FAIR-ee-us\  • adjective : flagrantly wicked or impious : evil Examples: "We now learn that the two sides may have been working together in nefarious ways in some kind of conspiracy that transcends national boundaries and allegiances." (Paul A. Cantor, Gilligan Unbound) Did you know? "Vicious" and "villainous" are two wicked...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 24, 2010 is: hummock • \HUM-uk\  • noun 1 : a rounded knoll or hillock 2 : a ridge of ice 3 : a fertile area in the southern United States and especially Florida that is usually higher than its surroundings and that is characterized by hardwood vegetation and deep humus-rich soil Examples: Cattle and sparse vegetation dot a rolling landscape of hummocks...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 23, 2010 is: copacetic • \koh-puh-SET-ik\  • adjective : very satisfactory Examples: Although Julie and Emma were barely on speaking terms last week, they now say that they have patched things up and everything is copacetic. Did you know? Theories about the origin of "copacetic" abound. The tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson believed he had coined the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 22, 2010 is: forte • \FORT\  • noun : something in which one excels : one's strong point Examples: The pitcher's forte is definitely his 100-mph fastball, although his curveball is also strong. Did you know? "Forte" derives from the sport of fencing -- when English speakers borrowed the word from French in the mid-17th century, it referred to the stronge...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 21, 2010 is: obfuscate • \AHB-fuh-skayt\  • verb 1 a : darken b : to make obscure 2 : confuse 3 : to be evasive, unclear, or confusing Examples: After the debate, each of the gubernatorial candidates complained to the press that his opponent had intentionally obfuscated many responses to the questions. Did you know? The last syllable of "obfuscate" may s...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 20, 2010 is: verdure • \VER-jer\  • noun 1 : the greenness of growing vegetation; also : such vegetation itself 2 : a condition of health and vigor Examples: "A city of tropical verdure, [Managua is] also one of constant reinvention, an essential quality given the wounds that nature has inflicted." (Regis St. Louis, The Miami Herald, October 19, 2008) Di...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 19, 2010 is: wanderlust • \WAHN-der-lust\  • noun : strong longing for or impulse towards wandering Examples: After years of traveling, Philip accepted a job in Minnesota and announced his intention to settle down, but once the first cold snap hit, it didn’t take long for wanderlust to set in again. Did you know? "For my part," writes Robert Louis Steven...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 18, 2010 is: magniloquent • \mag-NIL-uh-kwunt\  • adjective : speaking in or characterized by a high-flown often bombastic style or manner Examples: The actor delivered a magniloquent monologue, peppered with metaphors and obscure words. Did you know? "Magnus" means "great" in Latin; "loqui" is a Latin verb meaning "to speak." Combine the two and you get...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 17, 2010 is: glower • \GLOW-er (the OW is as in "cow")\  • verb : to look or stare with sullen annoyance or anger Examples: I could sense Katherine glowering at me after I took her usual parking spot. Did you know? Do words of uncertain origin make you scowl? If so, "glower" may put a frown on your face, because only part of its history can be validated....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 16, 2010 is: archetype • \AHR-kih-type\  • noun : the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies : prototype; also : a perfect example Examples: "A redeveloped Tonsley Park will be an archetype of the new economy … an economy that is knowledge-based, environmentally sustainable and responsive to climate c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 15, 2010 is: haywire • \HAY-wyre\  • adverb or adjective 1 : being out of order or having gone wrong 2 : emotionally or mentally upset or out of control : crazy Examples: The company's e-mailing system went haywire and sent out multiple copies of the advertisement to its subscribers. Did you know? The wire used in baling hay -- haywire -- is often used i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 14, 2010 is: postulate • \PAHSS-chuh-layt\  • verb 1 : demand, claim 2 a : to assume or claim as true, existent, or necessary b : to assume as an established truth (as in logic or mathematics) Examples: "If we postulate that the doors were all securely guarded," said the detective, "then the perpetrator must have been somebody who was already in the buil...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 13, 2010 is: acronym • \AK-ruh-nim\  • noun : a word formed from the beginning letter or letters of each or most of the parts of a compound term; also : an abbreviation formed from initial letters Examples: The new committee spent a fair amount of time choosing a name that would lend itself to an appealing acronym. Did you know? "Acronym" was created by...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 12, 2010 is: sub rosa • \sub-ROH-zuh\  • adverb : in confidence : secretly Examples: The private investigator met sub rosa with his client to show her photos of her husband rendezvousing at various local establishments with another woman. Did you know? "Sub rosa" literally means "under the rose" in New Latin. Since ancient times, the rose has often been...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 11, 2010 is: will-o'-the-wisp • \will-uh-thuh-WISP\  • noun 1 : a light that appears at night over marshy ground 2 : a misleading or elusive goal or hope Examples: Though her friends think she's chasing a will-o'-the-wisp, Alexis is determined to quit her job and follow her dream of becoming a pop music star. Did you know? The will-o'-the-wisp is a flame...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 10, 2010 is: petard • \puh-TAHRD\  • noun 1 : a case containing an explosive to break down a door or gate or breach a wall 2 : a firework that explodes with a loud report Examples: "The blast occurred on Sunday afternoon in a farmer's house in the Anhui Province, destroying six rooms which stored materials for making petards and firecrackers." (RIA Novos...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 9, 2010 is: eclectic • \ih-KLEK-tik\  • adjective 1 : selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles 2 : composed of elements drawn from various sources; also : heterogeneous Examples: The new downtown restaurant offers an eclectic mix of appetizers and entrees at reasonable prices. Did you know? "Eclectic" comes from a Greek...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 8, 2010 is: lave • \LAYV\  • verb 1 a : wash, bathe b : to flow along or against 2 : pour Examples: "There are few traces of man's hand to be seen. The water laves the shore as it did a thousand years ago." (Henry David Thoreau, Walden) Did you know? "Lave" is a simple, monosyllabic word that magically makes the mundane act of washing poetic. Shakespeare...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 7, 2010 is: exponent • \ik-SPOH-nunt\  • noun 1 : a symbol written above and to the right of a mathematical expression to indicate the operation of raising to a power 2 a : one that expounds or interprets b : one that champions, practices, or exemplifies Examples: "Pianist [Chick] Corea has played plenty of straight-ahead jazz, but is probably best known...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 6, 2010 is: zaftig • \ZAHF-tig\  • adjective : having a full rounded figure : pleasingly plump Examples: The Flemish painters were masters of the oil medium, rendering zaftig beauties, robust burghers, hunting scenes, and allegorical subjects with subtle interplays of light and color. Did you know? "Real women have curves," as a 2002 movie title proclaim...