Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 8, 2010 is: enthrall • \in-THRAWL\  • verb 1 : to hold in or reduce to slavery 2 : to hold spellbound : charm Examples: "For 40 years, the Romero Quartet has enthralled audiences with superb classical guitar playing." (David Stabler, The Oregonian [Portland Oregon], January 8, 2010) Did you know? In Middle English, "enthrallen" meant "to hold in thral...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 7, 2010 is: parsnip • \PAHR-snip\  • noun : a Eurasian biennial herb (Pastinaca sativa) of the carrot family with large pinnate leaves and yellow flowers that is cultivated for its long tapered edible root which is cooked as a vegetable; also : the root Examples: "A sweet tender treat awaits my taste buds whenever I prepare parsnips. Parsnips are trul...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 6, 2010 is: comptroller • \kun-TROH-ler\  • noun 1 : a royal-household official who examines and supervises expenditures 2 : a public official who audits government accounts and sometimes supervises expenditures 3 : the chief accounting officer of a business enterprise or an institution (as a college) Examples: The comptroller verified and approved th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 5, 2010 is: alow • \uh-LOH\  • adverb : below Examples: "Then, with all her sails, light and heavy, and studding sails on each side, alow and aloft, she is the most glorious moving object in the world." (Noel Perrin, The New York Times, May 30, 1982) Did you know? In nautical use, "alow" means "in or to a lower part of the vessel," indicating the deck...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 4, 2010 is: vulnerary • \VUL-nuh-rair-ee\  • adjective : used for or useful in healing wounds Examples: Aloe vera is a vulnerary plant whose extract is widely used to soothe and heal burns. Did you know? In Latin, "vulnus" means "wound." You might think, then, that the English adjective "vulnerary" would mean "wounding" or "causing a wound" -- and, in...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 3, 2010 is: elicit • \ih-LISS-it\  • verb 1 : to draw forth or bring out (something latent or potential) 2 : to call forth or draw out (as information or a response) Examples: The announcement of the total amount of money that the charity walk raised for the children’s hospital elicited many cheers from the crowd. Did you know? "Elicit" derives from t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 2, 2010 is: evanescent • \ev-uh-NESS-unt\  • adjective : tending to vanish like vapor Examples: "Dance is the most evanescent of the arts, evaporating into memory the instant it's completed." (Jordan Levin, The Miami Herald, November 13, 2008) Did you know? The fragile, airy quality of things evanescent reflects the etymology of the word "evanescent"...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 1, 2010 is: raj • \RAHJ\  • noun 1 : rule; especially often capitalized : the former British rule of the Indian subcontinent 2 : the period of British rule in India Examples: In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi launched a spectacular and highly successful campaign against the Raj, but despite all such efforts, India did not gain independence from British rule unt...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 31, 2010 is: coeval • \koh-EE-vul\  • adjective : of the same or equal age, antiquity, or duration Examples: "How old is this ancient town? One guess: It dates to 2600-2500 B.C. -- more or less coeval with nearby Stonehenge … which may date to 3100 B.C." (The Philadelphia Inquirer, February 12, 2007) Did you know? "Coeval" comes to English from the Lat...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 30, 2010 is: collude • \kuh-LOOD\  • verb : conspire, plot Examples: The U.S. District Court has granted class-action status to a complaint that the retailer and manufacturer colluded to keep prices high. Did you know? Our English "lude" words ("allude," "collude," "delude," "elude," and "prelude") are based on the Latin verb "ludere," meaning "to play...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 29, 2010 is: yellow-dog • \yel-oh-DAWG\  • adjective 1 : mean, contemptible 2 : of or relating to opposition to trade unionism or a labor union Examples: The workers were all bound under yellow-dog agreements, so they weren't able to appeal to any union forces to help renegotiate their contract. Did you know? In the 19th century, the noun "yellow dog"...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 28, 2010 is: maxixe • \muh-SHEESH\  • noun : a ballroom dance of Brazilian origin that resembles the two-step Examples: "In the 1920s, the maxixe took over the ballrooms of Rio de Janeiro." (The Toronto Star, September 20, 1998) Did you know? The maxixe was in vogue for only a few decades in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but its influence has...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 27, 2010 is: martinet • \mar-tuh-NET\  • noun 1 : a strict disciplinarian 2 : a person who stresses a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods Examples: Spencer complained that his office manager was a power-hungry martinet who compelled him to follow ridiculous rules. Did you know? When France's King Louis XIV appointed Lieutenant Colonel J...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 26, 2010 is: bolide • \BOH-lyde\  • noun : a large meteor : fireball; especially : one that explodes Examples: Though probably no more than a foot in diameter, the bolide offered a brief and spectacular light show as it streaked across the sky. Did you know? "Bolide," like "fireball," is a name applied to very bright meteors that often trail sparks. A...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 25, 2010 is: Valhalla • \val-HAL-uh\  • noun 1 : the great hall in Norse mythology where the souls of heroes slain in battle are received 2 : a place of honor, glory, or happiness : heaven Examples: "When the time comes, a lot of folks who vote people into baseball's Valhalla will make character a major qualification." (Sid Dorfman, The Star-Ledger [Ne...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 24, 2010 is: refurbish • \rih-FER-bish\  • verb : to brighten or freshen up : renovate Examples: Bill and Marie bought the historic house with the intent of refurbishing it. Did you know? If you're wondering if "refurbish" implies the existence of an earlier "furbish," you are on the right track. "Furbish" was borrowed into English in the 14th century...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 23, 2010 is: funicular • \fyoo-NIK-yuh-ler\  • noun : a cable railway ascending a mountain; especially : one in which an ascending car counterbalances a descending car Examples: "Situated in a gated community reachable by funicular, the resort's 181 guest rooms come with flat-screen TVs, nightly turndown service and, in suites, even a butler." (The New...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 22, 2010 is: Mrs. Grundy • \MISS-uz-GRUN-dee\  • noun : one marked by prudish conventionality in personal conduct Examples: After a barrage of complaints from Mrs. Grundys, the Web site's managers decided to remove the "objectionable" photos. Did you know? "What would Mrs. Grundy say?" Dame Ashfield, a character in Thomas Morton's 1798 play Speed the P...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 21, 2010 is: colubrine • \KAHL-yuh-bryne\  • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or resembling a snake 2 : of or relating to a large cosmopolitan family (Colubridae) of chiefly nonvenomous snakes Examples: "By the time the music starts throbbing at 9, there will undoubtedly be a colubrine line slithering down Mass. Ave." (Christopher Muther, The Boston Glob...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 20, 2010 is: Augean stable • \aw-JEE-un-STAY-bul\  • noun : a condition or place marked by great accumulation of filth or corruption Examples: The presidency of Ulysses S. Grant was marred by his refusal to clean out the Augean stables of his own administration. Did you know? "Augean stable" most often appears in the phrase "clean the Augean stable," w...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 19, 2010 is: conquian • \KONK-ee-un\  • noun : a card game for two played with 40 cards from which all games of rummy developed Examples: The two friends whiled away the long summer days with endless games of conquian. Did you know? Conquian is a very old card game, played more frequently in the past than now. Based on the "draw and discard" principle...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 18, 2010 is: noetic • \noh-ET-ik\  • adjective : of, relating to, or based on the intellect Examples: Among the events sponsored by the neighborhood bar were monthly quiz nights, which Jeanne enjoyed attending because they satisfied her thirst for noetic stimulation. Did you know? "Noetic" derives from the Greek adjective "noētikos," meaning "intellect...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 17, 2010 is: Danelaw • \DAYN-law\  • noun 1 : the law in force in the part of England held by the Danes before the Norman Conquest 2 : the part of England under the Danelaw Examples: In the 11th and 12th centuries, the Danelaw between the Rivers Tees and Thames was governed much differently than areas to the south and west. Did you know? When the Vikin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 16, 2010 is: interdigitate • \in-ter-DIJ-uh-tayt\  • verb : to become interlocked like the fingers of folded hands Examples: "The edges [of bridge expansion joints] often are shaped like combs, the teeth of one interdigitating with teeth of the other." (The Washington Post, January 14, 1998) Did you know? It probably won’t surprise you to learn that "i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 15, 2010 is: incoherent • \in-koh-HEER-unt\  • adjective a : lacking coherence: as b : lacking cohesion : loose c : lacking orderly continuity, arrangement, or relevance : inconsistent d : lacking normal clarity or intelligibility in speech or thought Examples: I found myself unable to follow the movie’s rambling and incoherent plot. Did you know? Some...