Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 28, 2009 is: founder • \FOUN-der\  • verb 1 : to make or become disabled or lame 2 : to give way : collapse 3 : to become submerged : sink 4 : to come to grief : fail Examples: As the vessel began to founder, the captain ordered everyone on board to prepare to abandon ship. Did you know? "Founder" comes from Middle English "foundren," meaning "to send to...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 27, 2009 is: roman à clef • \roh-mahn-ah-KLAY\  • noun : a novel in which real persons or actual events figure under disguise Examples: Critics quickly identified the ex-press secretary’s new novel as a roman a clef with characters closely resembling figures from the current presidential administration. Did you know? "Unlock the fiction, open the door and...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 26, 2009 is: crescent • \KRESS-unt\  • adjective : marked by an increase : increasing Examples: "The people love me, and the sea is mine; / My powers are crescent, and my auguring hope / Says it will come to th' full." (William Shakespeare, The Tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra) Did you know? You probably know "crescent" as the shape of a moon that is less...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 25, 2009 is: desolate • \DESS-uh-lut\  • adjective 1 : devoid of inhabitants and visitors : deserted 2 : joyless, disconsolate, and sorrowful through or as if through separation from a loved one 3 a : showing the effects of abandonment and neglect : dilapidated b : barren, lifeless c : devoid of warmth, comfort, or hope : gloomy Examples: The landscape lo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 24, 2009 is: cavalcade • \kav-ul-KAYD\  • noun 1 a : a procession of riders or carriages b : a procession of vehicles or ships 2 : a dramatic sequence or procession : series Examples: The crowds cheered and waved as the cavalcade of fire trucks rolled through the streets along the parade route. Did you know? When "cavalcade" was first used in English, it...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 23, 2009 is: corvine • \KOR-vyne\  • adjective : of or relating to the crows : resembling a crow Examples: "Many residents of cities along the Pomona and San Bernardino freeways say, yes, indeed, they've noticed an increase in their corvine neighbors." (Edmund Newton, Los Angeles Times, December 17, 1989) Did you know? Few people crow about "corvine" -- i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 22, 2009 is: plethora • \PLETH-uh-ruh\  • noun : an excessive quantity or fullness; also : profusion Examples: A plethora of books on the American Civil War stood out among the many titles stacked here and there in the professor's office. Did you know? "Plethora" comes from a similar Greek word meaning "fullness." It was first used in English in the 16th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 21, 2009 is: improvident • \im-PRAH-vuh-dunt\  • adjective : not provident : not foreseeing and providing for the future Examples: Judy’s bankruptcy is the result of several years of improvident borrowing with little thought as to how she would ever manage to repay her debts. Did you know? "Improvident" descends from Latin "providēre" plus the negative pr...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 20, 2009 is: staccato • \stuh-KAH-toh\  • adjective 1 a : cut short or apart in performing : disconnected b : marked by short clear-cut playing or singing of tones or chords 2 : abrupt, disjointed Examples: "I could see the bass clearing the water and spread my legs to steady myself in the staccato swells of the rip." (Peter Kaminsky, The New York Times,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 19, 2009 is: gravitate • \GRAV-uh-tayt\  • verb 1 : to move under the influence of gravitation 2 a : to move toward something b : to be drawn or attracted especially by natural inclination Examples: Left to their own devices in a department store, children will naturally gravitate toward the toy aisle. Did you know? English has several weighty words desce...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 18, 2009 is: short shrift • \SHORT-SHRIFT\  • noun 1 : barely adequate time for confession before execution 2 a : little or no attention or consideration b : quick work Examples: Parents are complaining that, due to recent budget cuts, physical education and arts programs have been given short shrift in the local schools. Did you know? The word "shrift" i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 17, 2009 is: preeminent • \pre-EM-uh-nunt\  • adjective : having paramount rank, dignity, or importance : outstanding, supreme Examples: Carrie considered herself lucky to have one of the country’s preeminent novelists as her writing professor. Did you know? What is noteworthy about the following sentence? "Mount McKinley is a prominent eminence in the Al...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 16, 2009 is: occiput • \AHK-sih-put\  • noun : the back part of the head or skull Examples: "So let me suggest that everyone put away their pitchforks and firebrands and stop trying to 'bury the hatchet' by planting it in the other fellow's occiput." (Allan Falk, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, May 7, 2007) Did you know? "Occiput" came to English from Latin, whe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 15, 2009 is: complaisant • \kum-PLAY-sunt\  • adjective 1 : marked by an inclination to please or oblige 2 : tending to consent to others' wishes Examples: Derek was a complaisant boy, always happy to oblige whenever his mother or father asked him to go on an errand. Did you know? The homophones "complaisant" and "complacent" are often confused -- and no...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 14, 2009 is: flout • \FLOUT\  • verb 1 : to treat with contemptuous disregard : scorn 2 : to indulge in scornful behavior Examples: Shawn gets annoyed by pedestrians who flout traffic laws by crossing the street outside of the crosswalk. Did you know? Watch out when using "flaunt" and "flout." Critics have been complaining about the confusion of these two...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 13, 2009 is: potboiler • \PAHT-boy-ler\  • noun : a usually inferior work (as of art or literature) produced chiefly for profit Examples: After gazing at the lake's serene beauty, Susie sat down in a nearby Adirondack chair and opened up a potboiler for some mindless entertainment. Did you know? "Potboiler" draws its meaning from what was once the heartbe...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 12, 2009 is: links • \LINKS\  • noun plural 1 : sand hills especially along the seashore 2 : golf course Examples: Numerous celebrity golfers took to the links this weekend to raise money for charity. Did you know? The game of golf originated on the sandy hills of Scotland, on a type of terrain known as "links" or "linksland." Eventually, the game's layou...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 11, 2009 is: effrontery • \ih-FRUN-tuh-ree\  • noun : shameless boldness : insolence Examples: The other guests at the party were astonished by the effrontery of Patrick’s insulting behavior toward the host. Did you know? To the Romans, the shameless were "without forehead," at least figuratively. "Effrontery" derives from Latin "effrons," a word that com...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 10, 2009 is: flamboyant • \flam-BOY-ant\  • adjective 1 : characterized by waving curves suggesting flames 2 : marked by or given to strikingly elaborate or colorful display or behavior Examples: The circus performers were easily identifiable by their flamboyant costumes and stage makeup. Did you know? If you've ever heard of a dessert served flambé, you...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 9, 2009 is: appreciable • \uh-PREE-shuh-bul\  • adjective : capable of being perceived or measured Examples: "The banker's speech was fluent, but it was also copious, and he used up an appreciable amount of time in brief meditative pauses." (George Eliot, Middlemarch) Did you know? "Appreciable," like the verb "appreciate," comes from the Late Latin verb...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 8, 2009 is: vignette • \vin-YET\  • noun 1 : a running ornament or design (as of vine leaves, tendrils, and grapes) on a page 2 a : a picture (as an engraving or photograph) that shades off gradually into the surrounding paper b : the pictorial part of a postage stamp 3 a : a short descriptive literary sketch b : a brief incident or scene (as in a play or...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 7, 2009 is: altruism • \AL-troo-iz-um\  • noun : unselfish interest in the welfare of others Examples: Julian’s altruism is evident in the way he spends his time, including the ten hours per week that he spends volunteering at the homeless shelter. Did you know? "Altruism" refers to a quality possessed by people whose focus is on something other than them...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 6, 2009 is: higgledy-piggledy • \hig-ul-dee-PIG-ul-dee\  • adverb : in a confused, disordered, or random manner Examples: Maya and Sandra looked in disbelief at the hundreds of photos of their father and mother scattered higgledy-piggledy across the floor, wondering how they were ever going to find the ideal ones for a photo collage. Did you know? We real...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 5, 2009 is: kibitzer • \KIB-it-ser\  • noun : one who looks on and often offers unwanted advice or comment; broadly : one who offers opinions Examples: Sybil warned Jack not to take any advice from Carl, a notorious kibitzer whose suggestions often did more harm than good. Did you know? The Yiddish language has given English some particularly piquant term...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 4, 2009 is: deterge • \dih-TURJ\  • verb : to wash off : to cleanse Examples: In order to prevent infection, it is necessary to properly deterge and disinfect the wound. Did you know? "Deterge" is not a particularly common word in the English language. However, it is related to a word with which most of us are likely familiar: "detergent." Like "detergent...