Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 4, 2009 is: lollygag • \LAH-lee-gag\  • verb : to spend time idly, aimlessly, or foolishly : dawdle Examples: "Please stop lollygagging around and get ready for school," pleaded Mom. Did you know? You certainly didn't want to be known as a "lollygagger" at the beginning of the 20th century. Back then, "lollygag" was slang for "fooling around" (sexually...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 3, 2009 is: gloze • \GLOHZ\  • verb 1 : to mask the true nature of : give a deceptively attractive appearance to -- often used with "over" 2 : to deal with (a subject or problem) too lightly or not at all -- often used with "over" Examples: "His modesty and shyness were at any rate proverbial, and it does seem that he went out of his way to conceal or...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 2, 2009 is: aphorism • \AF-uh-riz-um\  • noun 1 : a concise statement of a principle 2 : a terse formulation of a truth or sentiment : adage Examples: Through his work as a radio broadcaster, Ted has entertained countless listeners with his feel-good stories and his pithy, down-home aphorisms. Did you know? "Aphorism" was originally used in the world o...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 1, 2009 is: beatific • \bee-uh-TIFF-ik\  • adjective 1 : of, possessing, or imparting a state of utmost bliss 2 : having a blissful appearance Examples: A beatific smile spread across Grandmother’s face as she reminisced about her wedding day. Did you know? "Beatific," from Latin "beatificus" ("making happy"), first occurred in English in the phrase "b...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 31, 2008 is: zany • \ZAY-nee\  • noun 1 : a subordinate clown or acrobat in old comedies who mimics ludicrously the tricks of the principal 2 : one who acts the buffoon to amuse others 3 : a foolish, eccentric, or crazy person Examples: My brother's friends are an unpredictable bunch of zanies. Did you know? Zanies have been theatrical buffoons since...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 30, 2008 is: frieze • \FREEZ\  • noun 1 : the part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice 2 : a sculptured or richly ornamented band (as on a building or piece of furniture) 3 : a band, line, or series suggesting a frieze Examples: "The house commands a hilltop and is forbidding, imposing, but softened with a frieze of beautiful Amer...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 29, 2008 is: trepid • \TREP-id\  • adjective : timorous, fearful Examples: After dark, the less trepid among us would venture as far as the front porch of the empty house, where the smallest creak would send us screaming. Did you know? Don't be afraid to use "trepid." After all, it has been in the English language for more than 350 years -- longer, by...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 28, 2008 is: yokel • \YOH-kul\  • noun : a naive or gullible inhabitant of a rural area or small town Examples: "I was trying to get off the subway," complained Amy, "but some befuddled yokels were blocking the door, trying to figure out if this was their stop." Did you know? The origins of "yokel" are uncertain, but it might have come from the dialec...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 27, 2008 is: meander • \mee-AN-der\  • verb 1 : to follow a winding or intricate course 2 : to wander aimlessly or casually without urgent destination : ramble Examples: As we meandered through the underground maze, we stumbled upon a pile of stones that appeared to mark a burial site. Did you know? "Roam," "ramble," and "meander" all mean to move abo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 26, 2008 is: xeric • \ZEER-ik\  • adjective : characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture Examples: Many cacti have thick, succulent stems that can store enough water to allow them to survive even in xeric habitats. Did you know? By the late 1800s, botanists were using the terms “xerophyte” and “xerophytic” for plants t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 25, 2008 is: nativity • \nuh-TIH-vuh-tee\  • noun 1 : the process or circumstances of being born; especially capitalized : the birth of Jesus 2 : a horoscope at or of the time of one's birth 3 : the place of origin Examples: On Christmas morning, church bells joyously pealed a reminder that the day marked the anniversary of the Nativity. Did you know?...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 24, 2008 is: scapegrace • \SKAYP-grayss\  • noun : an incorrigible rascal Examples: Joanna was at a loss for ways to help her teenage brother, a scapegrace who always found himself in trouble with the police. Did you know? At first glance, you might think "scapegrace" has something in common with "scapegoat," our word for a person who takes the blame...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2008 is: videlicet • \vuh-DEH-luh-set\  • adverb : that is to say : namely Examples: The restaurant is famous for several dishes: videlicet, arroz con pollo, olla podrida, and carne asada. Did you know? The abbreviation of "videlicet" is "viz," and people often wonder how the "z" got there. There is no "z" in the word's Latin roots, "viderē" ("to...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2008 is: conciliatory • \kun-SILL-yuh-tor-ee\  • adjective : tending to win over from a state of hostility or distrust : intended to gain the goodwill or favor of someone Examples: As the irate customer yelled, the manager adopted a soothing, conciliatory tone and promised that the situation would be remedied. Did you know? If you are "conciliator...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2008 is: wisenheimer • \WYE-zun-hye-mer\  • noun : smart aleck Examples: "Everybody's a comedian," quipped Lisa, unperturbed, when some wisenheimer in the back row interrupted her speech with a clever comment. Did you know? We wouldn't joke around about the origin of this witty word. In the early 20th century, someone had the smart idea to combine...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 20, 2008 is: undulant • \UN-juh-lunt\  • adjective 1 : rising and falling in waves 2 : having a wavy form, outline, or surface Examples: The undulant foothills gradually give way to the craggy highlands for which Scotland is celebrated. Did you know? "Unda," Latin for "wave," ripples through the history of words such as "abound," "inundate," "redound,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 19, 2008 is: simulacrum • \sim-yuh-LAK-rum\  • noun 1 : image, representation 2 : an insubstantial form or semblance of something : trace Examples: The magazine is still in publication, but, since the change in ownership, it is but a simulacrum of its former self. Did you know? It's not a figment of your imagination; there is a similarity between "sim...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 18, 2008 is: bifurcate • \BYE-fer-kayt\  • verb : to divide or cause to divide into two branches or parts Examples: The proposed restructuring would bifurcate the company. Did you know? Yogi Berra, the baseball great who was noted for his head-scratching quotes, is purported to have said, “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” Yogi’s advice m...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 17, 2008 is: kickshaw • \KICK-shaw\  • noun 1 : a fancy dish 2 : a showy trifle Examples: The shop was filled with refrigerator magnets, back-scratchers, snow globes, and other kickshaws, all adorned with images of smiling pigs. Did you know? “Kickshaw” began its career in the late 16th century as a borrowing from the French "quelque chose" -- literal...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 16, 2008 is: remora • \rih-MOR-uh\  • noun 1 : any of various marine fishes that have a suction disk on the head by means of which they cling especially to other fishes 2 : hindrance, drag Examples: Remoras feed on parasites culled from their host's skin and scraps from their host's meals. Did you know? Also known as "shark suckers" or "suckerfish," r...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 15, 2008 is: prelapsarian • \pree-lap-SAIR-ee-un\  • adjective : characteristic of or belonging to the time or state before the fall of humankind Examples: In the afternoon we walked through the idyllic gardens, noting their prelapsarian charm. Did you know? "Prelapsarian" is the latest creation in the "lapsarian" family, which is etymologically relat...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 14, 2008 is: touchstone • \TUTCH-stohn\  • noun 1 : a test or criterion for determining the quality or genuineness of a thing 2 : a fundamental or quintessential part or feature Examples: The band was a touchstone of the grunge music scene in the 1990s. Did you know? Our example sentence uses "touchstone" in its most recently acquired sense: "a fundam...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 13, 2008 is: quaggy • \KWAGG-ee\  • adjective 1 : marshy 2 : flabby Examples: “The alluring creeks and guts that cut through the quaggy archipelago are littered with too much manmade detritus.” (The Baltimore Sun, August 20, 2006) Did you know? “Quaggy” is related to “quagmire,” a word for a patch of wet land that feels soft underfoot, but etymologist...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 12, 2008 is: hebetude • \HEB-uh-tood\  • noun : lethargy, dullness Examples: The hebetude and ennui displayed by such bright students was just one sign that they were not being sufficiently challenged in their classes. Did you know? "Hebetude" usually suggests mental dullness, often marked by laziness or torpor. As such, it was a good word for one Que...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 11, 2008 is: exculpate • \EK-skull-payt\  • verb : to clear from alleged fault or guilt Examples: The lawyer claimed to have recently discovered evidence that would exculpate her client. Did you know? You need not take the blame if you're unfamiliar with the origins of "exculpate," but there's a hint in this sentence. The word, which was adopted in th...