Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 7, 2008 is: plausible • \PLAW-zuh-bul\  • adjective 1 : seemingly fair, reasonable, or valuable but often not so 2 : superficially pleasing or persuasive 3 : appearing worthy of belief Examples: Her excuses for missing work were plausible at first, but soon became ridiculous. Did you know? Today the word "plausible" usually means "reasonable" or "believ...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 6, 2008 is: visage • \VIZ-ij\  • noun 1 : the face, countenance, or appearance of a person or sometimes an animal 2 : aspect, appearance Examples: The model's fierce, smoldering visage appears to gaze with contempt from billboards throughout the city. Did you know? The word "face" may be a pretty generic word, but it has several high-flown synonyms. "Ph...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 5, 2008 is: steadfast • \STED-fast\  • adjective 1 a : firmly fixed in place : immovable b : not subject to change 2 : firm in belief, determination, or adherence : loyal Examples: Maureen knew she could count on the steadfast support of her best friend even in the hardest of times. Did you know? "Steadfast" has held its ground in English for many centu...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 4, 2008 is: cicerone • \sih-suh-ROH-nee\  • noun 1 : a guide who conducts sightseers 2 : mentor, tutor Examples: After I bought my first set of golf clubs, Jerry acted as my cicerone, enthusiastically teaching me the basics of the challenging sport. Did you know? Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 - 43 B.C.) was renowned in Rome as a statesman, lawyer, and writ...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 3, 2008 is: divagate • \DYE-vuh-gayt\  • verb : to wander or stray from a course or subject : diverge, digress Examples: The novel divagates and meanders through a labyrinth of subplots and asides. Did you know? "Divagate" hasn't wandered far in meaning from its Latin ancestors. It descends from the verb "divagari," which comes from "dis-," meaning "apa...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 2, 2008 is: cursory • \KER-suh-ree\  • adjective : rapidly and often superficially performed or produced : hasty Examples: A cursory reading of the syllabus made it clear that Professor Leary's sociology class was not going to be as easy as we had anticipated. Did you know? "Cursory" and its synonyms "superficial" and "shallow" all mean "lacking in dept...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 1, 2008 is: progeny • \PRAH-juh-nee\  • noun 1 a : descendants, children b : offspring of animals or plants 2 : outcome, product 3 : a body of followers, disciples, or successors Examples: The champion thoroughbred passed on his speed, endurance, and calm temperament to his progeny, many of whom became successful racehorses themselves. Did you know? "Pr...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 31, 2008 is: oldster • \OHLD-ster\  • noun : an old or elderly person Examples: More and more oldsters are embracing the Internet and connecting and interacting using social networking Web sites. Did you know? "Youngster" has been used since the 16th century as a word for a young person with a lot of spunk. It has also long been used by maritime people as...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 30, 2008 is: wangle • \WANG-gul\  • verb 1 : to adjust or manipulate for personal or fraudulent ends 2 : to make or get by devious means : finagle Examples: Steve didn't tell Sharon how he'd wangled an extra week of vacation, and she didn't care as long as it meant they could go to Greece for their honeymoon. Did you know? "Wangle," a verb of uncertain or...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 29, 2008 is: impecunious • \im-pih-KYOO-nee-uss\  • adjective : having very little or no money usually habitually : penniless Examples: My impecunious uncle, who could not afford to buy his own books, usually ended up borrowing mine. Did you know? If "impecunious" means "penniless," then it stands to reason that "pecunious" can describe someone who has a...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2008 is: Xanadu • \ZAN-uh-doo\  • noun : an idyllic, exotic, or luxurious place Examples: To Arthur, the beach house was a Xanadu, the perfect spot for the romantic tropical vacation he had dreamed of for years. Did you know? "In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure-dome decree." Those lines are from the poem "Kubla Khan" (published in 1816) by...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 27, 2008 is: permeate • \PER-mee-ayt\  • verb 1 : to diffuse through or penetrate (something) 2 : to pass through the pores or interstices of Examples: The scent of lilacs permeated the air as soon as the bushes bloomed outside my window. Did you know? It's no surprise that "permeate" means "to pass through" something -- it was borrowed into English in th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 26, 2008 is: prevenient • \prih-VEEN-yunt\  • adjective : antecedent, anticipatory Examples: "What aroused my hackles when I saw the . . . reports on the Academy's findings was the prevenient sense that here . . . was another propaganda statement." (R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr., The Washington Times, July 7, 2000) Did you know? It would be quite convenient to kn...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2008 is: bindle stiff • \BIN-dul-stiff\  • noun : hobo; especially : one who carries his clothes or bedding in a bundle Examples: Jack London's experiences as a bindle stiff in the early 1890s later provided material for his writing. Did you know? In the argot of tramps and hoboes, a roll of clothes and bedding was called a "bindle," a word that proba...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2008 is: soupçon • \soop-SAWNG (the final NG is not pronounced, but the vowel is nas\  • noun : a little bit : trace Examples: The author makes the protagonist seem more human by infusing a bit of vanity, a touch of greed, and a soupçon of self-doubt into his otherwise exceptional character. Did you know? Culinary enthusiasts may think "soupçon" origi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2008 is: natatorial • \nay-tuh-TOR-ee-ul\  • adjective 1 : of or relating to swimming 2 : adapted to or characterized by swimming Examples: The Olympic swimmer's natatorial prowess was on full display as she won her fifth gold medal. Did you know? On a warm spring weekday afternoon, the local swimming hole beckons . . . and boys will be boys. "Mr. Fos...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2008 is: caustic • \KAWSS-tik\  • adjective 1 : capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action : corrosive 2 : marked by incisive sarcasm Examples: She always seemed to have a caustic reply to any silly or unnecessary question. Did you know? If you have a burning desire to know the origins of "caustic," you're already well on the way to figur...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 21, 2008 is: epigone • \EP-uh-gohn\  • noun : follower, disciple; also : an inferior imitator Examples: No one can accuse Lara of being an epigone; her artistic style is uniquely her own! Did you know? English borrowed "epigone" from German in the 19th century. The Germans themselves had taken the word from the Latin "epigonus," which means "successor." T...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 20, 2008 is: asperse • \uh-SPURSS\  • verb 1 : to sprinkle; especially : to sprinkle with holy water 2 : to attack with evil reports or false or injurious charges Examples: "Though my opponent's supporters have aspersed my character, I think my record speaks for itself," said the candidate. Did you know? You may be more familiar with the idea of "casting...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2008 is: fire-sale • \FYRE-SAIL\  • adjective : heavily discounted Examples: "As holders of mortgage-backed securities and the like revalue their assets at fire-sale prices, they are running short of capital -- which can lead to further sales and more write-downs." (The Economist, March 2008) Did you know? The term "fire sale" flared up in the late-19...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2008 is: bogart • \BOH-gart\  • verb 1 : bully, intimidate 2 : to use or consume without sharing Examples: Three of the older girls bogarted the ice cream, ignoring the other campers' pleas for them to share. Did you know? The legendary film actor Humphrey Bogart was known for playing a range of tough characters in a series of films throughout the 194...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2008 is: superannuated • \soo-per-AN-yuh-way-tud\  • adjective 1 : outmoded, old-fashioned 2 a : incapacitated or disqualified for active duty by advanced age b : older than the typical member of a specified group Examples: The article focused on senior citizens who retired from the workplace and returned to school to become superannuated graduate stu...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2008 is: belvedere • \BEL-vuh-deer\  • noun : a structure (as a cupola or a summerhouse) designed to command a view Examples: On summer evenings, guests at the estate often joined their hosts in the belvedere to watch the sunset. Did you know? It is said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder -- and someone with a belvedere will likely have a great...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2008 is: Occam's razor • \AH-kumz-RAY-zer\  • noun : a scientific and philosophic rule that entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily which is interpreted as requiring that the simplest of competing theories be preferred to the more complex or that explanations of unknown phenomena be sought first in terms of known quantities Examples: Invoking...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 14, 2008 is: indurate • \IN-duh-rut\  • adjective : physically or morally hardened Examples: The sculpture was so realistic that it seemed that at any moment the indurate marble form would shift position to stare back at the viewer. Did you know? "Indurate" is a hard word -- in more than one way. Not only is it fairly uncommon in modern usage, but it also...