Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 4, 2008 is: gild the lily • \GILD-thuh-LILL-ee\  • phrasal verb : to add unnecessary ornamentation to something beautiful in its own right Examples: My sister has good bone structure and lovely skin, so she doesn't need to gild the lily by wearing makeup. Did you know? You might be aware that "gild the lily" is attributed to Shakespeare, but there is a c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 3, 2008 is: omphalos • \AHM-fuh-lahss\  • noun : a central point : hub, focal point Examples: "New Yorkers tend to see their city as the world's omphalos." (Alexandra Simou, The New York Sun, February 23, 2005) Did you know? "Omphalos" originated as an ancient Greek word meaning "navel" and is distantly related to two other words of the same meaning, Lat...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 2, 2008 is: coalesce • \koh-uh-LESS\  • verb 1 : to grow together 2 a : to unite into a whole : fuse b : to unite for a common end : join forces 3 : to arise from the combination of distinct elements Examples: The columnist urged party members to set aside their differences and coalesce around the candidate. Did you know? "Coalesce" unites the prefix "co...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 1, 2008 is: shenanigan • \shuh-NAN-ih-gun\  • noun 1 : a devious trick used especially for an underhand purpose 2 a : tricky or questionable practices or conduct -- usually used in plural b : high-spirited or mischievous activity -- usually used in plural Examples: The CEO resigned amid accusations of financial shenanigans and dubious deals. Did you know...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 31, 2008 is: vivacious • \vuh-VAY-shus\  • adjective : lively in temper, conduct, or spirit : sprightly Examples: The hostess was a pretty, vivacious woman with a knack for making people feel comfortable. Did you know? It's no surprise that "vivacious" means "full of life," since it can be traced back to the Latin verb "vivere," meaning "to live." The wo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 30, 2008 is: tarantism • \TAIR-un-tiz-um\  • noun : a dancing mania or malady of late medieval Europe Examples: Victims of tarantism were said to dance ecstatically until they collapsed in total exhaustion. Did you know? Between the 15th and 17th centuries, Taranto, Italy, was hit by a dance craze unlike any other. The town was afflicted by a malady that...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 29, 2008 is: arcadia • \ar-KAY-dee-uh\  • noun, often capitalized : a region or scene of simple pleasure and quiet Examples: Artists and writers view the sleepy community as an arcadia where they can focus on their work. Did you know? Arcadia is a mountainous, landlocked region of Greece. The Roman poet Virgil recognized that Arcadia's isolation and buco...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 28, 2008 is: disremember • \dis-rih-MEM-ber\  • verb : forget Examples: "'It was the British who did it,' I said quickly. 'I disremember the place and time....'" (E.L. Doctorow, Loon Lake) Did you know? English has been depending upon the word "forget" since before the 12th century, but in 1805 a new rival appeared in print -- "disremember." A critic in...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 27, 2008 is: colleague • \KAH-leeg\  • noun : an associate in a profession or in a civil or ecclesiastical office Examples: Rochelle's creativity, professional demeanor, and ability to get things done soon earned her the respect of her colleagues. Did you know? Which of the following words come from the same source as "colleague"? college    legacy    co...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 26, 2008 is: sericeous • \suh-RISH-us\  • adjective : covered with fine silky hair Examples: The shapes of the aster's sericeous leaves range from lanceolate or oblong to broadly elliptic. Did you know? In the writings of the ancient Greeks, there is mention of the Sēres, an eastern Asian people who made "sērikos" fabrics. Historians now believe that the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 25, 2008 is: rodomontade • \rah-duh-mun-TAYD\  • noun 1 : a bragging speech 2 : vain boasting or bluster : rant Examples: My arrogant uncle is given to frequent flights of rodomontade about what a hard-working, self-made man he is. Did you know? "Rodomontade" (which can also be spelled "rhodomontade") originated in Italian poetry. Rodomonte was a fierce...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 24, 2008 is: potentate • \POH-tun-tayt\  • noun : ruler, sovereign; broadly : one who wields great power or sway Examples: His work as a high-level diplomat frequently brings him into contact with foreign potentates. Did you know? "Potentate" has been wielding its power in English since the 15th century. It comes from the Late Latin "potentatus," which i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 23, 2008 is: infantilize • \IN-fun-tye-lyze\  • verb 1 : to cause to be or remain like an infant or young child 2 : to treat like an infant or young child Examples: Stanley still lives with his parents, who are inclined to infantilize him to such a degree that he'll probably never make it on his own. Did you know? "Infantilize" is just a baby, relatively...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 22, 2008 is: antediluvian • \an-tih-dih-LOO-vee-un\  • adjective 1 : of or relating to the period before the flood described in the Bible 2 a : made, evolved, or developed a long time ago b : extremely primitive or outmoded Examples: The researchers argued that the lab's equipment was antediluvian and long overdue for replacement. Did you know? Before th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 21, 2008 is: netiquette • \NET-ih-kut\  • noun : etiquette governing communication on the Internet Examples: "On the end-user side, unsolicited e-mail advertising has long been considered a breach of netiquette." (Al Bredenberg, Internet World, July 1996) Did you know? When the first computer networks were being developed in the 1950s and 60s, few people...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 20, 2008 is: compunctious • \kum-PUNK-shus\  • adjective 1 : arising from remorse or regret 2 : feeling remorse or regret Examples: Emily's compunctious feelings eventually got the better of her, so she apologized to Sean for the cruel things she had said in the argument. Did you know? William Shakespeare never had any compunction about coining or using...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 19, 2008 is: slapdash • \SLAP-dash\  • adjective : haphazard, slipshod Examples: Brett was sharply reprimanded for his slapdash reporting after he submitted a story that omitted some important facts to his editor at the newspaper. Did you know? The first known use of "slapdash" in English came in 1679 from the British poet and dramatist John Dryden, who...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 18, 2008 is: titanic • \tye-TAN-ik\  • adjective : having great magnitude, force, or power : colossal Examples: The slugger launched a titanic home run that landed in the parking lot beyond the stadium's center-field wall. Did you know? Before becoming the name of one of the most famous ships in history, "titanic" referred to the Titans, a family of gian...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 17, 2008 is: crwth • \KROOTH (rhymes with "booth")\  • noun : an ancient Celtic stringed instrument that is plucked or bowed Examples: "He intricately rhymes, to the music of crwth and pibgorn, all night long." (Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood) Did you know? "Crwth" is the Welsh name for an ancient Celtic instrument that is similar to a violin. In Middle E...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 16, 2008 is: meticulous • \muh-TIK-yuh-lus\  • adjective : marked by extreme or excessive care in the consideration or treatment of details Examples: Brianna will excel as a proofreader because she is meticulous by nature. Did you know? It may surprise you to learn that "meticulous" is derived from the Latin word for "fearful" -- "meticulosus" -- and ult...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 15, 2008 is: fruition • \froo-ISH-un\  • noun 1 : pleasurable use or possession : enjoyment 2 a : the state of bearing fruit b : realization Examples: Colton's long-held dream of owning his own home came to fruition last year when he purchased a small bungalow on a quiet side street. Did you know? "Fruition" must come from the word "fruit," right? Not ex...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 14, 2008 is: kangaroo court • \kang-uh-ROO-KORT\  • noun 1 : a mock court in which the principles of law and justice are disregarded or perverted 2 : a court characterized by irresponsible, unauthorized, or irregular status or procedures Examples: The press decried the tribunal as nothing more than a kangaroo court, meting out savage and arbitrary justic...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 13, 2008 is: distaff • \DISS-taff\  • adjective 1 a : related through a mother b : inherited or derived from the female parent 2 : female Examples: The Solheim Cup pits America's best distaff golfers against the top European women. Did you know? A distaff was originally a short staff that held a bundle of fibers -- of flax or wool, for example -- ready t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 12, 2008 is: speculate • \SPEK-yuh-layt\  • verb 1 a : to meditate on or ponder a subject : reflect b : to think or theorize about something in which evidence is too slight for certainty to be reached 2 : to assume a business risk in hope of gain; especially : to buy or sell in expectation of profiting from market fluctuations Examples: Mia's abrupt firi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 11, 2008 is: repertoire • \REP-er-twar\  • noun 1 : a list of plays, operas, pieces, or parts which a company or performer is prepared to present 2 : a supply of skills or devices possessed by a person Examples: "She is a pastry chef whose repertoire ranges from chocolate-filled croissants to old-fashioned scones and chocolate chip cookies."(Linda Giuca,...