Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 20, 2008 is: hustings • \HUSS-tingz\  • noun 1 : a place where political campaign speeches are made 2 : the proceedings or locale of an election campaign Examples: In contrast to his opponent, the incumbent senator looked cool and composed up on the hustings. Did you know? Hustings are where babies are kissed, flesh is pressed, and media events are sta...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 19, 2008 is: apodictic • \ap-uh-DIK-tik\  • adjective : expressing or of the nature of necessary truth or absolute certainty Examples: The apodictic tone of Liza's writing reflects her complete confidence in the correctness of her statements. Did you know? There's something remarkable about a word which, when periodically dusted off, proves to have ret...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 18, 2008 is: weasel word • \WEE-zul-WURD\  • noun : a word used in order to mislead a person or to avoid a straight answer Examples: Instead of just saying outright that jobs are going to be cut, the head of the company has taken to using weasel words like "corporate restructuring." Did you know? Some people believe that weasels can suck the insides ou...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 17, 2008 is: scarify • \SKAIR-uh-fye\  • verb 1 : to make scratches or small cuts in (as the skin) 2 : to lacerate the feelings of 3 : to cut or soften the wall of (a hard seed) to hasten germination Examples: The gardening handbook recommends scarifying the seeds before planting them. Did you know? You get two words for the price of one with "scarify....

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 16, 2008 is: shank's mare • \SHANKS-MAIR\  • noun : one's own legs Examples: We were determined to see the ruins, and when we found out the shuttle bus wasn't running that day, we traveled by shank's mare. Did you know? "A horse! a horse! my kingdom for a horse!" Many travelers in centuries past would have agreed with King Richard's famous lines from S...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 15, 2008 is: neoteric • \nee-uh-TAIR-ik\  • adjective : recent in origin : modern Examples: The gallery eschews traditional works of art in favor of more neoteric pieces, such as electric light installations and computer graphic displays. Did you know? An odd thing about "neoteric" is that this word for things that are modern and new is itself rather o...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 14, 2008 is: invidious • \in-VID-ee-us\  • adjective 1 : tending to cause discontent, animosity, or envy 2 : envious 3 a : of an unpleasant or objectionable nature : obnoxious b : of a kind to cause harm or resentment Examples: "Petty arguments about what counts as serious art and what does not are invidious to the discipline of artistic criticism," wr...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 13, 2008 is: biofuel • \bye-oh-FYOOL\  • noun : a fuel (as wood or ethanol) composed of or produced from biological raw materials Examples: Many people have begun to push for more research into biofuels, which they say would burn cleaner and be more sustainable than fossil fuel sources. Did you know? Since the early 19th century, "fossil fuel" has been...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 12, 2008 is: sapient • \SAY-pee-unt\  • adjective : possessing or expressing great sagacity Examples: I've found Henrietta's advice to be both sapient and comforting, especially in difficult times. Did you know? Human beings certainly like to think they're wise, and, in fact, the term "Homo sapiens" ("humankind") comes in part from the Latin word "sapi...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 11, 2008 is: mouthfeel • \MOWTH-feel\  • noun : the sensation created by food or drink in the mouth Examples: The excessive carbonation in the beer gives it a prickly mouthfeel that detracts from its otherwise pleasing taste. Did you know? Do you sometimes find yourself trying to describe a concept or phenomenon for which you don't have a word? In such...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 10, 2008 is: anathematize • \uh-NATH-uh-muh-tyze\  • verb : curse, denounce Examples: The biography presents a balanced account of the life of a writer whose work was beloved by the masses and anathematized by critics. Did you know? When 16th-century English speakers needed a verb meaning "to condemn by anathema" (that is, by an official curse from chu...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 9, 2008 is: primeval • \prye-MEE-vul\  • adjective : of or relating to the earliest ages (as of the world or human history) : ancient, primitive Examples: A small tract of land to the north contains the last remnants of the primeval forest that covered this region a thousand years ago. Did you know? First things first. "Primeval" comes from the Latin w...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 8, 2008 is: cliometrics • \klye-uh-MET-riks\  • noun plural but singular in construction : the application of methods developed in other fields (as economics, statistics, and data processing) to the study of history Examples: For his doctoral thesis, Quentin used cliometrics to examine the impact of universal suffrage on economic development. Did you k...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 7, 2008 is: boycott • \BOY-kaht\  • verb : to engage in a concerted refusal to have dealings with (as a person, store, or organization) usually to express disapproval or to force acceptance of certain conditions Examples: The group boycotted the clothing company to protest its practice of employing sweatshop labor. Did you know? In the 1870s, Irish far...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 6, 2008 is: nettle • \NET-ul\  • verb 1 : to strike or sting with or as if with nettles 2 : to arouse to sharp but transitory annoyance or anger Examples: You could tell by his nervous reaction that the town official was nettled by the reporter's probing questions. Did you know? If you've ever brushed against nettles, you know those weeds have sharp br...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 5, 2008 is: chthonic • \THAH-nik\  • adjective : of or relating to the underworld : infernal Examples: Laleh compared entering her brother's basement bedroom to a descent into chthonic regions: it was dark and odd-smelling, and she was a little frightened of what she might find there. Did you know? "Chthonic" might seem a lofty and learned word, but it...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 4, 2008 is: googol • \GOO-goll\  • noun : the figure 1 followed by 100 zeros equal to 10100 Examples: In January 1997, astronomers Fred Adams and Gregory Laughlin predicted that the universe would end in a number of years equal to approximately one googol. Did you know? Around 1930, American mathematician Edward Kasner found himself working with number...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 3, 2008 is: facile • \FASS-ul\  • adjective 1 a : easily accomplished, handled, or attained b : shallow, superficial 2 a : ready, fluent b : poised, assured Examples: The book is well-organized, but the author's conclusions are unduly facile. Did you know? Would you have guessed that "facile" and "difficult" are related? They are! "Facile" comes to us...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 2, 2008 is: syllabub • \SILL-uh-bub\  • noun : milk or cream that is curdled with an acid beverage (as wine or cider) and often sweetened and served as a drink or topping or thickened with gelatin and served as a dessert Examples: On special occasions, grandma would serve syllabub for dessert. Did you know? Syllabub's a concoction whose name has had al...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 1, 2008 is: Methuselah • \muh-THOO-zuh-luh\  • noun 1 : an ancestor of Noah held to have lived 969 years 2 : an oversize wine bottle holding about six liters Examples: William's colleagues brought him a Methuselah of champagne to celebrate his retirement, and there was still half a bottle left after all the glasses were poured. Did you know? What do Je...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 31, 2007 is: pogonip • \PAH-guh-nip\  • noun : a dense winter fog containing frozen particles that is formed in deep mountain valleys of the western United States Examples: "The white wafer sun sports a halo, and nearby hills are veiled in pogonip." (Bill Croke, The American Spectator, March 1997) Did you know? Readers of The Old Farmer's Almanac migh...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 30, 2007 is: brusque • \BRUSK\  • adjective 1 : markedly short and abrupt 2 : blunt in manner or speech often to the point of ungracious harshness Examples: Her brusque manner, often mistaken by others as unfriendliness, is actually caused by extreme shyness. Did you know? We borrowed "brusque" from French in the 1600s. The French, in turn, had borrow...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 29, 2007 is: prudent • \PROO-dunt\  • adjective 1 : marked by wisdom or judiciousness 2 : shrewd in the management of practical affairs 3 : cautious, discreet 4 : thrifty, frugal Examples: The lawyer offered several prudent suggestions. Did you know? "Prudent" arrived in Middle English around the 14th century and traces back, by way of Middle French,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 28, 2007 is: opprobrium • \uh-PROH-bree-um\  • noun 1 : something that brings disgrace 2 a : public disgrace or ill fame that follows from conduct considered grossly wrong or vicious b : contempt, reproach Examples: The athlete's admission of using steroids earned her much opprobrium from former fans. Did you know? "Opprobrium" was borrowed into Engli...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 27, 2007 is: afflatus • \uh-FLAY-tus\  • noun : a divine imparting of knowledge or power : inspiration Examples: Gus insists that his musical compositions are the result of hard work, not afflatus. Did you know? Inspiration might be described as a breath of fresh air, and so it is appropriate that "inspire" derives in part from a word meaning "to brea...