Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 6, 2007 is: Maecenas • \mih-SEE-nus\  • noun : a generous patron especially of literature or art Examples: Donations from Maecenases of Yiddish literature have greatly enriched the library's collection. Did you know? Although the ancient Roman Gaius Maecenas was a well-known diplomat and counselor to Emperor Augustus, it was his munificent patronage o...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 5, 2007 is: manqué • \mahng-KAY (the "ng" is not pronounced, but the preceding vowel i\  • adjective : short of or frustrated in the fulfillment of one's aspirations or talents -- used postpositively Examples: Clarke has a remarkable gift for drawing, but unless he applies himself, he'll always be an artist manqué. Did you know? The etymology of "manq...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 4, 2007 is: fata morgana • \fah-tuh-mor-GAH-nuh\  • noun : mirage Examples: "After driving for days," wrote Marisol, "we finally caught sight of the Rocky Mountains, rising above the horizon like a fata morgana." Did you know? "Fata Morgana" is the Italian name for Morgan le Fay (meaning "Morgan the Fairy"), a sorceress of medieval legends. This siste...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 3, 2007 is: guerdon • \GUR-dun\  • noun : reward, recompense Examples: "This early promotion . . . was his guerdon for a quarter of a century of getting things done." (Herman Wouk, The Winds of War) Did you know? "Guerdon" dates back to the 14th century, when Geoffrey Chaucer used it in The Romaunt of the Rose (ca. 1366): "He quitte him wel his guerdo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 2, 2007 is: hare • \HAIR\  • verb : to go swiftly : tear Examples: "I found myself, at three a.m. on a dark November night, haring in a rented car through the Irish countryside . . . ." (Renata Adler, Pitch Dark) Did you know? No doubt you've heard the Aesop's fable about the speedy hare and the plodding tortoise. The hare may have lost that race due...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 1, 2007 is: gossamer • \GAH-suh-mer\  • adjective : extremely light, delicate, or tenuous Examples: The early morning mists formed gossamer trails through the valley, their frail beauty a stark contrast to the dark, forbidding forest that loomed behind them. Did you know? In the days of Middle English, a period of mild weather in late autumn or early...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 31, 2007 is: gargoyle • \GAR-goy-ul\  • noun 1 a : a spout in the form of a grotesque human or animal figure projecting from a roof gutter to throw rainwater clear of a building b : a grotesquely carved figure 2 : a person with an ugly face Examples: The monastery's gargoyles had supposedly been modeled on the faces of monks who had formerly resided th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 30, 2007 is: reticulate • \rih-TIK-yuh-lut\  • adjective 1 : resembling a net or network; especially : having veins, fibers, or lines crossing 2 : being or involving evolutionary change dependent on genetic recombination involving diverse interbreeding populations Examples: The reticulate pattern of the veins should help you identify the plant by its l...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 29, 2007 is: warison • \WAIR-uh-sun\  • noun : a bugle call to attack Examples: The soldiers stood alert at their posts, as per their commander's orders, listening for the warison that would instruct them to advance into enemy territory. Did you know? When Sir Walter Scott first encountered the word "warison" around the beginning of the 19th century, i...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 28, 2007 is: sanguineous • \san-GWIN-ee-us\  • adjective 1 : bloodred 2 : of, relating to, or involving bloodshed : bloodthirsty 3 : of, relating to, or containing blood Examples: The horror movie is a sanguineous remake of an old classic. Did you know? "Sanguineous" isn't the only English adjective to come from "sanguis," the Latin word for "blood." "...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 27, 2007 is: neophyte • \NEE-uh-fyte\  • noun 1 : a new convert : proselyte 2 : novice 3 : tyro, beginner Examples: Anna, a skiing neophyte, stayed on the bunny slope while her friends went up the mountain. Did you know? "Neophyte" is hardly a new addition to the English language (it's been part of the English vocabulary since the 1300s), but it wasn't...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 26, 2007 is: imbricate • \IM-brih-kut\  • adjective : lying lapped over each other in regular order Examples: The antique mirror had tiny imbricate gold squares around its edge. Did you know? The ancient Romans knew how to keep the interior of their villas dry when it rained. They covered their roofs with overlapping curved tiles so the "imber" (Latin...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 25, 2007 is: vaudeville • \VAUD-vil\  • noun 1 : a light often comic theatrical piece frequently combining pantomime, dialogue, dancing, and song 2 : stage entertainment consisting of various acts (as performing animals, acrobats, comedians, dancers, or singers) Examples: Andrew's interest in vaudeville can be traced to his grandparents, who met as per...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 24, 2007 is: jerkwater • \JERK-waw-ter\  • adjective 1 : remote and unimportant 2 : trivial Examples: "We're stranded in some jerkwater town in the middle of nowhere," said Larry when he called to tell us that the car's engine had blown. Did you know? We owe the colorful Americanism "jerkwater" to the invention of the steam engine -- an advancement tha...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 23, 2007 is: argentiferous • \ar-jun-TIFF-uh-rus\  • adjective : containing silver Examples: The mineral galena, which is common in the Mississippi River Valley, is often argentiferous and so is sometimes mined for silver as well as for lead. Did you know? If you learned basic chemistry, you might recall that the symbol for silver, "Ag," reflects the L...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 22, 2007 is: denigrate • \DEN-ih-grayt\  • verb 1 : to attack the reputation of : defame 2 : to deny the importance or validity of : belittle Examples: Although some medical experts denigrate the new technology, others believe that the experimental results have been quite promising. Did you know? If you "denigrate" someone, you attempt to blacken their...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 21, 2007 is: hat trick • \HAT-TRICK\  • noun 1 : the retiring of three batsmen with three consecutive balls by a bowler in cricket 2 : the scoring of three goals in one game (as of hockey or soccer) by a single player 3 : a series of three victories, successes, or related accomplishments Examples: The author scored a publishing hat trick, writing three...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 20, 2007 is: nonchalant • \nahn-shuh-LAHNT\  • adjective : having an air of easy unconcern or indifference Examples: Colette was amazed that Ryan could remain so nonchalant after being informed that he had won the scholarship. Did you know? Since "nonchalant" comes ultimately from Latin words meaning "not" and "be warm," it's no surprise that the word...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 19, 2007 is: pasquinade • \pass-kwuh-NAYD\  • noun 1 : a lampoon posted in a public place 2 : satirical writing : satire Examples: The article, a pasquinade mocking the proposed education reform, generated a lot of mail from readers. Did you know? In 1501, a marble statue from ancient times was unearthed in Rome and erected near that city's Piazza Navo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 18, 2007 is: aghast • \uh-GAST\  • adjective : struck with terror, amazement, or horror : shocked Examples: In an effort to impress his date, Adam ordered the most expensive items on the menu, then was aghast when the bill arrived. Did you know? If you are aghast, you might look like you've just seen a ghost, or something similarly shocking. "Aghast" t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 17, 2007 is: enmity • \EN-muh-tee\  • noun : positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will Examples: Having to work on the project together only increased the enmity between Ralph and Debra, who had never gotten along. Did you know? "Enmity" and its synonyms "hostility," "animosity," and "animus" all indicate deep-seated dislike or ill will...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 16, 2007 is: fervid • \FER-vid\  • adjective 1 : very hot : burning 2 : marked by often extreme intensity of feeling Examples: Jennie was such a fervid supporter of the proposed law that she drove all the way to Washington to demonstrate in favor of its passage. Did you know? The Latin verb "fervēre" can mean "to boil" or "to glow," as well as, by exte...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 15, 2007 is: erne • \ERN\  • noun : eagle; especially : a long-winged sea eagle (Haliäetus albicilla) with a short white wedge-shaped tail Examples: "The two men in question were in the vicinity of an erne's nest on Mull in March last year. . .." (Sinclair Dunnett, The Scotsman, February 5, 2000) Did you know? What do ernes, crows, finches, wrens, owls...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 14, 2007 is: malign • \muh-LYNE\  • verb : to utter injuriously misleading or false reports about : speak evil of Examples: Critics have relentlessly maligned the mayor since rumors of bribery surfaced, even though she has successfully revitalized the downtown shopping district. Did you know? When a word's got "mal-" in it, it's no good. That prefix tr...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 13, 2007 is: paradox • \PAIR-uh-dahks\  • noun 1 a : a statement that is seemingly contradictory or opposed to common sense and yet is perhaps true b : a self-contradictory statement that at first seems true 2 : one (as a person, situation, or action) having seemingly contradictory qualities or phases Examples: They had to face the paradox that their f...