Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 20, 2007 is: John Barleycorn • \JAHN-BAR-lee-korn\  • noun : alcoholic liquor personified Examples: "Eureka was, after all, the last home of Carry Nation, that ax-wielding foe of John Barleycorn, Demon Rum and all their evil ilk." (Charles Allbright, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, November 19, 2003) Did you know? "Inspiring bold John Barleycorn! / What dange...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 19, 2007 is: absolve • \ub-ZALV\  • verb 1 : to set free from an obligation or the consequences of guilt 2 : to remit (a sin) by absolution Examples: The fact that Andrew was the ringleader does not absolve his friends of responsibility for their part in the prank. Did you know? The act of absolving can be seen as releasing someone from blame or sin, or...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 18, 2007 is: deus ex machina • \DAY-us-eks-MAH-kih-nuh\  • noun : a person or thing (as in fiction or drama) that appears or is introduced suddenly and unexpectedly and provides a contrived solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty Examples: Only a deus ex machina could resolve the novel's thorny crisis. Did you know? The New Latin term "deus ex mac...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 17, 2007 is: rutilant • \ROO-tuh-lunt\  • adjective : having a reddish glow Examples: Embarrassed by the surprise party we threw for her, Joyce held up her hands in an effort to hide her rutilant face. Did you know? "Rutilant," which first appeared in English late in the 15th century, is used in English today to describe anything with a reddish or fiery...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 16, 2007 is: vilify • \VIL-uh-fye\  • verb 1 : to lower in estimation or importance 2 : to utter slanderous and abusive statements against : defame Examples: Janet's angry letter chastised members of the media for attempting to vilify her brother, the disgraced ex-councilman. Did you know? "Vilify" came to English by way of the Middle English "vilifien"...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 15, 2007 is: temerity • \tuh-MAIR-uh-tee\  • noun : unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition : rashness, recklessness Examples: The official was thrown into jail for having the temerity to publicly disagree with the dictator. Did you know? When it comes to flagrant boldness, "temerity," "audacity," "hardihood," and "effrontery" have the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 14, 2007 is: overweening • \oh-ver-WEE-ning\  • adjective 1 : arrogant, presumptuous 2 : immoderate, exaggerated Examples: The overweening ambition of the novel's principal character eventually leads to his downfall. Did you know? "The overweening conceit which the greater part of men have of their own abilities is an ancient evil remarked by the philoso...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 13, 2007 is: grog • \GRAHG\  • noun : alcoholic liquor; especially : liquor (as rum) cut with water and now often served hot with lemon juice and sugar sometimes added Examples: "Let's go and find a real bar," said Mort. "We shouldn't have to settle for the grog they serve in this place." Did you know? Eighteenth-century English admiral Edward Vernon rep...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 12, 2007 is: churlish • \CHUR-lish\  • adjective 1 : of, resembling, or characteristic of a churl : vulgar 2 : marked by a lack of civility or graciousness : surly 3 : difficult to work with or deal with : intractable Examples: She was obviously very upset over losing the match, but that's no excuse for her churlish behavior toward her opponent. Did you...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 11, 2007 is: akimbo • \uh-KIM-boh\  • adjective or adverb 1 : having the hand on the hip and the elbow turned outward 2 : set in a bent position Examples: The model, arms akimbo, struck a pose at the end of the runway. Did you know? It's "akimbo" nowadays, but in Middle English, the spelling "in kenebowe" was used for the bent, hand-on-hip arm (or later,...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 10, 2007 is: nonage • \NAH-nij\  • noun 1 : minority 2 a : a period of youth b : lack of maturity Examples: Peter the Great became the czar of Russia while still in his nonage, so the country was ruled for a time by his half-sister Sophia. Did you know? Minority, majority; infancy, adulthood; nonage, full age -- here you have the three contrasting pairs...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 9, 2007 is: pluvial • \PLOO-vee-ul\  • adjective 1 a : of or relating to rain b : characterized by abundant rain 2 : resulting from the action of rain Examples: The pluvial climate of England didn't dampen our trip; instead, it gave us a chance to visit some excellent pubs and chat with the locals. Did you know? In the early 17th century, clerics began w...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 8, 2007 is: longanimity • \long-guh-NIM-uh-tee\  • noun : a disposition to bear injuries patiently : forbearance Examples: Grandmother bore the trials and tribulations of her life with longanimity. Did you know? "Longanimity" is a word with a long history. It came to English in the 15th century from the Late Latin adjective "longanimis," meaning "patient...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 7, 2007 is: hypothecate • \hy-PAH-thuh-kayt\  • verb : hypothesize Examples: The scientist hypothecated that the lab rats' new behavior was linked to changes in their sleep patterns. Did you know? "Hypothecate" is a controversial word. It has existed as a synonym of "hypothesize" since 1906, showing up primarily in scientific and linguistic sources, but...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 6, 2007 is: quip • \KWIP\  • noun 1 a : a clever usually taunting remark : gibe b : a witty or funny observation or response usually made on the spur of the moment 2 : quibble, equivocation 3 : something strange, droll, curious, or eccentric : oddity Examples: To almost every comment I made, Adam responded with a quip and a smile. Did you know? "Quip" is...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 5, 2007 is: ex parte • \eks-PAR-tee\  • adverb or adjective 1 : on or from one side or party only -- used of legal proceedings 2 : from a one-sided or partisan point of view Examples: I prefer that news program because it sticks to unbiased reporting with no ex parte commentary. Did you know? "Latin has not been over-used in a procedural context ('ex par...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 4, 2007 is: ingenuous • \in-JEN-yuh-wus\  • adjective 1 : showing innocent or childlike simplicity and candidness 2 : lacking craft or subtlety Examples: "The face of the old man was stern, hard-featured, and forbidding; that of the young one, open, handsome, and ingenuous." (Charles Dickens, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby) Did you know? To...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 3, 2007 is: clepsydra • \KLEP-suh-druh\  • noun : water clock Examples: "Maybe we should reintroduce the ancient Greek practice of timing political speeches with clepsydra -- when the water is gone, the oration is over," suggested Alfie. Did you know? In ancient times the sun was used to measure time during the day, but sundials weren't much help after d...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 2, 2007 is: rebarbative • \rih-BAR-buh-tiv\  • adjective : repellent, irritating Examples: Adrianna frequently wrote to her local newspaper to complain about the redundant headlines, rebarbative editorial commentary, and grammatical errors. Did you know? You may be surprised to learn that today's word traces back to the Latin word for "beard" -- "barba"...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 1, 2007 is: whammy • \WAM-ee\  • noun 1 a : a supernatural power bringing bad luck b : a magic curse or spell : jinx, hex 2 : a potent force or attack; specifically : a paralyzing or lethal blow Examples: "The nation's working poor have been hit by another whammy," said the senator, referring to a recent tax hike. Did you know? The origin of "whammy" is...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 31, 2007 is: interstice • \in-TER-stus\  • noun 1 : space that intervenes between things; especially : one between closely spaced things 2 : short space of time between events Examples: Paula found a bundle of love letters tucked in an interstice in the wall, where they must have been hidden by one of the house's former occupants. Did you know? You don't...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 30, 2007 is: ersatz • \AIR-sahts\  • adjective : being a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation Examples: After ordering his coffee, Tony saw that there was no sugar available at the counter, so he had to settle for an ersatz alternative. Did you know? "Ersatz" can be traced back in English to 1875, but it really came into prominence dur...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 29, 2007 is: bucolic • \byoo-KAH-lik\  • adjective 1 : of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral 2 : relating to or typical of rural life Examples: While sitting in rush hour traffic, Cecilia often daydreamed about living in a little house in a quiet, bucolic setting. Did you know? We get "bucolic" from the Latin word "bucolicus," which is ultim...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 28, 2007 is: inveigh • \in-VAY\  • verb : to protest or complain bitterly or vehemently : rail Examples: The senator inveighed against the new FDA regulations, claiming they allow loopholes for manufacturers. Did you know? You might complain or grumble about some wrong you see, or, for a stronger effect, you can "inveigh" against it. "Inveigh" comes from...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 27, 2007 is: corrigendum • \kor-uh-JEN-dum\  • noun : an error in a printed work discovered after printing and shown with its correction on a separate sheet Examples: Not only was the document itself full of errors, but the corrigenda included with it had mistakes as well! Did you know? If you guessed that "corrigendum" might be connected to the word "co...