Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 10, 2007 is: histrionic • \his-tree-AH-nik\  • adjective 1 : deliberately affected : theatrical 2 : of or relating to actors, acting, or the theater Examples: Professor Dawson's histrionic flair may have been excessive, but it certainly made his history lectures entertaining. Did you know? The term "histrionic" developed from "histrio," Latin for "acto...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 9, 2007 is: oxymoron • \ahk-sih-MOR-ahn\  • noun : a combination of contradictory or incongruous words Examples: "That's an oxymoron!" said Joanne, when she heard the DJ describe the song as an "instant classic." Did you know? The Greeks exhaustively classified the elements of rhetoric, or effective speech and writing, and gave the name "oxymoron," lit...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 8, 2007 is: cognoscible • \kog-NAH-suh-bul\  • adjective : cognizable, knowable Examples: "Discourse must be in words, and it is possible to give a name to that which is not understood nor cognoscible by human reason." (Flann O'Brien, The Dalkey Archive) Did you know? The exact synonym of "cognoscible" is the far better-known "cognizable." Both words m...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 7, 2007 is: vox populi • \VOKS-POP-yoo-lye\  • noun : popular sentiment Examples: It's too early to determine with certainty just how much influence the vox populi will really have on the new governor's policy decisions. Did you know? "Vox populi" is a Latin phrase that literally translates as "the voice of the people." It can be found in the longer ma...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 6, 2007 is: expeditious • \ek-spuh-DISH-us\  • adjective : characterized by or acting promptly and efficiently Examples: Poisonous snakebites require expeditious treatment. Did you know? Like "expeditious," all of the following words contain "ped." Can you guess which ones get those three letters from the same Latin root as "expeditious"? encyclopedia...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 5, 2007 is: mesmerize • \MEZ-muh-ryze\  • verb 1 : hypnotize 2 : spellbind, fascinate Examples: The audience was mesmerized by the performance of the circus acrobats on the trapeze. Did you know? Experts can't agree on whether Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) was a quack or a genius, but all concede that the late 18th-century physician's name is the sour...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 4, 2007 is: juncture • \JUNK-cher\  • noun 1 : joint, connection 2 : a point of time; especially : one made critical by a concurrence of circumstances Examples: "At this juncture in the editing process," said Philip, "it is important that all facts have been double-checked and sources verified." Did you know? "Juncture" has many relatives in English --...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 3, 2007 is: hazmat • \HAZ-mat\  • noun : a material (as flammable or poisonous material) that would be a danger to life or to the environment if released without precautions Examples: When asbestos was discovered, the company called in a hazmat team to identify and remove all of it. Did you know? The origin of "hazmat" is clear enough -- it was formed...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 2, 2007 is: riot act • \RYE-ut-AKT\  • noun : a vigorous reprimand or warning -- used in the phrase read the riot act Examples: When Chris arrived late to class again, the teacher read him the riot act for not being more punctual. Did you know? Many people were displeased when George I became king of England in 1714, and his opponents were soon leading...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 1, 2007 is: fatidic • \fay-TID-ik\  • adjective : of or relating to prophecy Examples: I hope the dream I had last night about losing my wedding ring doesn't prove fatidic. Did you know? As you might guess, "fatidic" is a relative of the word "fate." The Latin word for fate is "fatum," which literally means "what has been spoken." "Fatum," in turn, com...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 31, 2006 is: chagrin • \shuh-GRIN\  • noun : disquietude or distress of mind caused by humiliation, disappointment, or failure Examples: It was with a great deal of chagrin that Lynette heard the news that her sister wasn't coming to her wedding. Did you know? "Chagrin" comes from French, in which it means "grief," "sorrow," or essentially the same th...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 30, 2006 is: slapstick • \SLAP-stick\  • noun 1 : a device made of two flat pieces of wood fastened at one end so as to make a loud noise when used by an actor to strike a person 2 : comedy stressing farce and horseplay; also : activity resembling slapstick Examples: Joe's sense of humor was such that the slapstick of the Three Stooges would have him...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 29, 2006 is: pell-mell • \pell-MELL\  • adverb 1 : in mingled confusion or disorder 2 : in confused haste Examples: Autograph seekers rushed pell-mell into the hotel lobby in an effort to meet the famous actress. Did you know? The word "pell-mell" was formed through a process called "reduplication." The process -- which involves the repetition of a wo...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 28, 2006 is: inculcate • \in-KUL-kayt\  • verb : to teach and impress by frequent repetitions or admonitions Examples: More than anything, Don and Gloria try to inculcate in their children the importance of treating others the way they wish to be treated themselves. Did you know? "Inculcate" derives from the past participle of the Latin verb "inculcar...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 27, 2006 is: vertiginous • \ver-TIJ-uh-nus\  • adjective 1 a : characterized by or suffering from vertigo or dizziness b : inclined to frequent and often pointless change : inconstant 2 : causing or tending to cause dizziness 3 : marked by turning : rotary Examples: In Moscow, we saw "Swan Lake" from the vertiginous perspective of the Bolshoi Theatre'...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 26, 2006 is: ex cathedra • \eks-kuh-THEE-druh ("th" is as in "think")\  • adverb or adjective : by virtue of or in the exercise of one's office or position Examples: Andrew seems to think that his new position as supervisor gives him the ex cathedra privilege of taking excessively long lunch breaks. Did you know? "Ex cathedra" is a Latin phrase, meani...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 25, 2006 is: belated • \bih-LAY-tud\  • adjective 1 : delayed beyond the usual time 2 : existing or appearing past the normal or proper time Examples: Susan called Jim on Christmas and told him he'd be receiving a belated gift from her. Did you know? Long ago, there was a verb "belate," which meant "to make late." From the beginning, "belate" tended t...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 24, 2006 is: rue • \ROO\  • verb 1 : (transitive sense) to feel penitence, remorse, or regret for 2 : (intransitive sense) to feel sorrow, remorse, or regret Examples: As Robert watched Deborah's train pull out of the station, he knew that he would forever rue the day he let the one woman he truly loved get away. Did you know? If you remember your hig...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2006 is: adamantine • \ad-uh-MAN-teen\  • adjective 1 : made of or having the quality of adamant 2 : rigidly firm : unyielding 3 : resembling the diamond in hardness or luster Examples: Jay was adamantine in his refusal to help with the party, insisting he had to be somewhere else that night. Did you know? The Greek and Latin word for the hardest...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2006 is: gregarious • \grih-GAIR-ee-us\  • adjective 1 a : tending to associate with others of one's kind : social b : marked by or indicating a liking for companionship: sociable c : of or relating to a social group 2 a : (of a plant) growing in a cluster or a colony b : living in contiguous nests but not forming a true colony -- used especially...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2006 is: Parthian • \PAR-thee-un ("th" as in "think")\  • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of ancient Parthia or its people 2 : relating to, being, or having the effect of a shot fired while in real or feigned retreat Examples: As a Parthian shot, she said that the other candidate simply did not understand the needs of the city's c...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 20, 2006 is: peradventure • \PER-ud-ven-cher\  • noun 1 : doubt 2 : chance Examples: The evidence establishes beyond peradventure that the Grinch masterminded a highly organized and intricate plot to steal Christmas. Did you know? When Middle English speakers borrowed "par aventure" from Anglo-French (in which language it means, literally, "by chance"...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 19, 2006 is: unabashed • \un-uh-BASHT\  • adjective : not disconcerted : undisguised, unapologetic Examples: Mary marveled at Sean's unabashed rudeness, astonished that he could be so obnoxious without a trace of remorse. Did you know? When you are "unabashed," you make no apologies for your behavior, but when you are "abashed," your confidence has be...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 18, 2006 is: bailiwick • \BAY-lih-wik\  • noun 1 : the office or jurisdiction of a bailiff 2 : a special domain Examples: Since the organization of the annual holiday party is Rhonda's bailiwick, you'll have to let her know if you plan to bring something to the festivities this year. Did you know? The first half of the word "bailiwick" comes from the...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 17, 2006 is: capitulate • \kuh-PIH-chuh-layt\  • verb 1 : to surrender often after negotiation of terms 2 : to cease resisting : acquiesce Examples: During negotiations for her comic strip, Sally let it be known that she was willing to forgo the large advance, but creative control was one area where she refused to capitulate. Did you know? "Capitulate...