Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 10, 2012 is: verjuice • \VER-jooss\ • noun : the sour juice of crab apples or of unripe fruit; also : an acid liquor made from verjuice Examples: "The other women took to their Bibles and hymn-books, and looked as sour as verjuice over their reading - a result, which I have observed, in my sphere of life, to follow generally on the performance of acts of piety at unaccustomed periods of the day." - From Wilkie Collins' 1868 novel The Moonstone "Winter oregano makes a superb salad green, used lavishly with black olives, thinly sliced red onions, soaked in ice water for an hour if you want to remove some pungency, and dressed with olive oil and a touch of vinegar, salt and lemon juice, verjuice or vinegar." - From an article in the Canberra Times (Australia), May 6, 2012 Did you know? These days, verjuice is typically a tart, pale juice pressed from unripe white grapes, ideal for use in sauces and salad dressings. Verjuice has been around for centuries and is used in Dijon mustard, but the word (a descendant of Anglo-French "vert," meaning "green," and "jous," meaning "juice") has become somewhat uncommon - especially in American English - since its heyday in the early 19th century. (It's a bit more common in Australia.) In the past "verjuice" was also used with the meaning "acidity of disposition or manner" - a meaning hinted at in our first quote - but that sense is now only rarely encountered. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 9, 2012 is: incorrigible • \in-KOR-uh-juh-bul\ • adjective 1 : incapable of being corrected, amended, or reformed 2 : not manageable : unruly 3 : unalterable, inveterate Examples: Neil was such an incorrigible slob that his parents eventually gave up nagging him about cleaning his room and simply told him to keep the door closed. "We first meet Moe, Larry and Curly as babies dropped off on the doorstep of an orphanage run by nuns…. The kids immediately prove themselves to be violent, incorrigible and stupid, traits they will not outgrow as they get older." - From a movie review by Bill Goodykoontz in The Arizona Republic, April 13, 2012 Did you know? "Incorrigible" has been part of English since the 14th century. Back then, it was used to describe people who were morally depraved, but now it is most often applied to people who merely have bad habits. Is there a "corrigible?" Yes, indeed, we've used "corrigible" in the sense of "capable of being set right; reparable" (as in "a corrigible defect" and "a corrigible sinner") since the 15th century. Both words are from Latin "corrigere," which means "to correct" and which is also the source of our word "correct." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 8, 2012 is: shell game • \SHEL-GAYM\ • noun 1 : thimblerig played especially with three walnut shells 2 : fraud; especially : a swindle involving the substitution of something of little or no value for a valuable item Examples: The company has been accused of playing an elaborate shell game in which investors are the ultimate losers. "Bill Abersold will perform magic with coins, cards, ropes and gimmicks and will demonstrate con tricks like the shell game and three-card monte." - From an event notice in The Press-Enterprise (California), May 22, 2012 Did you know? The shell game, a swindling trick in which a small ball or pea is quickly shifted from under one to another of three walnut shells or cups to fool the spectator guessing its location, is a version of one of the oldest and most widespread forms of sleight of hand. Conjurers have performed this trick, which is also called "the cups and balls trick" and "thimblerig," throughout the world for centuries. The version that became popular in the United States in the late 19th century used walnut shells and peas. "Shell game" thus became the popular term for the trick, and the trick itself became so well known that the term is now used figuratively to describe dishonest actions that are done to deceive people. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 7, 2012 is: unfettered • \un-FET-erd\ • adjective : free, unrestrained Examples: The biographer has been given unfettered access to the family's collection of personal correspondence. "In this era of urban sprawl and unfettered development, land preservation and conservation are keys to maintaining our outdoors heritage…." - From an article by Gary Blockus in The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania), May 8, 2012 Did you know? A fetter is a chain or shackle for the feet (as on a prisoner), or, more broadly, anything that confines or restrains. The word derives from Middle English "feter" and shares a relationship with Old English "fot," meaning "foot." In current English "unfettered" typically suggests that someone or something is figuratively "unchained," or unrestrained in progress or spirit. The poet John Donne is believed to have been the first to use "unfettered" in this way, in his 1601 work The Progress of the Soule: "To an unfetterd soules quick nimble hast / Are falling stars, and hearts thoughts, but slow pac'd." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 6, 2012 is: cognoscente • \kahn-yuh-SHEN-tee\ • noun, plural cognoscenti : a person who has expert knowledge in a subject : connoisseur Examples: Cognoscenti in the art world knew that most of the works being auctioned off were second-rate. "The foreign-exchange cognoscenti have framed Friday's Bank of Japan meeting as one with potential to break the stubbornly strong Japanese currency." - From an article by Michael J. Casey in The Wall Street Journal, April 25, 2012 Did you know? "Cognoscente" and "connoisseur" are more than synonyms; they're also linguistic cousins. Both terms descend from the Latin verb "cognoscere," meaning "to know," and they're not alone. You might guess that "cognizance" and "cognition" are members of the "cognoscere" clan. Do you also recognize a family resemblance in "recognize"? Can you see through the disguise of "incognito"? Did you have a premonition that we would mention "precognition"? "Cognoscente" itself came to English by way of Italian and has been a part of our language since the late 1700s. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 5, 2012 is: tempestuous • \tem-PESS-chuh-wus\ • adjective : of, relating to, or resembling a tempest : turbulent, stormy Examples: Because the player's relationship with his manager had grown more tempestuous over the course of the season, the decision to trade him benefited everyone. "An East Tennessee April can be tempestuous and temperamental, and in Knoxville nothing causes quite as much worry about the weather as the Dogwood Arts Festival." - From an article by Amy McRary in the Knoxville News-Sentinel, April 1, 2012 Did you know? Time is sometimes marked in seasons, and seasons are associated with the weather. This explains how "tempus," the Latin word for "time" could have given rise to an English adjective for things turbulent and stormy. "Tempus" is the root behind Old Latin "tempestus," meaning "season," and Late Latin "tempestuosus," the direct ancestor of "tempestuous." As you might expect, "tempus" is also the root of the noun "tempest"; it probably played a role in the history of "temper" as well, but that connection isn't definite. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 4, 2012 is: lookism • \LOOK-iz-um\ • noun : prejudice or discrimination based on physical appearance and especially physical appearance believed to fall short of societal notions of beauty Examples: As a teacher, Kim's response to recent studies showing that attractive students receive better grades was to try to be vigilant against her own possible lookism. "We now so expect 'lookism' that the novelty in TV is shows specifically designed to get around it. On the already popular 'The Voice', judges listen to the singers with their backs turned - deliberately cutting them off from the psychological trick that beauty does to the brain." - From an article by Sarah MacDonald at www.dailylife.com.au, April 23, 2012 Did you know? There are a lot of -isms in the English language but most people overlook "lookism." It describes the prejudice or discrimination people have toward others because of their appearances. People first used the word in the late 1970s in reference to how people were viewing others who were heavier set. Today the panorama of "lookism" extends from the "overly" beautiful actor or actress to the homely child. Economists, sociologists, and psychologists alike pay close attention to the lookism that occurs in everyday life and examine how it affects people and society as a whole. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 3, 2012 is: halcyon • \HAL-see-un\ • adjective 1 : calm, peaceful 2 : happy, golden 3 : prosperous, affluent Examples: Although Grandma spoke longingly of the halcyon days of her childhood, Jamie suspected all had not been as perfect as she recalled. "It was a halcyon period for her, although she continued to take prescription drugs, a portent of problems that lay ahead." - From Lois Banner's 2012 biography Marilyn: The Passion and Paradox of Marilyn Monroe Did you know? According to Greek mythology, Alkyone, the daughter of the god of the winds, became so distraught when she learned that her husband had been killed in a shipwreck that she threw herself into the sea and was changed into a kingfisher. As a result, ancient Greeks called such birds "alkyon" or "halkyon." The legend also says that such birds built floating nests on the sea, where they so charmed the wind god that he created a period of unusual calm that lasted until the birds' eggs hatched. This legend prompted people to use "halcyon" both as a noun naming a genus of kingfisher and as an adjective meaning either "of or relating to the kingfisher or its nesting period" or "calm." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 2, 2012 is: recidivism • \rih-SID-uh-viz-um\ • noun : a tendency to relapse into a previous condition or mode of behavior; especially : relapse into criminal behavior Examples: The judge took the rate of recidivism into account when assigning penalties for various criminal offenses. "The Pittsburgh Commission on Human Relations has proposed a $65,000 study of housing problems faced by ex-offenders, an issue repeatedly raised last year during its community meetings on housing discrimination. Lack of jobs and housing has been tied to high recidivism rates across the nation." - From an article by Joe Smydo in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, May 2, 2012 Did you know? "Recidivism" means literally "a falling back" and usually implies "into bad habits." It comes from the Latin word "recidivus," which means "recurring." "Recidivus" itself came from the Latin verb "recidere," which is a composite of the prefix "re-" and the verb "cadere" (meaning "to fall") and means "to fall back." "Recidivists" tend to relapse, or "fall back," into old habits and particularly crime. "Deciduous" and "incident" are two other English words that have roots in "cadere." "Deciduous" comes from the verb "decidere" ("de-" plus "cadere"), which means "to fall off." And "incident" comes from "incidere" ("in" plus "cadere"), which means "to fall into." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 1, 2012 is: space cadet • \SPAYSS-kuh-DET\ • noun : a flaky, lightheaded, or forgetful person Examples: A well-worded e-mail that recaps your main points can remind your colleagues that, however much you flubbed your presentation in the meeting, you're not really such a space cadet. "I'm more or less a space cadet in general, and developing the skill to pay attention so as not to electrocute myself has been quite helpful. You could say electrical wiring keeps me grounded." - Tom Ensign in an interview in The Bellingham (Washington) Herald, April 5, 2012 Did you know? "Space cadet" has been used derogatorily since the late 1970s, but long before then it referred to the rank that the character Matt Dodson hoped to achieve in Robert Heinlein's 1948 novel Space Cadet. Other writers of futuristic fiction followed Heinlein's lead, using the word in reference to young astronauts. From there the meaning broadened to cover any space travel enthusiast. Today the word is occasionally used as a slang word for a pilot who shows off, but it most commonly refers to those of us who may seem to have our minds in outer space while our bodies remain earthbound. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 31, 2012 is: fugacious • \fyoo-GAY-shus\ • adjective : lasting a short time : evanescent Examples: The rock band's rise in popularity turned out to be fugacious, and within two years its members had moved on to other careers. "It is of no surprise that their debt problem is not fugacious, it is insurmountable. It is an impossible task for Greece to pay its debt." - From a letter to the editor by Alfonso Tiu Henderson in the Las Vegas Review-Journal, February 12, 2012 Did you know? "Fugacious" is often used to describe immaterial things like emotions, but not always. Botanists, for example, use it to describe plant parts that wither or fall off before the usual time. Things that are fugacious are fleeting, and etymologically they can also be said to be fleeing. "Fugacious" derives from the Latin verb "fugere," which means "to flee." Other descendants of "fugere" include "fugitive," "refuge," and "subterfuge." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 30, 2012 is: eschew • \ess-CHOO\ • verb : to avoid habitually especially on moral or practical grounds Examples: The keynote speakers were two former gang members who now eschew violence. "The women least likely to have epidurals, said Wilson, are those who arrive at the hospital in the nick of time and those determined to eschew drugs." - From an article by Leslie Mann in the Chicago Tribune, April 25, 2012 Did you know? "Eschew" derives from the Anglo-French verb "eschiver" and is akin to the Old High German verb "sciuhen" ("to frighten off"), an ancestor of our word "shy." In his famous dictionary of 1755 Dr. Samuel Johnson characterized "eschew" as "almost obsolete." History has proven that the great lexicographer was wrong on that call, however. William Thackeray found "eschew" alive enough to use it almost one hundred years later in his classic novel Vanity Fair: "He has already eschewed green coats, red neckcloths, and other worldly ornaments." The word swelled in usage in English during the 19th and 20th centuries and is now common enough to be included even in small paperback dictionaries. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 29, 2012 is: minim • \MIN-im\ • noun 1 : a musical half note 2 : something very minute 3 : a unit of liquid capacity equal to 1/60 fluid dram Examples: The nurse measured out 10 minims of the medication. "Again and again in 'Coppelia' a dancer will pay attention to musical minims while disregarding the climax, shape or ending of a phrase." - From a review by Alastair Macaulay in The New York Times, March 30, 2011 Did you know? "Minim" derives from the Latin word "minimus," meaning "least" or "smallest." Musicians were the first to note its significance in the 15th century as a word for the half note. Chirographers soon adopted it as a word for a single downstroke in penmanship (such as any of the three in the letter m), and after careful analysis, apothecaries prescribed "minim" as a word for their smallest unit of liquid capacity. English speakers have also embraced "minim" as a general noun referring to things that are very small and as an adjective meaning "of the smallest size," as in "a minim amount." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 28, 2012 is: accoutrement • \uh-KOO-ter-munt\ • noun 1 a : equipment, trappings; specifically : a soldier's outfit usually not including clothes and weapons - usually used in plural b : an accessory item of clothing or equipment - usually used in plural 2 : an identifying and often superficial characteristic or device - usually used in plural Examples: She was decked out in all the accoutrements of a tourist, including a camera around her neck and sunglasses atop her head. "Does 31 mpg, eked from a 4,255-pound, five-passenger luxury sedan swimming in leather and wood and all the techy accoutrements to which the 1 percent have become accustomed, sound reasonable?" - From a review by Natalie Neff in Auto Week, April 16, 2012 Did you know? "Accoutrement" and its relative "accoutre," a verb meaning "to provide with equipment or furnishings" or "to outfit," have been appearing in English texts since the 16th century. Today both words have variant spellings - "accouterment" and "accouter." Their French ancestor, "accoutrer," descends from an Old French word meaning "seam" and ultimately traces to the Latin word "consuere," meaning "to sew together." You probably won’t be too surprised to learn that "consuere" is also an ancestor of "couture," meaning "the business of designing fashionable custom-made women's clothing." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 27, 2012 is: epitome • \ih-PIT-uh-mee\ • noun 1 a : a summary of a written work b : a brief presentation or statement of something 2 : a typical or ideal example : embodiment Examples: The cabin we'd rented was the epitome of country charm: wide pine floors, simple sturdy furniture, and clean linen curtains billowing in the breeze of the open windows. "He was the epitome of a new kind of cool, he was hilarious, a visionary, talented on so many different levels from music to film." - Pop singer Santigold on Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, as quoted by Dan DeLuca on Philly.com, May 7, 2012 Did you know? "Epitome" first appeared in print in 1520, when it was used to mean "summary." If someone asks you to summarize a long paper, you effectively cut it up, mentioning only the most important ideas in your synopsis, and the etymology of "epitome" reflects this process. The word descends from Greek "epitemnein," meaning "to cut short," which in turn was formed from the prefix "epi-" and the verb "temnein," which means "to cut." Your summary probably also presents all the key points of the original work, which may explain why "epitome" eventually came to be used for anything (such as a person or object) that is a clear or good example of an abstraction. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 26, 2012 is: pervade • \per-VAYD\ • verb : to become diffused throughout every part of Examples: Jennifer's new perfume was lovely, but she applied it with such a generous hand that the scent pervaded the entire room. "Lowballing pervades the home mortgage market because lenders being compared to other lenders usually have no other way to distinguish themselves." - From an article by Jack Guttentag in Inman News, March 5, 2012 Did you know? English speakers borrowed "pervade" in the mid-17th century from Latin "pervadere," meaning "to go through." "Pervadere," in turn, was formed by combining the prefix "per-," meaning "through," with the verb "vadere," meaning "to go." Synonyms of "pervade" include "permeate," "impregnate," and "saturate." "Pervade" stresses a spreading diffusion throughout every part of a whole ("art and music pervade every aspect of their lives"). "Permeate" implies diffusion specifically throughout a material thing ("a green dye permeating a garment"). "Impregnate" suggests a forceful influence or effect on something throughout ("impregnate the cotton with alcohol"). "Saturate" is used when nothing more may be taken up or absorbed ("cloth saturated with water"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 25, 2012 is: troubadour • \TROO-buh-dor\ • noun 1 : a lyric poet or musician who performed chiefly in southern France and northern Italy in the 11th through 13th centuries 2 : a singer especially of folk songs Examples: The small coffeehouse includes a performance space where troubadours from all over can come to play music for the other patrons. "A tango diva and modern troubadour, [Maria] Volonté is an ardent singer-songwriter who lives true to her spirit, a spirit that has sent her on a lifelong expedition across countries and cultures through myriad musical styles." - From a review by Milton D. Carrero in The Morning Call (Allentown, Pennsylvania), April 20, 2012 Did you know? In the Middle Ages, troubadours were the shining knights of poetry (in fact, some were ranked as high as knights in the feudal class structure). Troubadours made chivalry a high art, writing poems and singing about chivalrous love, creating the mystique of refined damsels, and glorifying the gallant knight on his charger. "Troubadour" was a fitting name for such creative artists; it derives from an Old Occitan word meaning "to compose." In modern contexts, "troubadour" still refers to the song-meisters of the Middle Ages, but it has been extended to cover contemporary poet-musicians as well. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 24, 2012 is: damask • \DAM-usk\ • noun 1 : a firm lustrous fabric (as of linen, cotton, silk, or rayon) made with flat patterns in a satin weave on a plain-woven ground on jacquard looms 2 : hard elastic steel ornamented with wavy patterns and used especially for sword blades; also : the characteristic markings of this steel 3 : a grayish red Examples: The old chair was upholstered in a blue silk damask which was now faded and threadbare. "The interior of the newly restored Bolshoi Theater was resplendent with sable and decolletage and claret-colored damask on Friday…." - From an article by Ellen Barry and Sophia Kishkovsky in The New York Times, October 29, 2011 Did you know? The English noun "damask" entered Middle English (as "damaske") from Medieval Latin "damascus," taken from the name of the city of Damascus, one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. In contemporary English "damask" is applied to a lustrous fabric with a satin weave design, as well as to a type of steel (also called "Damascus steel") ornamented with a variegated surface and to a grayish red color associated with the damask rose. While the fabric, the steel, and the damask rose probably did not originate in Damascus, their long association with the ancient city has nevertheless impressed itself upon the English language. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 23, 2012 is: menagerie • \muh-NAJ-uh-ree\ • noun a : a place where animals are kept and trained especially for exhibition b : a collection of wild or foreign animals kept especially for exhibition 2: a varied mixture Examples: The Alpine-themed restaurant had a curious menagerie of cuckoo clocks on the wall of its dining room. "Since 2001, thousands of schoolchildren have made the trip to get up close with the preserve menagerie of between 100 and 150 animals, from pigs and geese to tigers and lions." - Eric Staats, Naples Daily News (Florida), May 12, 2012 Did you know? Back in the days of Middle French, "ménagerie" meant "the management of a household or farm" or "a place where animals are tended." By the 1670s, English speakers had adopted the word but dropped its housekeeping aspects, applying it specifically to the places where circuses and other exhibitions kept show animals. Later, the word was generalized to refer to any varied mixture, especially one that includes things that are strange or foreign to one's experience. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 22, 2012 is: proficient • \pruh-FISH-unt\ • adjective : well advanced in an art, occupation, or branch of knowledge Examples: When he attended an outdoor adventure camp, Mark became proficient at identifying animal tracks. "Red Sox catcher Ryan Lavarnway was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket on Sunday…. Always proficient at the plate, Lavarnway did have an impressive spring batting, with a .429/.488/.486 line in 35 at-bats." - From an article by Evan Drellic at MLB.com, April 1, 2012 Did you know? If you are proficient or adept at something you are skillful - perhaps even expert. "Proficient," "adept," "skillful," and "expert" are all synonyms, but subtle differences can be discerned between these terms as well. "Proficient" usually describes pure ability that comes from training and practice ("a proficient writer"). "Adept" suggests an innate ability as well as a learned skill ("an adept card player"). "Skillful" suggests being very able at a particular task ("a skillful surgeon"). "Expert" suggests having a thorough knowledge of a subject as well as being very skillful at working in it ("expert in the martial arts"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 21, 2012 is: boniface • \BAH-nuh-fuss\ • noun : the proprietor of a hotel, nightclub, or restaurant Examples: Jones' retirement will be celebrated, but it also means that for the first time in 45 years, the city's oldest hotel is in need of a new boniface. "Vince Bommarito, boniface of Tony's restaurant at 410 Market Street, said last week was one of his busiest in years and that this week is shaping up to look the same." - From "Deb Peterson's Breaking Schmooze" blog at stltoday.com (Web site of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch), October 18, 2011 Did you know? "Boniface" has been the name of eight popes, one antipope, and one saint, but none of those had anything (directly) to do with the English word "boniface." The word "boniface" comes from the name of the jovial innkeeper in George Farquhar's 1707 play "The Beaux' Stratagem," the story of two penniless rakes who determine that one of them must find and marry a wealthy lady. Farquhar's play made more than one contribution to the English language. The name of the character of Lady Bountiful is a byword for a generous (and often conspicuously so) philanthropist. Farquhar, incidentally, never got to see the influence his play had on the lexicon. He finished "The Beaux' Stratagem" on his deathbed, and died on the night of its third performance. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 20, 2012 is: hypnagogic • \hip-nuh-GAH-jik\ • adjective : of, relating to, or occurring in the period of drowsiness immediately preceding sleep Examples: "People who play lots of computer games sometimes experience 'screen dreams' as they fall asleep, in which they see vivid images of the game they have been playing. These screen dreams are also products of the hypnagogic state." - From Paul Martin's Counting Sheep, 2002 "These hallucinations, called hypnagogic hallucinations, may occur when falling quickly into REM sleep, as you do when you first fall asleep, or upon waking." - From an article by Jeff Barnet in the Las Cruces Sun-News, January 11, 2011 Did you know? "The hypnagogic state is that heady lull between wakefulness and sleep when thoughts and images flutter, melt, and transform into wild things," wrote Boston Globe correspondent Cate McQuaid (October 1, 1998). Some scientists have attributed alien-abduction stories to this state, but for most people these "half-dreams" are entirely innocuous. Perhaps the most famous hypnagogic dream is that of the German chemist Friedrich August Kekule von Stradonitz, who was inspired with the concept of the benzene ring by a vision of a snake biting its own tail. You're not dreaming if the Greek root "hypn-," meaning "sleep," seems familiar - you've seen it in "hypnotize." The root "-agogic" is from the Greek "-agōgos," meaning "inducing," from "agein" meaning "to lead." We borrowed "hypnagogic" (also spelled "hypnogogic") from French "hypnagogique" in the late 19th century. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 19, 2012 is: shanghai • \shang-HYE\ • verb 1 a : to put aboard a ship by force often with the help of liquor or a drug b : to put by force or threat of force into or as if into a place of detention 2 : to put by trickery into an undesirable position Examples: Nick was shanghaied by Erika into helping out at the charity fundraiser after her first volunteer bailed out. "In time, the new novel, lurching around his psyche, dragged itself away and became real. How I loved to see him shanghaied like that, careening down the rum-soaked wharves of imagination, where any roustabout idea might turn to honest labor." - From Diane Ackerman's 2011 book One Hundred Names for Love: A Memoir Did you know? In the 1800s, long sea voyages were very difficult and dangerous, so people were understandably hesitant to become sailors. But sea captains and shipping companies needed crews to sail their ships, so they gathered sailors any way they could - even if that meant resorting to kidnapping by physical force or with the help of liquor or drugs. The word "shanghai" comes from the name of the Chinese city of Shanghai. People started to use the city's name for that unscrupulous way of obtaining sailors because the East was often a destination of ships that had kidnapped men onboard as crew. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 18, 2012 is: gazette • \guh-ZET\ • noun 1 : newspaper 2 : an official journal 3 : an announcement in an official gazette Examples: I asked my brother to pick up the monthly car-buyer's gazette when he went into town. "On May 2, 2012, Wynn Macau's land concession contract was published in the official gazette of Macau." - From an article in Business Wire, May 7, 2012 Did you know? You are probably familiar the word "gazette" from its use in the names of a number of newspapers, but the original Gazettes were a series of bulletins published in England in the 17th and early 18th centuries. These official journals contained notices of government appointments and promotions, as well as items like bankruptcies, property transfers, and engagements. In British English, "gazette" can also refer to the kind of announcement that one might find in such a publication. It can also be used as a verb meaning "to announce or publish in a gazette." The word derives via French from Italian "gazetta." A related word is "gazetteer," which we now use for a dictionary of place names, but which once meant "journalist" or "publicist." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 17, 2012 is: maffick • \MAF-ik\ • verb : to celebrate with boisterous rejoicing and hilarious behavior Examples: Fans mafficked for hours outside the stadium, celebrating the team's dramatic victory in the division championship. "In half an hour, after the mildest of mafficking, the last visitors of the exhibition's last day had gone out of the gates and the staff began their final acts of closing up shop." - From an article in The Guardian (London), October 1, 2011 Did you know? "Maffick" is an alteration of Mafeking Night, the British celebration of the lifting of the siege of a British military outpost during the South African War at the town of Mafikeng (also spelled Mafeking) on May 17, 1900. The South African War was fought between the British and the Afrikaners, who were Dutch and Huguenot settlers originally called Boers, over the right to govern frontier territories. Though the war did not end until 1902, the lifting of the siege of Mafikeng was a significant victory for the British because they held out against a larger Afrikaner force for 217 days until reinforcements could arrive. The rejoicing in British cities on news of the rescue produced "maffick," a word that was popular for a while, especially in journalistic writing, but is now relatively uncommon. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 16, 2012 is: argot • \AHR-goh\ • noun : an often more or less secret vocabulary and idiom peculiar to a particular group Examples: The town's selectmen decided to hire a consultant to sort through the bureaucratic argot of the community development grant application. "What makes the play work, though, is that the rich insider's argot spoken by Mr. Leight's characters is used not to show how much he knows, but to set the scene for a stinging tale of youthful hope and bitter disappointment, one whose implications are universal." - From a theater review by Terry Teachout in The Wall Street Journal, April 13, 2012 Did you know? We borrowed "argot" from French in the mid-1800s, although our language already had several words covering its meaning. There was "jargon," which harks back to Anglo-French by way of Middle English (where it meant "twittering of birds"); it had been used for specialized (and often obscure or pretentious) vocabulary since the 1600s. There was also "lingo," which had been around for almost a hundred years, and which is connected to the Latin word “lingua" ("language"). English novelist and lawyer Henry Fielding used it of "court gibberish" -- what we tend to call "legalese." In fact, the suffixal ending "-ese" is a newer means of indicating arcane vocabulary. One of its very first applications at the turn of the 20th century was for "American 'golfese.'" See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 15, 2012 is: accident • \AK-suh-dunt\ • noun 1 a : an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance b : lack of intention or necessity : chance 2 : an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance 3 : a nonessential property or quality of an entity or circumstance Examples: Following the second work-related accident in two weeks, operations at the factory were shut down so that a thorough safety review could be conducted. "Too many kids - by accident of birth - start life with the odds against them, and too many schools don't do much to improve those odds." - From an article in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), December 9, 2011 Did you know? "Accident" is just one of many words in the English language to come down to us from the Latin verb "cadere," meaning "to fall." Among the others are "deciduous" (an adjective used to describe something, such as leaves, which fall off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle), "cascade" (which can mean, among other things, "a steep fall of water" or "something falling or rushing forth"),"cadence" ("a falling inflection of the voice"), and "decay" ("to fall into ruin"). "Chance," which functions as a synonym of "accident" in one sense, is also a "cadere" descendant. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 14, 2012 is: skulk • \SKULK\ • verb 1 : to move in a stealthy or furtive manner 2 : to hide or conceal something (as oneself) often out of cowardice or fear or with sinister intent b chiefly British : malinger Examples: "I sometimes met with hounds in my path prowling about the woods, which would skulk out of my way, as if afraid, and stand silent amid the bushes till I had passed." - From Henry David Thoreau's 1854 collection of essays, Walden "These handsome gray birds … are usually found skulking amid the shadows of shrubs and thickets below a forest canopy." - From an article by Gary Phillips at MyrtleBeachOnline.com, April, 11, 2012 Did you know? Here's one for the word-puzzle lovers. Can you name three things that the word "skulk" has in common with all of these other words: booth, brink, cog, flit, give, kid, meek, scab, seem, skull and wing? If you noticed that all of the terms on that list have just one syllable, then you've got the first (easy) similarity, but the next two are likely to prove a little harder to guess. Do you give up? All of the words listed above are of Scandinavian origin and all were first recorded in English in the 13th century. As for "skulk," its closest known Scandinavian relative is the Norwegian dialect word "skulka," which means "to lie in wait" or "lurk." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 13, 2012 is: hiatus • \hye-AY-tus\ • noun 1 a : a break in or as if in a material object : gap b : a gap or passage in an anatomical part or organ 2 a : an interruption in time or continuity : break; especially : a period when something (as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted b : the occurrence of two vowel sounds without pause or intervening consonantal sound Examples: The band released several hit albums in the '90s and aughts, and then went on hiatus. "Wasting no time, Joshua Michael Stern is set to begin principal photography in May while [Ashton] Kutcher is on hiatus from the CBS sitcom 'Two and a Half Men.' Kutcher is a natural to play Jobs; the resemblance between the two is unmistakable." - From an article by Pamela McClintock in The Hollywood Reporter, April 1, 2012 Did you know? "Hiatus" comes from "hiare," a Latin verb meaning "to gape" or "to yawn," and first appeared in English in the middle of the 16th century. Originally, the word referred to a gap or opening in something, such as a cave opening in a cliff. In the 18th century, Laurence Sterne used the word humorously in his novel Tristram Shandy, writing of "the hiatus in Phutatorius's breeches." These days, "hiatus" is usually used in a temporal sense to refer to a pause or interruption (as in a song), or a period during which an activity is temporarily suspended (such as a hiatus from teaching). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 12, 2012 is: recalcitrant • \rih-KAL-suh-trunt\ • adjective 1 : obstinately defiant of authority or restraint 2 a : difficult to manage or operate b : not responsive to treatment c : resistant Examples: Anna's doctor ordered a week of complete bed rest, but, ever recalcitrant when it comes to doctors' orders, she was up and baking a cake after two days. "Finally, he laid down the parental law: You will go on a hike and, gosh darn it, you will enjoy yourself. So the recalcitrant 14-year-old shrugged into her sweat shirt, slipped into her flimsy … canvas sneakers (totally hiking-inappropriate) and slumped in the back seat for the drive southwest to Vacaville, Calif., and Lagoon Valley Regional Park." - From an article by Sam McManis in Tri-City Herald (Washington), June 30, 2011 Did you know? Long before any human was dubbed "recalcitrant" in English (that first occurred, as best we know, in one of William Thackeray's works in 1843), there were stubborn mules (and horses) kicking back their heels. The ancient Romans noted as much (Pliny the Elder among them), and they had a word for it - "recalcitrare," which literally means "to kick back." (Its root "calc-," meaning "heel," is also the root of "calcaneus," the large bone of the heel in humans.) Certainly Roman citizens in Pliny's time were sometimes willful and hardheaded - as attested by various Latin words meaning "stubborn" - but it wasn’t until later that writers of Late Latin applied "recalcitrare" and its derivative adjective to humans who were stubborn as mules. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 11, 2012 is: pacify • \PASS-uh-fye\ • verb 1 : to allay the anger or agitation of : soothe 2 a : to restore to a tranquil state : settle b : to reduce to a submissive state : subdue Examples: Aunt Mabel claimed she had the magic touch to pacify a cranky baby, and indeed, as soon as she picked up her infant nephew he settled right down. "Before Leon LaRue could pacify a rally outside the Augusta courthouse, a rock was thrown through a bus window, and the 1970 race riots exploded." - From an article by Meg Mirshak in the Augusta *(Georgia) Chronicle*, March 29, 2012 Did you know? A parent who wants to win a little peace and quiet might give a fussy baby a pacifier. An employer seeking to avoid worker discontent might pay employees well. These actions may seem unrelated, but, etymologically speaking, they have a lot in common. Both "pacifier" and "pay" are ultimately derived from "pax," the Latin word for "peace." As you may have guessed, "pax" is also the source of our word "peace." "Pacify" comes to us through Middle English "pacifien," from the Latin verb "pacificare," which derives from "pax." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 10, 2012 is: tranche • \TRAHNSH\ • noun : a division or portion of a pool or whole Examples: "The funds are doled out in tranches over time…." - From an article in The Economist, March 10, 2012 "The 1917 law … allowed $8 billion in national debt, the first tranche of an ultimate $30 billion debt to fund World War I, repayable in gold." - From an article by David Malpass in Forbes, February 27, 2012 Did you know? In French, "tranche" means "slice." Cutting deeper into the word's etymology, we find the Old French word "trancer," meaning "to cut." The word emerged in the English language in the late 19th century to describe financial appropriations. Today, it is often used specifically of an issue of bonds that is differentiated from other issues by such factors as maturity or rate of return. Another use of the French word "tranche" is in the French phrase "une tranche de vie," meaning "a cross section of life." That phrase was coined by the dramatist Jean Jullien (1854-1919), who advocated naturalism in the theater. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 9, 2012 is: agog • \uh-GAHG\ • adjective : full of intense interest or excitement : eager Examples: Everyone was agog over the rumor that a famous actress would be coming to town to shoot her next movie. "Throughout the hotel dolphins cavort in the details, a popular motif in the mansions of Newport, leaving anyone who appreciates interior design agog." - From an article by Kathleen Pierce in The Boston Globe, April 8, 2012 Did you know? English speakers have been clamoring over the word "agog" for over 450 years; it derives from the Middle French phrase "en gogues," meaning "in a state of mirth." The "-gog" part of the word might make one wonder if "agog" has a connection to the verb "goggle," meaning "to stare with wide or protuberant eyes," as in the manner of one who is intensely excited about something. That word actually has a different origin: the Middle English "gogelen," meaning "to squint." In many instances, "agog" is followed by a preposition, such as "over" or "about." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 8, 2012 is: torrid • \TOR-id\ • adjective 1 a : parched with heat especially of the sun : hot b : giving off intense heat : scorching 2 : ardent, passionate Examples: As she cleaned out the attic, Monica was shocked to find a box filled with torrid love letters that her grandfather had written to her grandmother. "The deodar cedar, although really a cool climate tree, has adjusted very nicely to the South's torrid climate." - From an article by Joe W. White in The Times (Shreveport, LA), April 20, 2011 Did you know? "Torrid" derives from the Latin verb torrēre, which means "to burn" or "to parch" and is an ancestor of our word "toast." Despite the dry implications of this root, it is also an ancestor of "torrent," which can refer to a violent stream of liquid (as in "a torrent of rain"). "Torrid" first appeared in English in the 16th century, and was originally used to describe something burned or scorched by exposure to the sun. The term "torrid zone" later came about to refer to tropical regions of the Earth. By the end of that century the word had taken on the extended meaning that we know today - suggesting fiery passion. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 7, 2012 is: satiety • \suh-TYE-uh-tee\ • noun 1 : the quality or state of being fed or gratified to or beyond capacity : surfeit, fullness 2 : the revulsion or disgust caused by overindulgence or excess Examples: Enjoying his satiety after a hearty meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes, carrots, and gravy, Bill sat down in his recliner for a brief nap. "Yes, avocado is high in fat, but it's the good, monounsaturated kind that helps increase satiety so you feel full with fewer calories." - From a recipe column by Georgia Downard in Self, June 2011 Did you know? You may have guessed that "satiety" is related to "satisfy," "satiate" (meaning "to satisfy fully or to excess"), or "sate" (which means "to glut" or "to satisfy to the full"). If so, you guessed right. "Satiety," along with the others, ultimately comes from the Latin word "satis," which means "enough." English speakers apparently couldn’t get enough of "satis-" derived words in the 15th and 16th centuries, which is when all of these words entered the language. "Satiety" itself was borrowed into English in 1541 from the Middle French word "satieté" of the same meaning. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 6, 2012 is: validate • \VAL-uh-dayt\ • verb 1 a : to make legally valid : ratify b : to grant official sanction to by marking c : to confirm the validity of (an election); also : to declare (a person) elected 2 a : to support or corroborate on a sound or authoritative basis b : to recognize, establish, or illustrate the worthiness or legitimacy of Examples: The student pointed out that these days it was easy enough to find evidence on the Internet to validate almost any conclusion. "'There is a misinformed tendency to think that the emphasis on the exterior will dilute the importance of what lies within,' said Mr. [Charles] Pocock, referring to the Gulf’s museums. 'However, any art historian will validate that architecture is the most visible expression of a culture.'" - From an article by Vinita Bharadwaj, in the New York Times, March 20, 2012 Did you know? "Validate," "confirm," "corroborate," "substantiate," "verify," and "authenticate" all mean to attest to the truth or validity of something. "Validate" implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or factual proof ("a hypothesis validated by experiments"). "Confirm" implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact ("evidence that confirmed the reports"). "Corroborate" suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established ("witnesses who corroborated the story"). "Substantiate" implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention ("claims that have yet to be substantiated"). "Verify" implies the establishing of correspondence of actual facts or details with those proposed or guessed at ("statements of fact that have been verified"). "Authenticate" implies establishing genuineness by legal or official documents or expert opinion ("handwriting experts who authenticated the diaries"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 5, 2012 is: putative • \PYOO-tuh-tiv\ • adjective 1 : commonly accepted or supposed 2 : assumed to exist or to have existed Examples: Corporate restructuring and a need to cut costs were the putative reasons for the layoffs. "The phrase 'wacky woman' was being tossed about frequently in descriptions of Maryland's putative lottery winner…." - From an article by Susan Reimer in the Baltimore Sun, April 4, 2012 Did you know? There's no need to make assumptions about the root behind "putative"; scholars are quite certain the word comes from Latin "putatus," the past participle of the verb "putare," which means "to consider" or "to think." "Putative" has been part of English since the 15th century, and it often shows up in legal contexts. For instance, a "putative marriage" is one that is believed to be legal by at least one of the parties involved. When that trusting person finds out that his or her marriage is not sanctioned by law, other "putare" derivatives, such as "dispute," "disreputable," "reputed," "imputation," and "deputy," may come into play. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 4, 2012 is: bon vivant • \bahn-vee-VAHNT\ • noun : a person having cultivated, refined, and sociable tastes especially in respect to food and drink Examples: Mr. Murray is a congenial bon vivant who seems to relish the fine art of conversation almost as much as he does the fine art of French cooking. "Polemicist and journalist Christopher Hitchens, who died in December at 62 after a battle with esophageal cancer, was celebrated Friday as an incorrigible contrarian, dazzling public intellectual, obdurate justice seeker, and passionate bon vivant in a star-studded memorial service at New York's Cooper Union." -- From an article by Lloyd Grove on The Daily Beast, April 20, 2012 Did you know? Fans of fine French wine and cuisine won't be surprised to hear that the French language gave us a number of words for those who enjoy good living and good eating. "Gourmet," "gourmand," and "gastronome" come from French, as does "bon vivant." In the late 17th century, English speakers borrowed this French phrase, which literally means "good liver." No, we don't mean "liver," as in that iron-rich food your mother made you eat. We mean "liver," as in "one who lives" - in this case, "one who lives well." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 3, 2012 is: lunette • \loo-NET\ • noun 1 a : something that has the shape of a crescent or half-moon: as b : an opening in a vault especially for a window c : the surface at the upper part of a wall that is partly surrounded by a vault which the wall intersects and that is often filled by windows or by mural painting d : a low crescentic mound (as of sand) formed by the wind 2 : the figure or shape of a crescent moon Examples: "All the windows and doors were topped with lunettes of small-paned glass." - From Theodore Dreiser's 1912 novel The Financier "Past the main doorway, visitors enter the rotunda by walking beneath a striking lunette mural, measuring 84 by 264 inches, painted and signed by Cdr. Dwight C. Shepler." - From an article by Wendi Winters in The Capital (Annapolis, MD), January 14, 2012 Did you know? "Lunette," a word borrowed from French, looks like it should mean "little moon" - "luna" being Latin for "moon" and "-ette" being a diminutive suffix. There is indeed some 17th-century evidence of the word being used for a small celestial moon, but that meaning is now obsolete. Earlier, in the 16th century, "lunette" referred to a horseshoe having only the front semicircular part - a meaning that still exists but is quite rare. "Lunette" has other meanings too rare for our Collegiate Dictionary but included in our Unabridged. Among these are "a blinder especially for a vicious horse" and, in the plural form, "spectacles." ("Lunettes" is the usual term for eyeglasses in modern French.) The oldest meaning of "lunette" still in common use is "something shaped like a crescent or half-moon," which our evidence dates to circa 1639. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 2, 2012 is: cachinnate • \KAK-uh-nayt\ • verb : to laugh loudly or immoderately Examples: The person sitting beside me at the table cachinnated through the entire dinner party, ruining my enjoyment of the meal. "'Butler' is so deliciously zany and funny, we cachinnated until our sides hurts." - From a theater review by Christopher Muther in The Boston Globe, March 20, 2004 Did you know? "Cachinnate" has been whooping it up in English since the 19th century. The word derives from the Latin verb "cachinnare," meaning "to laugh loudly," and "cachinnare" was probably coined in imitation of a loud laugh. As such, "cachinnare" is much like the Old English "ceahhetan," the Old High German "kachazzen," and the Greek "kachazein" - all words of imitative origin that essentially meant "to laugh loudly." Our word "cackle" has a different ancestor than any of these words (the Middle English "cakelen"), but this word, too, is believed to have been modeled after the sound of laughter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 1, 2012 is: abstruse • \ub-STROOSS\ • adjective : difficult to comprehend Examples: The author's new book is not as abstruse as his previous works and is likely to attract a much larger readership. "It was the kind of spectacle that policy wonks savor - three days of complex and abstruse arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court…." - From an article by Andrew B. Wilson in the Southeast Missourian, April 4, 2012 Did you know? Look closely at the following Latin verbs, all of which are derived from the verb "trudere" ("to push"): "extrudere," "intrudere," "obtrudere," "protrudere." Each of these Latin verbs has an English descendant whose meaning involves pushing or thrusting. Another "trudere" offspring, "abstrudere", meaning "to push away" or "to conceal," gave English "abstrude," meaning "to thrust away." But that verb didn't make it past the 17th century. The "abstrudere" descendant that did survive is "abstruse," an adjective that recalls the meaning of its Latin parent "abstrusus," meaning "concealed." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 30, 2012 is: spiel • \SPEEL\ • noun : a voluble line of often extravagant talk : a speech delivered especially to sell or promote something Examples: Jonathan called the wireless company with a question about his bill; he was not expecting a spiel from a representative trying to sell him on a more expensive data plan. "Springsteen has always been an incredible public speaker … because he is first and foremost a fan. And he gave a positively inspiring spiel in which that love came through, covering a half-century of pop-music through the prism of artists who influenced and inspired him…." - From an article by David Menconi in the Raleigh (North Carolina) News & Observer, March 16, 2012 Did you know? There's more than one "spiel." Today's featured noun sense is well-known, and many of our readers may also be aware that "spiel" can be used as a verb for the act of talking extravagantly. But did you know that the verb can also mean "to play music"? That, in fact, was the word's original meaning - one it shares with its German root, "spielen." ("Spiel" is also found in "glockenspiel," a musical instrument similar to the xylophone.) In Scottish English, "spiel" is also sometimes used as a shortened form of "bonspiel," a name for a match or tournament of the icy game of curling. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 29, 2012 is: notorious • \noh-TOR-ee-us\ • adjective : generally known and talked of; especially : widely and unfavorably known Examples: That particular model of car is notorious for quickly developing a number of irritating mechanical problems. "Stroll along La Rambla and take in the very touristy mile-long avenue filled with kiosks, cafés and flower stands. Be careful - the area is notorious for its pickpockets." - From an article by Marc Schwarz in the Herald News (Passaic County, NJ), March 25, 2012 Did you know? "Notorious" was adopted into English in the 16th century from Medieval Latin "notorius," itself from Late Latin's noun "notorium," meaning "information" or "indictment." "Notorium," in turn, derives from the Latin verb "noscere," meaning "to come to know." Although "notorious" can be a synonym of "famous," meaning simply "widely known," it long ago developed the additional implication of someone or something unpleasant or undesirable. The Book of Common Prayer of 1549 includes the first known use of the unfavorable meaning in print, referring to "notorious synners." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 28, 2012 is: obliterate • \uh-BLIT-uh-rayt\ • verb 1 a : to remove from recognition or memory b : to remove from existence 2 : to make undecipherable by wiping out or covering over Examples: The epitaph on the centuries-old headstone had been obliterated by wind, rain, and age. "With the forecast for the end of the month included, monthly-averaged temperatures for March across large parts of the Great Lakes and Northern Plains will thoroughly obliterate previous records, blasting through the temperature ceiling modern climate has until now defined." - From a post by Greg Postel on the Washington Post's "Capital Weather Gang" blog, March 27, 2012 Did you know? Far from being removed from existence, "obliterate" is thriving in our language today with various senses that it has acquired over the years. True to its Latin source, "oblitteratus," it began in the mid-16th century as a word for removing something from memory. Soon after, English speakers began to use it for the specific act of blotting out or obscuring anything written. Eventually (by the late 18th century), its meaning was generalized to removing anything from existence. In the meantime, another sense had developed. In the late 17th century, physicians began using "obliterate" for the surgical act of filling or closing up a vessel, cavity, or passage with tissue. Its final stamp on the English lexicon was delivered in the mid-19th century: "to cancel a postage or revenue stamp." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 27, 2012 is: patagium • \puh-TAY-jee-um\ • noun 1 : the fold of skin connecting the forelimbs and hind limbs of some tetrapods (as flying squirrels) 2 : the fold of skin in front of the main segments of a bird's wing Examples: The flying squirrel uses its two patagia to glide from tree to tree. "One of the key identification marks is the dark leading edge of the wing, called the patagium. These marks on the under wing are only found on the red-tailed hawk." - From an article by Bill Fenimore, The Salt Lake Tribune, February 6, 2012 Did you know? In Latin, "patagium" referred to a gold edging or border on a woman's tunic, but in English its uses have been primarily scientific. It entered the English language in the early 19th century and was used by entomologists to refer to a process on the back of the foremost segment of an insect. Zoologists borrowed it as a word for the fold of skin of "flying" mammals and reptiles. Then ornithologists took the word to higher heights by the century's end, applying it to the forward part of the wings of birds. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 26, 2012 is: unabashed • \un-uh-BASHT\ • adjective : not disconcerted : undisguised, unapologetic Examples: "I am an unabashed fan of the Scripps National Spelling Bee," admitted Carly. "He long has been an unabashed advocate of increasing the gas tax to help pay for transportation projects…." - From an article by Matt Cella in The Washington Times, April 9, 2012 Did you know? When you are "unabashed," you make no apologies for your behavior, but when you are "abashed," your confidence has been shaken and you may feel rather inferior or ashamed of yourself. English speakers have been using "abashed" to describe feelings of embarrassment since the 14th century, but they have only used "unabashed" (brazenly or otherwise) since the late 1500s. Both words can be traced back to the Anglo-French word "abair," meaning "to astonish." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 25, 2012 is: cahoot • \kuh-HOOT\ • noun : partnership, league - usually used in plural Examples: Police suspect that the burglar was in cahoots with the bartender. "In a huge anti-mafia bust, 16 judges have been arrested near Naples, Italy, according to the BBC, for allegedly being in cahoots with Italy's notorious Camorra crime syndicate." - From a news article in The Huffington Post, March 19, 2012 Did you know? "Cahoot" is used almost exclusively in the phrase "in cahoots," which means "in an alliance or partnership." In most contexts, it describes the conspiring activity of people up to no good. (There's also the rare idiom "go cahoots," meaning "to enter into a partnership," as in "they went cahoots on a new restaurant.") "Cahoot" may derive from French "cahute," meaning "cabin" or "hut," suggesting the notion of two or more people hidden away working together in secret. "Cahute" is believed to have been formed through the combination of two other words for cabins and huts, "cabane" and "hutte." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 24, 2012 is: kowtow • \KOW-tow\ • verb 1 : to show obsequious deference : fawn 2 : to kneel and touch the forehead to the ground in token of homage, worship, or deep respect Examples: Martin kowtows to our boss every chance he gets, complimenting him on his suits and offering favors. "It's not honorable to kowtow to the extremes so you can preserve your political career." - From an op-ed column by David Brooks in The New York Times, February 28, 2012 Did you know? "Kowtow" originated as a noun referring to the act of kneeling and touching one's head to the ground as a salute or act of worship to a revered authority. In traditional China this ritual was performed by commoners making requests to the local magistrate, by the emperor to the shrine of Confucius, or by foreign representatives appearing before the emperor to establish trade relations. (In the late 18th century, some Western nations resisted performing the ritual, which acknowledged the Chinese emperor as the "son of heaven.") The word "kowtow" derives from Chinese "koutou," formed by combining the verb "kou" ("to knock") with the noun "tou" ("head"). The noun had arrived in English by 1804, and the earliest evidence for the verb dates from 1826. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 23, 2012 is: pace • \PAY-see\ • preposition : contrary to the opinion of - usually used as an expression of deference to someone's contrary opinion Examples: Pace everyone with a smartphone, I think e-mail is best written and read-and the wilds of the Internet best explored-in the privacy of one's own domicile. "Pace Mr. Jiang, I submit that this kind of political idealism is wishful thinking. It simply does not accord with human nature, especially the nature of human groups, nor is it supported by the lessons of history." - From the 2011 book The Renaissance of Confucianism in Contemporary China, edited by Ruiping Fan Did you know? Though used in English for nearly 150 years, the preposition "pace" has yet to shed its Latin mantle, and for that reason it's most at home in formal writing or in contexts in which one is playing at formality. The Latin word "pace" is a form of "pax," meaning "peace" or "permission," and when used sincerely the word does indeed suggest a desire for both. This Latin borrowing is unrelated to the more common noun "pace" (as in "keeping pace") and its related verb ("pacing the room"); these also come from Latin, but from the word "pandere," meaning "to spread." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 22, 2012 is: vindicate • \VIN-duh-kayt\ • verb 1 a : avenge 2 a: to free from allegation or blame b : confirm, substantiate c : to provide justification or defense for : justify d : to protect from attack or encroachment : defend 2 : to maintain a right to Examples: Recent discoveries appear to vindicate the scientist's once controversial theory. "A mixture of overreaction, overconfidence and herding causes investors to see growth where none exists and so pay too much for it. This implies that a low yield is a sign not of future capital appreciation and growth, but rather that the share is overvalued. History seems to vindicate this prediction." - From an article in Investors Chronicle, March 5, 2012 Did you know? It's not surprising that the two earliest senses of "vindicate," which has been used in English since at least the mid-16th century, are "to set free" (a sense that is now obsolete) and "to avenge." "Vindicate" derives from Latin "vindicatus," the past participle of the verb "vindicare," meaning "to set free, avenge, or lay claim to." "Vindicare," in turn, derives from "vindex," a noun meaning "claimant" or "avenger." Other descendants of "vindicare" in English include such vengeful words as "avenge" itself, "revenge," "vengeance," "vendetta," and "vindictive." Closer cousins of "vindicate" are "vindicable" ("capable of being vindicated") and the archaic word "vindicative" ("punitive"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.