Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 20, 2012 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 : growing in a cluster or a colony b : living in contiguous nests but not forming a true colony - used especially of wasps and bees Examples: My travel companion is a gregarious soul who makes friends easily, so we never want for company at dinner time. "Mr. Dean, who is also an ordained minister and a voluntary Chaplain for New York City Transit, is known for his gregarious, welcoming attitude on the job."- From an article by David Sims in The Chief-Leader, March 19, 2012 Did you know? When you're one of the herd, it's tough to avoid being social. The etymology of "gregarious" reflects the social nature of the flock; in fact, the word grew out of the Latin noun "grex," meaning "herd" or "flock." When it first began appearing in English texts in the 17th century, "gregarious" was applied mainly to animals, but by the 18th century it was being used for social human beings as well. By the way, "grex" gave English a whole flock of other words too, including "egregious," "aggregate," "congregate," and "segregate." 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 19, 2012 is: threshold • \THRESH-hohld\ • noun 1 : the section of wood or stone that lies under a door 2 a : the means or place of entry : entrance b : the place or point of beginning 3 : the point or level at which a physical or mental effect begins to be produced Examples: She fell in love with the old house from the moment she first stepped across the threshold. "The protracted delegate fight has raised the possibility that none of the three contenders will reach the threshold needed to secure the nomination before the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., in August." - From an article by Michael Finnegan and John Hoeffel in the Chicago Tribune, March 14, 2012 Did you know? The earliest known use of "threshold" in the English language is from Alfred the Great's Old English translation of the Roman philosopher Boethius's De consolatione philosophiae. In this translation, which was written around 888, "threshold" appears as "þeorscwold" (that first letter is called a thorn and it was used in Old English and Middle English to indicate the sounds produced by "th" in "thin" and "this"). The origins of this Old English word are not known, though it is believed to be related to Old English "threscan," from which we get the words "thresh," meaning "to separate seed from (a harvested plant) using a machine or tool" and "thrash," meaning, among other things "to beat soundly with or as if with a stick or whip." 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 18, 2012 is: bedizen • \bih-DYE-zun\ • verb : to dress or adorn gaudily Examples: The children entertained themselves for hours with the contents of the old trunk, donning fancy dresses and bedizening themselves with jewelry and scarves. "Critics love to bedizen her photographs in fancy theories, but [photographer Cindy] Sherman seldom overthinks. The most impressive aspect of her work may be how economically she orchestrates her three-ring circus of effects." - From a review by Richard B. Woodward in the Wall Street Journal, March 7, 2012 Did you know? "Bedizen" doesn’t have the flashy history you might expect - its roots lie in the rather quiet art of spinning thread. In times past, the spinning process began with the placement of fibers (such as flax) on an implement called a "distaff"; the fibers were then drawn out from the distaff and twisted into thread. "Bedizen" descends from the older, now obsolete, verb "disen," which meant "to dress a distaff with flax" and which came to English by way of Middle Dutch. The spelling of "disen" eventually became "dizen," and its meaning expanded to cover the "dressing up" of things other than distaffs. In the mid-17th century, English speakers began using "bedizen" with the same meaning. The figurative use in our second quotation is also well-established. Such uses date to the late 18th 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 April 17, 2012 is: nebbish • \NEB-ish\ • noun : a timid, meek, or ineffectual person Examples: As a teenager, Lyle was a nebbish who could never stand up to the bullies who gave him such a hard time. "The play started off deadly dull and only picked up when Lore came on stage. He embodied the myopic, nebbish caricature…. His best moments came in Act II, when he attempted to woo Gretchen. His Robert was so bad at it that it was comical." - From a review by Kathy Greenberg in the Tampa Tribune, February 29, 2012 Did you know? "From what I read …. it looks like Pa isn't anything like the nebbish Ma is always making him out to be…." Sounds like poor Pa got a bum rap, at least according to a 1951 book review that appeared in The New York Times. The unfortunate Pa unwittingly demonstrates much about the etymology of "nebbish," which derives from the Yiddish "nebekh," meaning "poor" or "unfortunate." As you might expect for a timid word like "nebbish," the journey from Yiddish to English wasn't accomplished in a single bold leap of spelling and meaning. In its earliest English uses in the 1840s, it was spelled "nebbich" and used interjectionally as an expression of dismay. 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 16, 2012 is: piquant • \PEE-kunt\ • adjective 1 : agreeably stimulating to the palate; especially : spicy 2 : engagingly provocative; also : having a lively arch charm Examples: Reggie's piquant commentary always makes for interesting listening, though sometimes his remarks can go too far. "Our main courses were preceded by green salads, which were bright and crisp with a suitably piquant balsamic vinegar dressing."- From a review by Irv Dean in The Daily Gazette, February 19, 2012 Did you know? Piquant flavors "sting" the tongue and piquant words "prick" the intellect, arousing interest. These varying senses reflect the etymology of the word "piquant," which first appeared in English in the 17th century and which derives from the Middle French verb "piquer," meaning "to sting" or "to prick." Though first used to describe foods with spicy flavors, the word is now often used to describe things that are spicy in other ways, such as engaging conversation. Have we piqued your curiosity about another "piquer" offspring? If you’ve already guessed that the verb "pique," meaning "to offend" or "to arouse by provocation," comes from "piquer," too, you’ve got a sharp mind. 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 15, 2012 is: four-flush • \FOR-FLUSH\ • verb : to bluff in poker holding a four flush; broadly : to make a false claim : bluff Examples: We found an old newspaper article in which a candidate promised he would never "four-flush" or mislead voters. "Royal is a not quite legal lawyer, four-flushing his way around New York, long separated from his wife and three children…." - From a review by Stanley Kauffman in The New Republic, December 31, 2001 Did you know? The term "four-flush" comes to us from stud poker. In that game, a player is dealt one card face down and four cards face up, with betting taking place each time a face-up card is dealt. A four-card flush - that is, all four cards of the same suit - is worthless in poker; it takes five cards to make a flush. A player who has four cards of the same suit showing is in a good position to bluff. Pretending to hold a flush with four cards showing - ''four-flushing'' - came to be a skill among gamblers, one so common that the term spread to everyday use to describe the actions of one who makes false or dishonest claims. 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 14, 2012 is: derring-do • \dair-ing-DOO\ • noun : daring action : daring Examples: In a spectacular feat of derring-do, the stuntman leaped from the overpass and landed on top of the train as it passed below. "It's a bit of a letdown when, near its end, the book reverts to more conventional Bond-style derring-do, as our hero struggles to recapture the warheads and save Isabella from the villains…." - From a book review by Patrick Anderson in The Washington Post, January 16, 2012 Did you know? "Derring-do" is a quirky holdover from Middle English that came to occupy its present place in the language by a series of mistakes and misunderstandings. In Middle English, "dorring don" meant simply "daring to do." For example, Geoffrey Chaucer used "dorring don" around 1374 when he described a knight "daring to do" brave deeds. The phrase was misprinted as "derrynge do" in a 16th-century edition of a 15th-century work by poet John Lydgate, and Edmund Spenser took it up from there, assuming it was meant as a substantive or noun phrase. (A glossary to Spenser's work defined it as "manhood and chevalrie.") Sir Walter Scott and others in the 19th century got the phrase from Spenser and brought it into modern use. 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 13, 2012 is: querulous • \KWAIR-yuh-lus\ • adjective 1 : habitually complaining 2 : fretful, whining Examples: “Are we there yet?” asked a querulous voice from the back seat of the car. "In his personal affairs [Joseph] Roth is querulous here to the point of annoyance. He complains about everything: his health, his squabbles with editors, the shabby hotels where he lived, the bad translations of his work, his problems with women and, most of all, his unending financial woes, some of them self-inflicted by the penchant for drink that contributed to his early death." - From a book review by Larry Rohter in the New York Times, March 4, 2012 Did you know? English speakers have tagged fearful whiners "querulous" since late medieval times. The Middle English form of the word, "querelose," was an adaptation of the Latin adjective, "querulus," which in turn evolved from the Latin verb "queri," meaning "to complain." "Queri" is also an ancestor of the English words "quarrel" and "quarrelsome," but it isn't an ancestor of the noun "query" (meaning "question"). No need to complain that we're being coy; we're happy to let you know that "query" descends from the Latin verb "quaerere," meaning "to ask." 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 12, 2012 is: tragus • \TRAY-gus\ • noun : the prominence in front of the external opening of the outer ear Examples: "The tragus, she explains, is the tough fold of cartilage that sticks out from the ear at the entrance to the ear canal." - From an article in the Irish Independent, December 5, 2011 "Siobhan … got her nose pierced as soon as she got to the State University of New York campus in Buffalo last September, and on Halloween pierced her tragus, the cartilage at the front of her ear." - From an article by Nancy Hass in The New York Times, November 6, 2005 Did you know? The tragus is the tongue-like projection of the outer ear. Its name comes from the Greek word "tragos," meaning "he-goat." According to hearsay, the Greek word was influenced by Peloponnesian tragedy. In this style of drama, satyrs were represented as goatlike creatures, and their prominent ears became associated with a feature of our own human ears. "Tragos" contributed to the English language in another way as well; it is also the word from which "tragedy" is derived. 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 11, 2012 is: emote • \ih-MOHT\ • verb : to give expression to emotion especially in acting Examples: The star of the show stood center stage, emoting and gesturing wildly. "It's not always immediately obvious, but sometimes you fall in love with a band for the way the singers emote." - From a review by James Reed in The Boston Globe, January 24, 2012 Did you know? "Emote" is an example of what linguists call a back-formation - that is, a word formed by trimming down an existing word (in this case, "emotion"). From the time "emote" was coined in the early 20th century, its use has tended to be less than entirely serious. It most often appears in humorous or deprecating descriptions of the work of actors. It is similarly used to describe theatrical behavior by nonactors, as in this passage by David Fontana, published in The New Republic on March 11, 2012: "We might not want our president to emote about economics or war; but why shouldn't a fan, or for that matter a sports announcer, emote about athletics, which is not after all a matter of world historical importance?" 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 10, 2012 is: picaresque • \pik-uh-RESK\ • adjective : of or relating to rogues or rascals; also : of, relating to, suggesting, or being a type of fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of a usually roguish protagonist Examples: "His specialty was the picaresque novel, which took the hero (with the reader happily perched on his shoulder) on a wild ride…." - From an article by Martin Rubin in The Washington Times, March 16, 2012 "Joey embarks on an unwitting, picaresque odyssey through this terrible 'war to end all wars,' crossing paths with a pair of young German deserters and a French teenage girl, and then doing hard time hauling cannons and supplies for the Germans."- From a review by Kevin Lally in Film Journal, December 21, 2011 Did you know? "Picaresque" derives from Spanish "picaresco," which means "of or relating to a picaro." The word "picaro," which also derives from Spanish, means "rogue" or "bohemian." "Picaro" describes a type of character that has long been a popular subject for fictional narrative. Typically, the picaresque novel centers around a wandering individual of low standing who happens into a series of adventures among people of various higher classes, often relying on wits and a little dishonesty to get by. The first known novel in this style is Lazarillo de Tormes (circa 1554), an irreverent work about a poor boy who works for a series of masters of dubious character. The novel has been attributed to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, but his authorship is disputable. 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 9, 2012 is: alleviate • \uh-LEE-vee-ayt\ • verb a : relieve, lessen: as b : to make (as suffering) more bearable c : to partially remove or correct Examples: Mom suggested that ibuprofen and tea would perhaps alleviate some of the misery of my cold. "Public health officials are pushing to alleviate crowds at Boston's emergency rooms by redirecting patients without life-threatening ailments to one of the city's 25 community health centers …" - From an article by Andrew Ryan in The Boston Globe, March 6, 2012 Did you know? "Alleviate" derives from the past participle of Late Latin "alleviare" ("to lighten or relieve"), which in turn was formed by combining the prefix "ad-" and the adjective "levis," a Latin word meaning "light" or "having little weight." ("Levis" comes from the same ancient word that gave rise to "light" in English.) We acquired "alleviate" in the 15th century, and for the first few centuries the word could mean either "to cause (something) to have less weight" or "to make (something) more tolerable." The literal "make lighter" sense is no longer used, however, so today we have only the "relieve" sense. Incidentally, not only is "alleviate" a synonym of "relieve," it's also a cousin; "relieve" comes from "levare" ("to raise"), which in turn comes from "levis." 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 8, 2012 is: hyphenate • \HYE-fuh-nayt\ • noun : a person who performs more than one function (as a producer-director in filmmaking) Examples: Ever ambitious, Laura has proven herself to be an accomplished musical hyphenate - composing, performing, and recording all her own musical compositions. "So who is [actor Justin Theroux]? It’s not surprising that the Hollywood hyphenate, who recently co-scripted this summer's movie version of the Broadway musical Rock of Ages, became a writer. His mother is a journalist and author; his uncle is acclaimed travel writer Paul Theroux." - From an article by David A. Keeps in New York Magazine, February 12, 2012 Did you know? In the early 20th century, the noun "hyphenate" referred to a resident or citizen of the U.S. whose recent foreign national origin caused others to question his or her patriotic loyalties - with or without there being just cause for that questioning. These hyphenates - the Irish-Americans, German-Americans, and others - were objects of suspicion. The hyphenates we're highlighting today are more often objects of admiration. Since around 1974, we've been referring to people with hyphens in their titles - producer-directors, for example, as "hyphenates." 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 7, 2012 is: loquacious • \loh-KWAY-shus\ • adjective 1 : full of excessive talk : wordy 2 : given to fluent or excessive talk : garrulous Examples: The children were loquacious on the car ride back from the zoo, chattering endlessly about all the animals they saw. "As the week sped by, we decided to take a break from our paradise for a jungle trip with the delightful, loquacious ‘Uncle Yip’, the resident nature expert. He started with a lecture and a detailed analysis of the flowers in the foyer." - From an article by Imogen Stubbs in Harper's, February 2012 Did you know? When you hear or say "loquacious," you might notice that the word has a certain poetic ring. In fact, poets quickly snatched up "loquacious" soon after its debut in 1656 and, with poetic license, stretched its meaning to include such things as the chattering of birds and the babbling of brooks. In less poetic uses, "loquacious" usually means "excessively talkative." The ultimate source of all this chattiness is "loqui," a Latin verb meaning "to speak." Other words descended from "loqui" include "colloquial," "eloquent," "soliloquy," and "ventriloquism." 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 6, 2012 is: carp • \KAHRP\ • verb : to find fault or complain querulously Examples: Kate protested that her boss seemed to do nothing but carp and interfere, never praising or encouraging her. "Critics have been carping endlessly that tonight's Oscars may be the most snooze worthy and least attractive to mainstream audiences in years." - From an article by Reed Tucker in The New York Post, February 26, 2012 Did you know? You might guess that today's word is a descendant of the noun "carp," referring to a type of fish. That's a reasonable speculation, but the verb actually preceded the fish's name into the English language by approximately a century. Its origins are Scandinavian: it may be related to the Icelandic verb "karpa," meaning "to dispute" or "to wrangle," and beyond that perhaps to Old Norse "karp," meaning "boasting" or "arrogance." In the early 20th century, English speakers also coined a second noun "carp" (meaning "complaint") from this verb. 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 5, 2012 is: cockalorum • \kah-kuh-LOR-um\ • noun 1 : a boastful and self-important person 2 : boastful talk Examples: No one believed Marty's cockalorum about being an expert pool player, and as it turned out, he was indeed just as bad as the rest of us. "No one is saying Little Floyd is a conniving little cockalorum, but … he would very much like to add another belt to his legacy. It is with much certainty, on his part, that he will."- From an article by Paul Strauss on EastsideBoxing.com, August 6, 2011 Did you know? The image of a rooster (a.k.a. cock) strutting confidently across the barnyard or belting out a triumphant crow has long been associated with brash self-confidence. It's an association that has left quite a mark on the English language, giving us "crow" ("to brag"), "cock" ("a self-important person"), and "cocky" ("overconfident"), just to name a few. "Cockalorum" (which may have derived from the obsolete Flemish word "kockeloeren," meaning "to crow") is another example. It dates back at least as far as 1715, when it was used to describe the Marquis of Huntly - son of the Duke of Gordon, a Celtic Highlander chief who was himself known as the "Cock of the North." Presumably, the Marquis was not exactly known for his humility. 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 4, 2012 is: rash • \RASH\ • adjective : marked by or proceeding from undue haste or lack of deliberation or caution Examples: He often doesn't think before he speaks, and this is not the first time he has had to apologize for his rash comments. "Many colleges have yet to send out their final acceptances. So before making a rash decision, sit tight and wait to hear back from all your colleges." - From an article by Purvi S. Mody in the San Jose Mercury News (California), March 19, 2012 Did you know? The earliest known uses of "rash" (then spelled "rasch") occur in a northern dialect of 15th-century Middle English. Its earlier origins are not known for sure, though it is clearly related to a number of similar words in the Germanic languages, including Old High German "rasc" ("fast, hurried, strong, clever"), Old Norse "röskr" ("brave, vigorous"), and Middle Dutch "rasch" ("quick, nimble, agile, vigorous"). It is not, however, related to the English noun "rash" ("an eruption on the body," as in a "skin rash"). The noun "rash," which first appeared in English in the 1700s, comes by way of French and Vulgar Latin from Latin "rasus," the past participle of "radere" ("to scrape" or "to shave"). 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 3, 2012 is: incunabulum • \in-kyuh-NAB-yuh-lum\ • noun 1 : a book printed before 1501 2 : a work of art or of industry of an early period Examples: The tiny college has a library that boasts an impressive - and surprising - collection of incunabula. "This painting, which now resides in the Museo del Prado, has come to be venerated yet again, this time by art historians, as the incunabulum of an independent landscape genre." - From David L. Martin's 2011 book Curious Visions of Modernity: Enchantment, Magic, and the Sacred Did you know? The invention of the mechanized printing press in the 15th century revolutionized the way books were produced, dramatically increasing the number and variety of works to be published and distributed to awaiting readers. "Incunabulum" first appeared in English in the 19th century, referring retroactively to those books produced in the first decades of printing press technology - specifically those printed before the year 1501, a date that appears to have been determined only arbitrarily. In Latin "incunabulum" is singular of "incunabula," which translates literally to "swaddling clothes" or "bands holding the baby in a cradle." The "baby" in this case is a figurative one, referring to a book that was produced when the art of printing was still in its infancy. 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 2, 2012 is: grok • \GRAHK\ • verb : to understand profoundly and intuitively Examples: The novel's protagonists are driven by a desire to grok their place in the grand scheme of the universe. "Both of these views completely fail to grok both the documented benefits of America's leadership in space and the font of inspiration for visionaries … who have aspired to send people there." - From an article by Greg Autry in Political Machine, February 2, 2012 Did you know? "Grok" may be the only English word that derives from Martian. Yes, we do mean the language of the planet Mars. No, we're not getting spacey; we've just ventured into the realm of science fiction. "Grok" was introduced in Robert A. Heinlein's 1961 science fiction novel Stranger in a Strange Land. The book's main character, Valentine Michael Smith, is a Martian-raised human who comes to earth as an adult, bringing with him words from his native tongue and a unique perspective on the strange, strange ways of earthlings. "Grok" was quickly adopted by the youth culture of America and has since peppered the vernacular of those who grok it. 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 1, 2012 is: devious • \DEE-ve-us\ • adjective 1 : deviating from a straight line : roundabout 2 : behaving wrongly : errant 3 : tricky, cunning; also : deceptive Examples: Our guide took us by a devious route to the center of the city. "Former Congresswoman Jane Harman's resignation shortly after winning reelection in November 2010 struck many as a typically devious move on her part." - From an article by Paul Rosenberg in Random Lengths, January 12, 2012 Did you know? If you think someone devious has lost their way, you're right, etymologically speaking - the word derives from the Latin adjective "devius," itself formed from the prefix "de-" ("from" or "away") and the noun "via" ("way"). When "devious" was first used in the late 16th century, it implied a literal wandering off the "way," suggesting something that meandered or had no fixed course (as in "a devious route" or "devious breezes"). Relatively quickly, however, the word came to suggest someone or something that had metaphorically rather than literally left the "right path" or to deceitful (rather than "straight"-forward) behavior. 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 March 31, 2012 is: resile • \rih-ZYLE\ • verb : recoil, retract; especially : to return to a prior position Examples: The politician said he was sorry that his comments had caused offense, but he stopped short of resiling from his position. "Conservatives should not resile from talking about this subject on moral as well as practical grounds." - From an editorial in The Daily Telegraph (London), January 28, 2012 Did you know? "Resile" is a resilient word; it's been around in English since at least 1529. It's also a cousin of "resilient" - both words derive from the Latin verb "resilire,” which means to "jump back" or "recoil." ("Resilire" in turn comes from "salire," meaning "to jump.") "Resilient" focuses on the ability of something to "bounce back" from damage, whereas "resile" generally applies to someone or something that withdraws from an agreement or "jumps back" from a stated position. "Resile" is a word that shows up only occasionally in U.S. sources; it is more common in British and especially Australian English. 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 March 30, 2012 is: atavism • \AT-uh-viz-um\ • noun 1 a : recurrence in an organism of a trait or character typical of an ancestral form and usually due to genetic recombination b : recurrence of or reversion to a past style, manner, outlook, approach, or activity 2 : one that manifests atavism : throwback Examples: "Examples of atavisms in animals include the appearance of reptilian teeth in a mutant chicken or vestigial hind legs in a whale." - From Kate Rheaume-Bleue's 2011 book Vitamin K2 and the Calcium Paradox: How a Little-Known Vitamin Could Save Your Life "He was a magnificent atavism, a man so purely primitive that he was of the type that came into the world before the development of the moral nature." - From Jack London's 1904 novel The Sea-Wolf Did you know? "Atavism" derives via French from Latin "atavus," meaning "ancestor." "Avus" in Latin means "grandfather," and it's believed that the "at" is related to "atta," a word for "daddy." "Atavism" is a term rooted in evolutionary study, referring to instances when an organism possesses traits closer to a more remote ancestor, rather than its own parents. That sense dates to the early part of the 19th century. The word's figurative sense is a more recent development. These days one might describe a building that looks like it's from an earlier era as an atavism, or (though some people might cringe at this) apply the word to activities like reading actual paper books in the age of electronics. 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 March 29, 2012 is: zoomorphic • \zoh-uh-MOR-fik\ • adjective 1 : having the form of an animal 2 : of, relating to, or being a deity conceived of in animal form or with animal attributes Examples: Using her new cookie cutters, Angela baked a batch of zoomorphic cookies to bring to the kids in her niece's classroom. "The historic Lobero Theatre will be transformed into a rain forest for State Street Ballet's matinee production of The Jungle Book, which boasts some of the most dazzling zoomorphic costumes ever made." - From a review by Elizabeth Schwyzer in the Santa Barbara Independent (California), January 13-20, 2011 Did you know? "Zo-" (or "zoo-") derives from the Greek word "zōion," meaning "animal," and "-morph" comes from the Greek "morphē," meaning "form." These two forms combined to give us the adjective "zoomorphic," which was first used in English to describe something that resembles an animal in 1872. English includes other words that were formed from "zo-" or "zoo-," such as "zoology" (made with "-logy," meaning "science"). And there are also other words that were formed from "-morph," such as "pseudomorph," for a mineral having the outward form of another species. (The combining form "pseud-" or "pseudo-" means "false.") 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 March 28, 2012 is: epaulet • \ep-uh-LET\ • noun a : something that ornaments or protects the shoulder: as b : an ornamental fringed shoulder pad formerly worn as part of a military uniform c : an ornamental strip or loop sewn across the shoulder of a dress or coat Examples: "I once had a sparrow alight upon my shoulder for a moment while I was hoeing in a village garden, and I felt that I was more distinguished by that circumstance than I should have been by any epaulet I could have worn." - From Henry David Thoreau's 1854 novel Walden "Military-inspired outerwear: It's baaack - but with a twist. Sharp shoulders and button, zipper, epaulet and grommet details on peacoats, trenches and officer coats add a dose of fashionable force and edge to traditional pieces." - From an article by Sara Bauknecht in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 21, 2012 Did you know? The epaulet gets its name from what it covers - the shoulder. It comes from the French word "épaulette," the diminutive of "épaule," meaning shoulder. (Another accepted spelling of the English word - "epaulette" - mirrors the French.) "Épaule" itself, though, comes from the Latin word "spatha," meaning "spoon" or "sword." This Latin word (which traces back to Greek "spathē," meaning "blade of a sword" or "oar") is also the root of the word "spade" - as in the playing card suit. (The digging implement "spade" is also a relative though the connection is less direct.) 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 March 27, 2012 is: knee-jerk • \NEE-jerk\ • adjective : readily predictable : automatic; also : reacting in a readily predictable way Examples: After counting the money and realizing that $100 was missing, the manager's knee-jerk response was to fire the clerk. "Now we know what it takes to get Democrats and Republicans working together - namely, a potential loss of federal dollars and jobs on the home turf. Assuming that this knee-jerk reaction will happen in every state that receives a similar threat, one wonders how a transition from a military-industrial economy to a peacetime economy can ever be realized?" - From a letter to the editor of the Des Moines Register by Rev. Chet Guinn, February 21, 2012 Did you know? Around 1876, the sudden involuntary extension of the leg in response to a light blow just below the knee, which is also known as the "patellar reflex," was given the refreshingly simple designation "knee jerk." In the 1950s, "knee-jerk" became an adjective with a figurative sense that doesn't require any actual twitching. "As a salesman, I'm getting a bit weary of the knee-jerk association of a con artist with my professional calling," a correspondent once wrote to The New York Times Magazine. "Knee-jerk" often has a negative connotation. It usually denotes a too-hasty, impulsive, perhaps even irrational response that is often based on preconceived notions. 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 March 26, 2012 is: hebdomadal • \heb-DAH-muh-dul\ • adjective : occurring, appearing, or done every week : weekly Examples: Charles made room in his schedule for hebdomadal visits with his math tutor throughout the semester. "And still he remembered the Sunday evening, the hebdomadal get-together of his parents' circle of friends." -- From Rohinton Mistry's 2002 novel Family Matters Did you know? "Hebdomadal" is a rare and curious term describing a basic concept: the calendar week. The noun "hebdomad" (referring to a group of seven or a period of seven days) derives from Greek "hepta," meaning "seven"; that root also gave us "heptathlon," an Olympic event consisting of seven events. One notable use of the word occurs in the name of the Hebdomadal Council, the chief executive body of the University of Oxford from 1854 until about 2000. The Hebdomadal Council managed the school's finances and property, among other things, and was so named for its strict schedule of meetings - of course - just once per week. 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 March 25, 2012 is: multitudinous • \mul-tuh-TOO-duh-nus\ • adjective 1 : including a multitude of individuals 2 : existing in a great multitude 3 : existing in or consisting of innumerable elements or aspects Examples: The author's appearance is expected to attract a multitudinous gathering that will fill the entire auditorium. "The factors between [wine] labels hinge on multitudinous decisions about grape, soil, climate and culture." - From a food review by Mary Ross in the Chicago Daily Herald, November 2, 2011 Did you know? "Multitudinous" is one of many English words that make use of the combining form "multi-," from Latin "multus," meaning "many." "Multicolored," "multifunctional," and "multimillionaire" are just a few of the others. "Multitudinous" is the kind of highly expressive word that you can rely upon when you want something a little more emphatic than plain old "numerous." Among its synonyms are "multiple" and "multifold," two more members of the "multi-" family. 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 March 24, 2012 is: demarcate • \dih-MAHR-kayt\ • verb 1 : to fix or define the limits of : delimit 2 : to set apart : distinguish Examples: A crumbling stone wall demarcated the property. "The war on terrorism has made it hard to demarcate the proper lines between military action and law enforcement, simply because it doesn't resemble traditional wars between national armies." - From an article in the Chicago Tribune, January 3, 2012 Did you know? "Demarcate" is set apart by its unique history. Scholars think it may have descended from the Italian verb "marcare" ("to mark"), which is itself of Germanic origin (the Old High German word for boundary, "marha," is a relative). "Marcare" is the probable source of the Spanish "marcar" (also "to mark"), from which comes the Spanish "demarcar" ("to fix the boundary of"). In 1493, a Spanish noun, "demarcación," was used to name the new meridian dividing the New World territory between Spain and Portugal. Later (about 1730), English speakers began calling this boundary the "line of demarcation," and eventually we began applying that phrase to other dividing lines as well. "Demarcation" in turn gave rise to "demarcate" in the early 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 March 23, 2012 is: pippin • \PIP-in\ • noun 1 : a crisp tart apple having usually yellow or greenish-yellow skin strongly flushed with red and used especially for cooking 2 : a highly admired or very admirable person or thing Examples: The CEO's retirement speech was a pippin. "[Judge Len Goodman of 'Dancing with the Stars'] said … that the dance was 'first class.... It was crisp, it was sharp, it was like a pippin.'" - From an article by Allyssa Lee in the Los Angeles Times, September 27, 2011 Did you know? Since the late Middle Ages, English speakers have experimented with the use of the word "pippin," which germinated from the Anglo-French word "pepin," meaning "seed" or "pip of a fruit." "Pippin" has been used to refer to a part of a pea embryo, a grain of gold, and a grape, but those uses were not hardy enough to become firmly rooted in the English language. The word did take root, however, in the soil of the northern regions of England, where it is used to describe a small fruit seed. In addition, it has widespread use as the name of a crisp, tart apple and of a person who is unique, usually in a pleasant way. 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 March 22, 2012 is: oppugn • \uh-PYOON\ • verb 1 : to fight against 2 : to call in question Examples: The local papers have begun to oppugn the candidate's claims, arguing that the facts do not support her statements about her past business ventures. "Physics Nobel prize winner Carlo Rubbia reacts to reporters ahead of the Nobel Laureates Beijing Forum 2011 in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 26, 2011. World's top physicists including George Smoot and Carlo Rubbia touched upon and oppugned the hot issue that the velocity of light might be exceeded, at the forum on Monday." - From the caption of a photograph on Photoshot.com, September 27, 2011 Did you know? "Oppugn" was first recorded in English in the 15th century. It came to Middle English from the Latin verb "oppugnare," which in turn derived from the combination of "ob-," meaning "against," and "pugnare," meaning "to fight." "Pugnare" itself is descended from the same ancient word that gave Latin the word "pugnus," meaning "fist." It's no surprise, then, that "oppugn" was adopted into English to refer to fighting against something or someone, either physically (as in "the dictatorship will oppugn all who oppose it") or verbally (as in "oppugn an argument"). Other descendants of "pugnare" in English include the equally aggressive "pugnacious," "impugn," "repugnant," and the rare "inexpugnable" ("incapable of being subdued or overthrown"). 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 March 21, 2012 is: tub-thumper • \TUB-thump-er\ • noun : a vociferous supporter (as of a cause) Examples: Aunt Lucille was a tub-thumper for temperance who never passed up an opportunity to sermonize fervently on the evils of "demon drink" and the virtues of abstinence. "As some of you are aware, I've been a frequent tub thumper for winter gardening. In the main, I've promoted it as a means to eating well." - From an article by Chris Smith in The Seattle Post-Intelligencer, June 19, 2008 Did you know? Tub-thumpers are a noisy (and sometimes amusing) lot. The earliest ones were preachers or public speakers with a predisposition for pounding their fists on the pulpit or lectern - perhaps to wake up their listeners! Back in the 17th century, the word "tub" was sometimes used as a synonym of "pulpit"; John Dryden, for example, used the word thus in 1680 when he wrote, "Jack Presbyter shall here erect his throne, Knock out a tub with preaching once a day." "Tub-thumper" has been naming loud, impassioned speakers since at least 1662, when it was used by a writer named Hugh Foulis to describe "a sort of people ... antick in their Devotions…." 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 March 20, 2012 is: unbolted • \un-BOHL-tud\ • adjective : not sifted Examples: The restaurant is famous for its cornbread, which is the product of a generations-old recipe that calls for unbolted cornmeal and buttermilk. "[Sylvester] Graham advised everyone to eat bread made of coarse, stone-ground, unbolted flour, and he believed that bread should be baked at home." - From Andew F. Smith's 2009 book Eating History: Thirty Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine Did you know? Flours and meals of the unbolted variety are no longer a staple of most pantries, but the occasional recipe does call for them. The adjective "unbolted" comes from a somewhat obscure verb "bolt," meaning "to sift (as flour) usually through fine-meshed cloth." This "bolt" - which dates to the 13th century - comes from Anglo-French "buleter," itself of Germanic origin. "Unbolted" was once common enough to have been employed in figurative use as well as literal. In Shakespeare's King Lear a character is described as an "unbolted villain." 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 March 19, 2012 is: élan • \ay-LAHN\ • noun : vigorous spirit or enthusiasm Examples: The dance troupe performed with their usual grace and élan. "That's the setting for [Tasha Alexander's] rollicking, popular series of mysteries featuring Lady Emily Hargreaves, a headstrong woman who smokes cigars, drinks port, reads Homer in the original Greek, slings witticisms with the ease of an Oscar Wilde and solves mysteries with the élan of a Sherlock Holmes. " - From a book review in the Chicago Tribune, December 4, 2011 Did you know? Once upon a time, English speakers did not have "élan" (the word, that is; that's not to say we haven't always had potential for vigorous spirit). We had, however, "elance," a verb meaning "to hurl" that was used specifically for throwing lances and darts. "Elance" derived down the line from Middle French "(s')eslancer" ("to rush or dash"), itself from "lancer," meaning "to hurl." With the decline of lance-throwing, we tossed out "elance" a century and half ago. Just about that time we found "élan," a noun that traces to "(s')eslancer." We copied "élan" in form from the French, but we dispensed with the French sense of a literal "rush" or "dash," retaining the sense of enthusiastic animation that we sometimes characterize as "dash." 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 March 18, 2012 is: sylph • \SILF\ • noun 1 : an elemental being in the theory of Paracelsus that inhabits air 2 : a slender graceful woman or girl Examples: The dancer was a lovely, elegant sylph upon the stage. "By the time [Whitney Houston's] first album came out, in 1985, she'd been given a thorough makeover: the cover photo showed a sleek-haired, golden-skinned sylph wearing an elegantly-draped white gown." -- From an article by Caroline Sullivan in Guardian Unlimited, February 12, 2012 Did you know? Paracelsus was a man with a vivid imagination. He concocted an elaborate theory of ruling "elemental spirits": gnomes controlled the earth, salamanders fire, undines water, and sylphs (graceful beings whose name in English is from New Latin "sylphus") the air. You would hardly believe this 16th-century German-Swiss physician had his feet on the ground, but those fantastic ideas were balanced with an impressive array of solid medical discoveries. In fact, many of his scientific contributions are still highly respected, but his sylph idea has long since been discounted as fairy-tale fantasy. The creatures remain only as romantic figures of literature, art, and ballet, where diaphanous woodland sylphs are often depicted enchanting unwary males. 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 March 17, 2012 is: fallacious • \fuh-LAY-shus\ • adjective 1 : embodying a fallacy 2 : tending to deceive or mislead : delusive Examples: The notion that disease is caused by malign spirits was known to be fallacious long before germ theory gave us real understanding of disease. "The whole idea that Romney was responsible for good or bad things in Massachusetts is fallacious - just as it is fallacious that any executive is responsible for the ups and downs of the economy." - University of Michigan political scientist Michael Heaney as quoted by Seth McLaughlin in an article in The Washington Times, February 27, 2012 Did you know? "Oh what a tangled web we weave / When first we practise to deceive!" So wrote Sir Walter Scott in his 1808 poem Marmion. Scott’s line wasn't written with etymology in mind, but it might be applied to the history of "fallacious." That word traces back to the Latin verb "fallere" ("to deceive"), but it passed through a tangle of Latin and French forms before it eventually made its way into English in the early 1500s. Other descendants of "fallere" in English include "fail," "false," and "fault." 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 March 16, 2012 is: secrete • \sih-KREET\ • verb 1 : to deposit or conceal in a hiding place 2 : to appropriate secretly : abstract Examples: The squirrel had secreted nuts all over the yard in preparation for winter, and as spring approached, more were still to be found. "With either engine [the Porsche 911 Cabriolet] is flipping fast, particularly above 4,000 rpm, and it makes all the right noises too, from bellows and wails to enough pops and crackles when you lift off the throttle to make you wonder if somebody has secreted some Rice Krispies up the exhaust." - From a review by Chris Knapman in The Telegraph (United Kingdom), February 15, 2012 Did you know? If you guessed that the secret to the origins of "secrete" is the word "secret," you are correct. "Secrete" was coined in the mid-18th century from a now obsolete verb "secret." That verb had the meaning now carried by "secrete" and derived from the familiar noun "secret" ("something kept hidden or unexplained"). The noun, in turn, traces back to the Latin verb "secernere," meaning "to separate" or "to distinguish." Incidentally, there is an earlier and distinct verb "secrete" with the more scientific meaning "to form and give off (a secretion)." That "secrete" is a back-formation from "secretion," another word that can be traced back to "secernere." 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 March 15, 2012 is: instauration • \in-staw-RAY-shun\ • noun 1 : restoration after decay, lapse, or dilapidation 2 : an act of instituting or establishing something Examples: "Once, humanity dreamed of the great instauration - a rebirth of ancient wisdom that would compel us into a New Age...." - From an article by Knute Berger in the Seattle Weekly, December 14, 2005 "The Thibaut/Savigny conflict, the conflict between two leading professors, led to the instauration of the two law commissions, again composed of professors, which finally paved the way for the adoption of the German Civil Code, some fifty years later." - From an introduction by Hans-W. Micklitz to the 2011 book The Many Concepts of Social Justice in European Private Law Did you know? "Instauration" first appeared in English in the early 17th century, a product of the Latin verb "instaurare," meaning "to renew or restore." This same source gave us our verb "store," by way of Middle English and Anglo-French. Less than 20 years after "instauration" broke into English, the philosopher Francis Bacon began writing his Instauratio Magna, which translates to The Great Instauration. This uncompleted collection of works, which was written in Latin, calls for a restoration to a state of paradise on earth, but one in which mankind is enlightened by knowledge and truth. 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 March 14, 2012 is: volplane • \VAHL-playn\ • verb 1 : to glide in or as if in an airplane 2 a : to descend gradually in controlled flight b : to fly in a glider Examples: An eagle soared and volplaned gracefully across the sky. "Does it [the northern flying squirrel] really fly: No. It glides (or "volplanes") and always in a downward direction. - From an article by Nicholas Read in The Vancouver Sun (British Columbia), October 18, 2008 Did you know? "Vol plané" (meaning "gliding flight") was a phrase first used by 19th-century French ornithologists to describe downward flight by birds; it contrasted with "vol à voile" ("soaring flight"). Around the time Orville and Wilbur Wright were promoting their latest "aeroplane" in France, the noun and the verb "volplane" soared to popularity in America as terms describing the daring dives by aviators (Fly Magazine reported in 1910, "The French flyers are noted for their thrilling spirals and vol planes from the sky"). The avian-to-aviator generalization was fitting, since the Wright brothers had studied the flight of birds in designing their planes. 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 March 13, 2012 is: nugatory • \NOO-guh-tor-ee\ • adjective 1 : of little or no consequence : trifling, inconsequential 2 : having no force : inoperative Examples: The decision to remove such a minor character from the show should have a nugatory impact on its success. "I had grown up hearing Kenneth Williams and others bemoaning in quavering comic tones the insultingly nugatory fees they had been offered for their services…." - From Stephen Fry's 2010 book The Fry Chronicles : An Autobiography Did you know? "Nugatory," which first appeared in English in the 17th century, comes from the Latin adjective "nugatorius" and is ultimately a derivative of the noun "nugae," meaning "trifles." Like its synonyms "vain," "idle," "empty," and "hollow," "nugatory" means "without worth or significance." But while "nugatory" suggests triviality or insignificance ("a monarch with nugatory powers," for example), "vain" implies either absolute or relative absence of value (as in "vain promises"). "Idle" suggests being incapable of worthwhile use or effect (as in "idle speculations"). "Empty" and "hollow" suggest a deceiving lack of real substance or genuineness (as in "an empty attempt at reconciliation" or "a hollow victory"). 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 March 12, 2012 is: upbraid • \up-BRAYD\ • verb 1 : to criticize severely : find fault with 2 : to reproach severely : scold vehemently Examples: The foreman was upbraided for not strictly enforcing the company's worksite safety policies during his shifts. "Later that autumn, when their first three-month lease was approaching its end, the Hawkings heard that another house in the lane was unoccupied. A helpful neighbor was able to contact the owner in Dorset and upbraided her for having her house stand empty while a young couple could find no place to live." - From Kitty Ferguson's 2012 biography Stephen Hawking: An Unfettered Mind Did you know? "Upbraid," "scold," and "berate" all mean to reproach angrily, but with slight differences in emphasis. "Scold" usually implies rebuking in irritation or ill temper, either justly or unjustly. "Upbraid" tends to suggest censuring on definite and usually justifiable grounds, while "berate" implies scolding that is prolonged and even abusive. If you’re looking for a more colorful term for telling someone off, try "tongue-lash," "bawl out," "chew out," or "wig" - all of which are fairly close synonyms of "berate." Among these synonyms, "upbraid" is the senior member in English, dating from the 12th century. "Upbraid" derives via Middle English from the Old English "Ūpbregdan," believed to be formed from a prefix meaning "up" and the verb "bregdan," meaning "to snatch" or " to move suddenly." 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 March 11, 2012 is: nondescript • \nahn-di-SKRIPT\ • adjective 1 : belonging or appearing to belong to no particular class or kind : not easily described 2 : lacking distinctive or interesting qualities : dull, drab Examples: The famous spy was a quiet, nondescript man that no one could describe even a few minutes after meeting him, which was clearly an advantage in his profession. "There is a nondescript warehouse in town with contents so vital to the operations of American businesses and government that it is protected by guards armed with assault rifles." - From an article by Conor Shine in the Las Vegas Sun, November 7, 2011 Did you know? It is relatively easy to describe the origins of "nondescript" (and there's a hint in the first part of this sentence). "Nondescript" was formed by combining the prefix "non-" (meaning "not") with the past participle of the Latin verb "describere," meaning "to describe." It is no surprise, then, that when the word was adopted in the late 17th century by English speakers, it was typically applied to something (such as a genus or species) that had not yet been described. Other descriptive descendants of "describere" in English include "describe," "description," and "descriptive" itself, as well as the rare philosophical term "descriptum" ("something that is described"). 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 March 10, 2012 is: quietus • \kwye-EE-tus\ • noun 1 : final settlement (as of a debt) 2 : removal from activity; especially : death 3 : something that quiets or represses Examples: The town council voted against granting a permit to stage the concert in the park, thus putting the quietus on any repeat of last year's unruly behavior. "All this comes just about the time when some bass-fishing folks were predicting a mad rush to the banks for the first round of spawning on Tuesday's full moon. The effects of the rain, cooler water and a rising barometer should put the quietus on that until water levels stabilize and sunlight returns to warm the water." - From an article by Joe Macaluso in The Advocate (Baton Rouge, Louisiana), February 2, 2012 Did you know? In the early 1500s, English speakers adopted the Medieval Latin phrase "quietus est" (literally "he is quit") as the name for the writ of discharge exempting a baron or knight from payment of a knight's fee to the king. The expression was later shortened to "quietus" and applied to the termination of any debt. William Shakespeare was the first to use "quietus" as a metaphor for the termination of life: "For who would bear the whips and scorns of time, … When he himself might his quietus make / With a bare bodkin?" (Hamlet). The third meaning, which is more influenced by "quiet" than "quit," appeared in the 19th century. It often occurs in the phrase "put the quietus on" (as in, "The bad news put the quietus on their celebration"). 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 March 9, 2012 is: winsome • \WIN-sum\ • adjective 1 : generally pleasing and engaging often because of a childlike charm and innocence 2 : cheerful, lighthearted Examples: Darryl's winsome nature made him well-liked in the office, and his cubicle was a popular destination for co-workers looking for a conversation partner. "Faina, a winsome blonde child with a fox for a friend, emerges from the woods to bewitch them both." - From a book review by Lydia Kiesling in Slate, January 31, 2012 Did you know? "Winsome" began as "wynsum" a thousand years ago. It was formed from "wynn," the Old English word for "joy" or "pleasure," and the suffix "-sum," an older form of the "-some" we see today in many adjectives, such as "awesome," "irksome," and "lonesome." "Wynn" later became "win," meaning "pleasure," but we haven't used that noun since the 17th century. We do, however, use another word that has a "pleasing" connection and is related, albeit distantly, to "winsome." "Winning" ("tending to please or delight," as in "a winning smile" or "winning ways"), the present participle of the familiar verb "win," is from Old English "winnan," meaning "to struggle." Both "winnan" and "wynn" are thought to be related to Latin "venus," which means, among other things, "charm." 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 March 8, 2012 is: diplopia • \dih-PLOH-pee-uh\ • noun : a disorder of vision in which two images of a single object are seen because of unequal action of the eye muscles - called also double vision Examples: Most cases of diplopia go away on their own, but in some instances it can be a sign of an aneurysm or other disorder in the brain. "Every August thousands of twins converge there for 'Twins Days Festival' - so many in fact you might think you had an acute case of diplopia…." - From a Q&A in The Berkshire Eagle (Massachusetts), November 12, 2011 Did you know? We won't give you any double-talk about "diplopia." The word is simply the sum of the combining forms "dipl-" (meaning "double") and "-opia" (meaning "vision"). Visionarily speaking, the linguistic relatives of "diplopia" include "hyperopia" ("farsightedness"), "myopia" ("nearsightedness"), "deuteranopia" ("red-green color blindness"), and "presbyopia" ("loss of elasticity in the eye's lens"). 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 March 7, 2012 is: arrogate • \AIR-uh-gayt\ • verb 1 a : to claim or seize without justification b : to make undue claims to having : assume 2 : to claim on behalf of another : ascribe Examples: The city council has accused the mayor of arrogating decision-making authority to himself that rightly belongs with the council. "Iranian political analysts said Mr. Ahmadinejad, unlike his predecessors, has made enemies of many Iranian religious figures by aggressively arrogating more power to his office than they would like." - From an article by Rick Gladstone in The New York Times, November 23, 2011 Did you know? "Arrogate" comes from the Latin "arrogatus," a past participle of the verb "arrogare," which means "to appropriate to one's self." The Latin verb, in turn, was formed from the prefix "ad-" ("to" or "toward") and the verb "rogare" ("to ask"). You may have noticed that "arrogate" is similar to the more familiar "arrogant." And there is, in fact, a relationship between the two words. "Arrogant" comes from Latin "arrogant-, arrogans," the present participle of "arrogare." "Arrogant" is often applied to that sense of superiority which comes from someone claiming (or arrogating) more consideration than is due to that person's position, dignity, or power. 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 March 6, 2012 is: putsch • \PUTCH\ • noun : a secretly plotted and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a government Examples: German theologian and pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed for his role in an intricate putsch aimed at assassinating Adolf Hitler that occurred on July 20, 1944. "Mr. Duceppe did not bother disguising his efforts to organize a putsch replacing Ms. Marois last week." -- From an article by Graeme Hamilton in the National Post (Canada), January 23, 2012 Did you know? In its native Swiss German, "putsch" originally meant "knock" or "thrust," but these days both German and English speakers use it to refer to the kind of government overthrow also known as a "coup d'état." "Putsch" debuted in English shortly before the tumultuous Kapp Putsch of 1920, in which Wolfgang Kapp and his right-wing supporters attempted to overthrow the German Weimar government. Putsch attempts were common in Weimar Germany, so the word appeared often in the stories of the English journalists who described the insurrections. Adolf Hitler himself even attempted a putsch (known as the Beer Hall Putsch), but he ultimately gained control of the German government via other means. 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 March 5, 2012 is: felicitate • \fih-LISS-uh-tayt\ • verb 1 : to consider happy or fortunate 2 : to offer congratulations to Examples: The other swimmers politely felicitated the winner of the race. "The rising music stars, all of whom are first-prize winners of the All India Radio Competition 2011, will be felicitated in the morning inaugural session."-From an article in Screen, January 13, 2012 Did you know? "Felix," a Latin adjective meaning "happy" or "fruitful," is the root of our English words "felicity" and "felicitate." The former is the older of the two; it dates back to the 14th century and refers to the state of being happy or to something that makes people happy. When writing King Lear, William Shakespeare was probably pleased when he thought of the word "felicitate" as an adjective meaning "made happy," but not everyone took a shine to it and it fell into disuse. However, people were happy to pick up "felicitate" as a verb meaning "to make happy." That meaning is now considered archaic but it was the seed for other meanings of the word. "Felicitate" eventually grew to mean "to consider happy or fortunate" and "to congratulate." 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 March 4, 2012 is: Babbitt • \BAB-it\ • noun : a person and especially a business or professional man who conforms unthinkingly to prevailing middle-class standards Examples: The candidate's economic agenda appeals to the frugal Babbitts in his constituency. "There is something delightfully counterintuitive about [author Richard] Florida's theory as he chooses to state it: you would have thought it was dull Babbitts who made a city commercially successful, but no-it's kids with scruffy beards and tattoos who have alt-rock bands … and wait tables in vegan restaurants."-From an article by Nicholas Lemann in The New Yorker, June 27, 2011 Did you know? He was a prosperous real-estate broker, a pillar of his Midwestern community, and a believer in success for its own sake. George F. Babbitt was his name and complacent American middle-class values were his game. He was created by Sinclair Lewis in the satirical 1922 novel Babbitt, and the fictional protagonist's name quickly became a synonym for one who adheres to a conformist, materialistic, unimaginative way of life. 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 March 3, 2012 is: immense • \ih-MENSS\ • adjective 1 : marked by greatness especially in size or degree; especially : transcending ordinary means of measurement 2 : supremely good Examples: I often find it difficult to convey to the students in my science classes how immense the universe truly is. "Even moderate rains -- and Rio is a city of immense downpours-turn many thoroughfares into rushing rivers...."-From an article by Jenny Barchfield in the Chicago Sun-Times, February 5, 2012 Did you know? Just how big is something if it is immense? Huge? Colossal? Humongous? Ginormous? Or merely enormous? "Immense" is often used as a synonym of all of the above and, as such, can simply function as yet another way for English speakers to say "really, really, really big." "Immense" is also used, however, in a sense which goes beyond merely really, really, really big to describe something that is so great in size or degree that it transcends ordinary means of measurement. This sense harks back to the original sense of "immense" as something which is so tremendously big that it has not or cannot be measured. This sense reflects the word's roots in the Latin "immensus," from "in-" ("un-") and "mensus," the past participle of "metiri" ("to measure"). 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 March 2, 2012 is: yuppify • \YUP-uh-fye\ • verb : to make appealing to yuppies; also : to infuse with the qualities or values of yuppies Examples: While rent prices in the city have fallen, the neighborhoods that were relatively recently yuppified remain too expensive for most city residents. "Celebrating 60 years of racing in 2009, Darlington Raceway ... is the grand-dad of all NASCAR tracks, the first ever to host a major race. While it's not as plush as the new, ritzier raceways built to accommodate the sport's push to yuppify its ranks, this is still an impressive sight right on Highway 52 and a bit of living history." - From Jim Morekis' 2009 Moon South Carolina guidebook (Moon Handbooks) Did you know? "Yuppie" and "yuppify" are products of the 1980s, but they owe a debt to predecessors from the 1960s and 1970s. "Hippie" (a long-haired unconventionally dressed young person who rejects societal mores; from "hip," meaning "cool") first appeared in print in 1953. "Yippie" (a politically active hippie; from Youth International Party) followed "hippie" into the language in 1968. "Gentrification" and "gentrify" (referring to the effects of influxes of relatively affluent people into deteriorating neighborhoods; from "gentry") made their debuts in 1964 and 1972, respectively. "Yuppie" (a young well-paid professional who lives and works in or near an urban area; probably from young urban professional; influenced by "hippie" and "yippie") hit the press in 1981. "Yuppify" and "yuppification" (patterned after "gentrify" and "gentrification") joined the lexicon in 1984. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.