Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 4, 2011 is: Annie Oakley • \an-ee-OH-klee\ • noun : a free ticket Examples: The sales representative gave her client a pair of Annie Oakleys to the golf tournament. "I asked my office neighbor Ned Dougherty if he and his fiancée Ginny wanted to take the other two Annie Oaklies and join us that evening, which is how four of us came to be at New York City's Ethel Barrymore Theater." -- From a blog post by Dean Speir on his On the Beach Blog, July 9, 2009 Did you know? Phoebe Anne Oakley Moses (1860-1926) starred in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, where she astonished the crowds with feats of marksmanship such as shooting the spots out of playing cards. It wasn't long until her audience noticed that the shot-out card looked like a ticket that had been punched by a train conductor. By 1910, the name "Annie Oakley" was not only synonymous with sharp-shooting but with the ticket-playing card connection, and complimentary tickets have been "Annie Oakleys" ever since. 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 October 3, 2011 is: corrade • \kuh-RAYD\ • verb : to wear or crumble away through abrasion Examples: Over the years, the rushing waters had corraded the riverbanks. "The nearly pyramidal shapes in the Cydonia region of Mars -- which recent imagery suggest are likely no more than ancient mountains corraded by eons of sandstorms --were advanced by the late astronomer Carl Sagan and others as sites to be examined by future missions to Mars as potential artifacts of intelligence." -- From P. J. Capelotti's 2010 book The Human Archaeology of Space: Lunar, Planetary and Interstellar Relics of Exploration Did you know? In Latin "rodere" means "to gnaw" and "radere" means "to scrape." The latter word is at the base of both "abrade" and "corrade." "Corrade," which carved its niche in the English language during the mid-17th century, is used when something, such as moving water, "rubs" or "scrapes" something else away. In contrast, the word "corrode," derived from "rodere," is fitting when something "eats away" at something else especially by chemical action. "Erode" shares that meaning but can also be used to describe abrasive action, much like "corrade." As an aside, the gnawing of small animals, such as mice and squirrels, influenced the formation of the noun "rodent" through "rodere." 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 October 2, 2011 is: newspeak • \NOO-speek\ • noun, often capitalized : propagandistic language marked by euphemism, circumlocution, and the inversion of customary meanings : double-talk Examples: "With all the twists and turns of newspeak, it's virtually impossible to figure out exactly what any candidate stands for anymore," complained Brian. "The cramped media room at Emerald Gardens was packed with sweaty print and radio reporters and half-a-dozen network cameras as Freddie Hutt offered up a tutorial in the language of sports management newspeak -- a language that made it seem as if the St. Pats had no responsibility in starting the bench-clearing brawl but had been innocent bystanders." -- From Michael McKinley's 2011 novel The Penalty Killing Did you know? The term "newspeak" was coined by George Orwell in his 1949 anti-utopian novel 1984. In Orwell's fictional totalitarian state, Newspeak was a language favored by the minions of Big Brother and, in Orwell's words, "designed to diminish the range of thought." Newspeak was characterized by the elimination or alteration of certain words, the substitution of one word for another, the interchangeability of parts of speech, and the creation of words for political purposes. The word has caught on in general use to refer to confusing or deceptive bureaucratic jargon. 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 October 1, 2011 is: obsequious • \ub-SEE-kwee-us\ • adjective : marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness Examples: The executive brought with him an entourage of obsequious assistants who would do anything he asked of them. "The staff are amazing, ever-helpful without being obsequious, always cheerful (generally) and quick to join in the laughter and banter no matter how juvenile or how often they've heard it before." -- From a review of a pub in The Telegraph (London), July 18, 2011 Did you know? An obsequious person is more likely to be a follower than a leader. Use that fact to help you remember the meaning of "obsequious." All you need to do is bear in mind that the word comes from the Latin root "sequi," meaning "to follow." (The other contributor is the prefix "ob-," meaning "toward.") "Sequi" is the source of a number of other English words, too, including "consequence" (a result that follows from an action), "sequel" (a novel, film, or TV show that follows an original version), and "non sequitur" (a conclusion that doesn’t follow from what was said before). 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 September 30, 2011 is: gridiron • \GRID-eye-ern\ • noun 1 : a grate for broiling food 2 : something consisting of or covered with a network 3 : a football field Examples: The former quarterback looked out at the field, recalling his many moments of glory on the gridiron. "In the spirit of the gridiron, Jets star quarterback Mark Sanchez offers his best portrayal of Jets 1960s legend Broadway Joe Namath, down to a flashy fur coat." -- From an article in The New York Post, August 22, 2011 Did you know? Modern gridirons are most likely to be covered by football players, but the original gridirons were more likely to be covered with meat or fish; they were metal gratings used for broiling food over an open fire. In Middle English, such a grating was called a "gredil," a root that gave modern English both "gridiron" and "griddle." How did "gridiron" become associated with football? That happened in the late 1800s, when a white grid pattern was added to football fields to help enforce new rules about how many yards a team had to gain to keep possession of the ball. From high up in the stands, the lines made the playing fields look like cooking gridirons. 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 September 29, 2011 is: factitious • \fak-TISH-us\ • adjective 1 : produced by humans rather than by natural forces 2 : not natural or genuine : artificial Examples: Terry had the distinct feeling that her host's British accent was factitious -- part of an act designed to distance him even further from those around him. "The energy generated here often feels factitious, all show (or show and tell) and little substance." -- From a theater review by Ben Brantley in the New York Times, April 28, 2011 Did you know? Like the common words "fact" and "factual," "factitious" ultimately comes from the Latin verb "facere," meaning "to do" or "to make." But in current use, "factitious" has little to do with things factual and true -- in fact, "factitious" often implies the opposite. The most immediate ancestor of "factitious" is the Latin adjective "facticius," meaning "made by art" or "artificial." When English speakers first adopted the word as "factitious" in the 17th century, it meant "produced by human effort or skill" (rather than arising from nature). This meaning gave rise to such meanings as "artificial" and "false" or "feigned." 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 September 28, 2011 is: moiety • \MOY-uh-tee\ • noun 1 a : one of two equal parts : half b : one of two approximately equal parts 2 : one of the portions into which something is divided : component, part 3 : one of two basic complementary tribal subdivisions Examples: "According to the FDA, a new molecular entity or new chemical entity is a drug that contains no active moiety that has been approved by the FDA for any other application submitted under section 505(b) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act." -- From Ibis Sanchez-Serrano's 2011 book The World's Health Care Crisis: From the Laboratory Bench to the Patient's Bedside "She was asked to describe the tribe's two moieties. She said the Winter and Summer People provided the basic religious and social structure…." -- From Joanne Barker's 2011 book Native Acts: Law, Recognition, and Cultural Authenticity Did you know? "Moiety" is one of thousands of words that English speakers borrowed from French. The Anglo-French "moitè" (meaning "a half" or "part of something") comes from Late Latin "medietat-," meaning "half." Around the same time that "moiety" was borrowed from Anglo-French, "medietat-" was also borrowed directly from Latin as "mediety," a word which can also mean "a half." "Medietat-" comes from Latin "medius" (meaning "middle"), which has contributed to such English words as "medium," "meridian," and "milieu." 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 September 27, 2011 is: adapt • \uh-DAPT\ • verb : to make or become fit (as for a specific or new use or situation) often by modification Examples: It took Rachel a while to adapt to her new school, but she is settling in well now. "Despite even lifelong exposure to a cooler climate, individuals can physically adapt to a hotter one in a matter of weeks, said Bret Goodpaster, associate professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh." -- From an article by Joshua Falk in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 29, 2011 Did you know? Rooted in the origins of "adapt" is the idea of becoming specifically "fit" for something. English speakers adapted "adapt" in the 15th century from the French "adapter," which itself traces to the Latin forms "aptare," meaning "to fit," and "aptus," meaning "fit" or "apt." Other descendants of "aptus" in English include "aptitude," "inept," and of course "apt" itself, as well as "unapt" and "inapt." 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 September 26, 2011 is: baksheesh • \BAK-sheesh\ • noun : payment (as a tip or bribe) to expedite service Examples: "I’m sure the fact that we got seated so quickly had nothing to do that with that little baksheesh you just slipped the host," said Erica to her dining companion. "Perhaps if the National Association of Barking Treefrogs can send several thousand dollars of baksheesh to Cannon's Leadership Fund, the speaker will exercise some leadership in getting the frog thing passed." -- From an article by Daniel Ruth in the St. Petersburg Times (Florida), May 6, 2011 Did you know? "Baksheesh" came into the English language around 1686 and was most likely picked up by British subjects as they traveled abroad. In Asia, English speakers would have heard "baksheesh" used as a word meaning "gratuity, a present of money, tip" -- a meaning they directly adopted. Etymologically speaking, "baksheesh" is from Persian "bakhshīsh," which is also the source of the word "buckshee," meaning "something extra obtained free," "extra rations," or "windfall, gratuity." "Buckshee" is strictly a British English term and is not used in American 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 September 25, 2011 is: climacteric • \kly-MAK-tuh-rik\ • noun 1 : a major turning point or critical stage 2 a : menopause b : a period in the life of a male corresponding to female menopause 3 : the marked and sudden rise in the respiratory rate of fruit just prior to full ripening Examples: Many historians have attempted to pinpoint the Roman Empire's climacteric, that precise moment when it began its long downhill slide. "Orwell was dying, and Waugh was experiencing a climacteric, a shift from comic fiction to more serious considerations of loss and faith." -- From an essay by John Howard Wilson in Papers on Language & Literature, January 1, 2011 Did you know? "Climacteric" comes from the Greek word "klimaktēr," meaning "critical point" or, literally, "rung of a ladder." English speakers have long used "climacteric" for those inevitable big moments encountered on the metaphorical ladder of life. The major climacterics in a person’s life were once thought to happen in years denoted by multiples of 7 or 9 or only in the odd multiples of 7 (7, 21, 35, etc.). The grand (or great) climacteric was held to occur in the 63rd (7 x 9) or the 81st (9 x 9) year of life. Today, "climacteric" can refer to male or female menopause, which typically occurs between the ages of 45 and 55, but the general "turning point" sense is not usually tied to a specific age. 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 September 24, 2011 is: impugn • \im-PYOON\ • verb : to assail by words or arguments : oppose or attack as false or lacking integrity Examples: The group has launched a series of negative campaign ads impugning the character of leading candidate. "It is true that the more ammunition the defense has to impugn the general believability of the complainant, the more difficult the prosecution's job." -- From an article by Jeanne M. Hauch in The Washington Times, July 22, 2011 Did you know? When you impugn, you hazard repugnant pugnacity. More simply put, you risk insulting someone to the point where he or she wants to sock you. The belligerent implications of "impugn" are to be expected in a word that derives from the Latin verb "pugnare," which means "to fight." In its earliest known English uses in the 1300s, "impugn" could refer to a physical attack (as in, "the troops impugned the city") as well as to figurative assaults involving verbal contradiction or dispute. Over time, though, the sense of physical battling has become obsolete and the "calling into question" sense has predominated. As you might expect, "pugnare" also gave English other fighting words, including "repugnant" and "pugnacity." 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 September 23, 2011 is: bildungsroman • \BIL-doonks-roh-mahn\ • noun : a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character Examples: While the author’s previous novel was a bildungsroman, her most recent book focuses on trials and tribulations of a family through multiple generations. "Jonathan Safran Foer's exuberant, wildly stylized novel 'Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close' (2005) incorporates intertextuality, meta-fiction and a young boy’s spiritual education -- what we English major folks call 'bildungsroman' -- in reconciling national trauma." -- From a review by Ryan Lattanzio in The Daily Californian, September 8, 2011 Did you know? "Bildungsroman" is the combination of two German words: "Bildung," meaning "education," and "Roman," meaning "novel." Fittingly, a "bildungsroman" is a novel that deals with the formative years of the main character -- in particular, his or her psychological development and moral education. The bildungsroman usually ends on a positive note with the hero's foolish mistakes and painful disappointments over and a life of usefulness ahead. Goethe's late 18th-century work Wilhelm Meisters Lehrjahre (Wilhelm Meister's Apprenticeship) is often cited as the classic example of this type of novel. Though the term is primarily applied to novels, in recent years, some English speakers have begun to apply the term to films that deal with a youthful character's coming-of-age. 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 September 22, 2011 is: ruction • \RUK-shun\ • noun 1 : a noisy fight 2 : disturbance, uproar Examples: The ruction outside the door prompted me to investigate what was going on. "I wrapped my hand around it [the whip], but didn't want to use it and cause a ruction." -- From Damien Broderick’s 2011 novel Time Considered as a Series of Thermite Burns in No Particular Order Did you know? English offers up a scramble of colorful words for what can happen when tempers spill over. For example, we have "melee," "fracas," "donnybrook," "ruckus," and one especially for baseball fans, "rhubarb." "Ruction" is rarer than most of these. Etymologists speculate that "ruction" came to English in the early 19th century as a shortening and alteration of another word suggesting an episode of violence: "insurrection." The earliest uses of "ruction" specifically make reference to the Irish Rebellion of 1798, an uprising against British rule on that island. "Ruckus" came later, toward the end of the 19th century, and was probably formed by combining "ruction" with "rumpus." 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 September 21, 2011 is: preprandial • \pree-PRAN-dee-ul\ • adjective : of, relating to, or suitable for the time just before dinner Examples: Although dinner was served late, the preprandial conversation was so diverting that no one minded. "Churchill celebrated Christmas with the Roosevelts, took part in FDR's preprandial cocktail hours, shared most meals with the president, and, to Eleanor Roosevelt's great dismay, kept her husband up until the early hours each morning, drinking brandy, puffing cigars, and talking endlessly about everything." -- From Lynne Olson's 2010 book Citizens of London Did you know? Though the Latin noun "prandium" means "late breakfast" or "luncheon," its derivative English adjectives -- "preprandial," "prandial," and "postprandial" -- are just as likely to refer to other meals; in fact, "preprandial" is usually applied to dinner. Those adjectives were quite new in our language ("prandial" and "postprandial" first appeared in print in 1820, and "preprandial" in 1822) when a Scottish judge wrote in his memoirs, "Every glass during dinner required to be dedicated to the health of some one.... This prandial nuisance was horrible." English also acquired the adverbs "prandially" and "postprandially," but those are much rarer words these days. 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 September 20, 2011 is: condone • \kun-DOHN\ • verb : to regard or treat (something bad or blameworthy) as acceptable, forgivable, or harmless Examples: The school handbook explicitly states that bullying will not be condoned. "A workers' union spokeswoman said the union doesn't condone illegal action of any kind." -- From a wire report on NewsOK.com (Oklahoma), August 12, 2011 Did you know? Since some folks don't condone even minor usage slips, you might want to get the meaning of this word straight. Although English speakers sometimes use "condone" with the intended meaning "approve of" or "encourage," the more established meaning is closer to "pardon" or "overlook." "Condone" comes from the Latin verb "condonare," which means "to absolve." "Condonare" in turn combines the Latin prefix "con-," indicating thoroughness, and "donare," meaning "to give" or "to grant." Not surprisingly, "donare" is also the source of our words "donate" and "pardon." 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 September 19, 2011 is: hamartia • \hah-mahr-TEE-uh\ • noun : tragic flaw Examples: Greed was the hamartia that ultimately brought down the protagonist. "Kara Swisher, the co-executive editor of All Things D, also pointed out that being on TBS might be Conan's hamartia." -- From an article about Conan O'Brien by Michelle Castillo on CBSNEWS.com, August 23, 2011 Did you know? "Harmartia" arose from the Greek verb "hamartanein," meaning "to miss the mark" or "to err." Aristotle introduced the term in the Poetics to describe the error of judgment which ultimately brings about the tragic hero's downfall. As you can imagine, the word is most often found in literary criticism. However, news writers occasionally employ the word when discussing the unexplainable misfortune or missteps of übercelebrities regarded as immortal gods and goddesses before being felled by their own shortcomings. 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 September 18, 2011 is: doughty • \DOW-tee\ • adjective : marked by fearless resolution : valiant Examples: When little Liza saw the neighborhood bullies picking on one of the younger boys the doughty girl marched up to them and demanded that they stop at once. "The [white bass](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/white bass) particularly proved to be doughty hard fighters, especially when we hooked doubles -- which happened time and time again." -- From an article by Dick Martin in the Bucyrus Telegraph Forum (Ohio), August 8, 2011 Did you know? "Doughty" is a persevering Old English word. Its earliest form was "dyhtig," but early on the vowel changed and the word became "dohtig." That was probably due to influence from a related Old English word, "dohte," meaning "had worth." By the 13th century, the spelling "doughty" had begun to appear. The expected pronunciation would be \DAW-tee\, paralleling other similarly spelled old words like "bought" and "sought." But over the centuries, the spelling was sometimes confused with that of the now obsolete word "doubty," meaning "full of doubt," and thus, so it is conjectured, we have the pronunciation we use today. 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 September 17, 2011 is: bioturbation • \bye-oh-ter-BAY-shun\ • noun : the restructuring of sedimentary deposits (as in a lake bottom or seabed) by moving organisms (as worms and burrowing clams) Examples: "Native oysters are likely even more susceptible to bioturbation from shrimp, but it is unclear whether they formed reefs before they were harvested and how stable these were in the face of burrowing shrimp invasions." -- From an article in Journal of Shellfish Research, April 1, 2011 "Many studies have looked at bioturbation -- how plants and animals alter archaeological sites -- but rarely in ground saturated by monsoons." -- From an article by Samir S. Patel in Archaeology, January 2011 Did you know? From about the 1400s to the 1600s, the Latin borrowing "turbation" was used to refer to a disturbance or perturbation -- even though both "disturbance" and "perturbation" were already well-established words in the language. Years later, the word was revived in the International Scientific Vocabulary as the base for "congeliturbation," the churning or heaving of the soil by freezing and thawing," and "bioturbation," referring to the activity of organisms disturbing the sediment. 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 September 16, 2011 is: wardrobe • \WOR-drohb\ • noun 1 a : a room or closet where clothes are kept b : a receptacle for clothes c : a large trunk in which clothes may be hung upright 2 a : a collection of wearing apparel (as of one person or for one activity) b : a collection of stage costumes and accessories 3 : the department of a royal or noble household entrusted with the care of wearing apparel, jewels, and personal articles Examples: Over the years, Sandra has managed to acquire a large and varied wardrobe. "The blazer is the easiest thing in fall to incorporate into your wardrobe. One good blazer can go well with a dress, pretty blouse or even be used as part of a suit." -- From an article by Tracy Jones in the Florida Times-Union, August 9, 2011 Did you know? There is a lot of word history packed into "wardrobe." The word was borrowed by Middle-English speakers from a variant of Anglo-French "garderobe." A combination of "garder" and "robe," "garderobe" itself has been borrowed into English as a synonym of "wardrobe." If the roots of "garderobe" look familiar, it is because they are the source of a number of different English words. "Garder" has given us the English verbs "guard" and "ward." And "robe," of course, is the source of the English "robe" and shares its own origins with the English verbs "rob" and "reave" (a synonym of "plunder"). If this connection seems odd, it might help to know that "robe" can be traced back to the Old High German words "rauba," meaning "booty," "spoils," or "looted 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 September 15, 2011 is: stridulate • \STRIJ-uh-layt\ • verb : to make a shrill creaking noise by rubbing together special bodily structures -- used especially of male insects (as crickets or grasshoppers) Examples: Lying in my tent that night, I could hear the campfire crackling and the crickets stridulating and none of the city sounds I was accustomed to. "Water rushes and warbles over rocks, around our island in the middle of the stream. Insects stridulate in a hum almost electric." -- From an article by Ezra Kyrill Erker in the Bangkok Post, August 14, 2011 Did you know? "Stridulate" is one member of a word family that has its ancestry in the Latin word "stridulus," meaning "shrill." Also in this family is "stridulation," a noun that can either refer to the shrill sound made when an insect stridulates or can simply mean "the act of stridulating." Another "stridulus" word is "stridulatory," meaning "able to stridulate" or "used in stridulation." There's also "stridulous," meaning "making a shrill creaking sound." "Stridulus" itself comes from "stridere," which is the direct source of the last word we'll mention here. "Stridor" means "a harsh, shrill, or creaking noise" and also "a harsh vibrating sound heard during respiration in cases of obstruction of the air passages." 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 September 14, 2011 is: haruspex • \huh-RUSS-peks\ • noun : a diviner in ancient Rome basing his predictions on inspection of the entrails of sacrificial animals Examples: The haruspex declared that the outcome of the battle would be favorable. "The coroner-cum-haruspex will divine the mystery of her death, read the entrails of the bird that flew too far and too fast…." -- From an article by Violet LeVoit in the Baltimore City Paper, August 17, 2011 Did you know? "Haruspex" was formed in Latin by the combination of "haru-" (which is akin to "chordē," the Greek word for "gut") and "-spex" (from the verb "specere," meaning "to look"). Appropriately, "haruspex" can be roughly defined as "one who looks at guts." The ancient Romans had a number of ways of determining whether the gods approved of a particular course of action. Such divination was called "augury," and a haruspex was a type of "augur," an official diviner of ancient Rome. (Other augurs divined the will of the gods through slightly less gruesome means, such as observing the behavior of birds or tracking celestial phenomena.) "Haruspex," like "augur," has developed a general sense of "one who prophesies," but this use is somewhat rare. 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 September 13, 2011 is: solace • \SAH-lus\ • noun 1 : alleviation of grief or anxiety 2 : a source of relief or consolation Examples: After her husband’s death, Mary often found solace in reminiscing about him with their mutual friends. "In the last few years, Niagara Hospice has added creative services to its repertoire of solace and comfort, and found more ways to help more people … including having teen volunteers make videos of people telling their life stories, offering meal delivery and providing gift tote bags with handmade lap quilts inside." -- From an article by Michelle Kearns in the Buffalo News (New York), July 24, 2011 Did you know? "Solace" was borrowed into English in the 14th century (via Anglo-French) from Latin "solacium," which in turn derives from the Latin verb "solari," meaning "to console." As you may have guessed, "solari" is also the source of the English words "console" and "consolation" (formed by combination with the prefix "com-"). In addition to the noun function, "solace" can be used as a verb ("he was solaced by the company of his children"). Also related are the nouns "solacer" ("one who solaces") and "solacement" ("an act of solacing or the condition of being solaced" or "something that solaces"). 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 September 12, 2011 is: perpend • \per-PEND\ • verb 1 : to reflect on carefully : ponder 2 : to be attentive : reflect Examples: "The man perpended, and when he replied did so after the style of the late and great Ollendorf." -- From P. G. Wodehouse's 1903 book A Prefect's Uncle "I find the practice [of astrology] harmless, and it occasionally serves as a handy social ice-breaker. But it could be based on outdated material. Perpend: Astrological 'signs' are based on the sun's position in the zodiac during the year. But astrology is an ancient art, and in the passage of time, the earth's axis has 'wobbled' (precession) enough so that the sun is actually one constellation over from the astrological sign." -- From a column piece by Mark R. Kent in the Mobile Register (Alabama), January 11, 2009 Did you know? "Perpend" isn't used often these days, but when it does show up it is frequently imperative, as in our second example. As such, its use can be compared to the phrase "mark my words." "Perpend" arrived in English in the 15th century from the Latin verb "perpendere," which in turn comes from "pendere," meaning "to weigh." Appropriately, our English word essentially means "to weigh carefully in the mind." "Pendere" has several descendants in English, including "append," "compendium," "expend," and "suspend." "Perpend" can also be a noun meaning "a brick or large stone reaching through a wall" or "a wall built of such stones," but that "perpend" comes from a Middle French source and is unrelated to the 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 September 11, 2011 is: megrim • \MEE-grim\ • noun 1 a : migraine b : vertigo, dizziness 2 a : fancy, whim b : low spirits Examples: Cathy’s friends tried to convince her that a night on the town would help to alleviate her megrims, but she wasn’t buying it. "Sometimes I feigned illness, complaining loudly of pains in my stomach or the violent pangs of a megrim assailing my poor head as I went unwillingly into chapel." -- From Brandy Purdy's 2011 historical novel The Tudor Throne Did you know? "Megrim" and "migraine" share a meaning and an etymology. Latin and Greek speakers afflicted with a pain in one side of the head called their ailment "hemicrania" or "hēmikrania," from the Greek terms "hēmi-," meaning "half," and "kranion," meaning "cranium." French-speaking sufferers used "migraine," a modification of "hemicrania," for the same condition. English speakers borrowed "migraine" from French -- twice. First, they modified the French term to form "migreime," which in turn gave rise to "megrim" in the 15th century. Later, in the 18th century, they returned to French and borrowed "migraine" again, this time retaining its French spelling. Nowadays, "megrim" and "migraine" can still be used interchangeably, but "megrim" has other meanings 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 September 10, 2011 is: contumacious • \kahn-too-MAY-shus\ • adjective : stubbornly disobedient : rebellious Examples: "She sat still, looking a little contumacious, and very much indisposed to stir." -- From Charlotte Brontë's 1849 novel Shirley "Americans are taught that the war was a noble conflict waged by Lincoln and the forces of light against misguided and contumacious Southerners…." -- From a book review by Geoffrey Wheatcroft in The New York Times, July 3, 2011 Did you know? Legal contexts are one area where you might encounter this fancy word for "rebellious" or "insubordinate" -- and the link between "contumacious" and the law goes back to Latin. The Latin adjective "contumax" means "rebellious," or, in specific cases, "showing contempt of court." "Contumacious" is related to "contumely," meaning "harsh language or treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt." Both "contumacious" and "contumely" are thought to ultimately come from the Latin verb "tumēre," meaning "to swell" or "to be proud." 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 September 9, 2011 is: flatfoot • \FLAT-foot\ • noun 1 : a condition in which the arch of the instep is flattened so that the entire sole rests upon the ground 2 a : slang police officer; especially : a patrolman walking a regular beat b : slang sailor Examples: In his latest movie, the actor plays an earnest flatfoot who is bested by some clever crooks. "Conaway said a friend of his found some of Rohrbach's letters and papers at a rummage sale in Montgomery County. 'He turned it over to me because he knew I was with the veterans,' said Conaway, commander of the Neshaminy Falls Veterans Association. Seeing that Rohrbach was from Topton, the old flatfoot contacted the Reading Eagle for help finding the owner of the military memorabilia, including a solid gold Army airman's ring." -- From a column piece by Dan Kelly in the Reading Eagle (Pennsylvania), May 30, 2011 Did you know? In 1899 the police officers of Akron, Ohio, climbed aboard the first police car (a patrol wagon powered by an electric motor). In that same year the noun "flatty" was first used in print with the meaning "police officer." Mere coincidence? Maybe, but consider that quite a few similar words have been used over the years to distinguish pedestrian officers from mobile ones, including "flat," "flat arch," "flathead," "flatter," and today's featured word, "flatfoot." Other notable (and more comic) descriptors are "pavement pounder" and "sidewalk snail." "Flatfoot" dates its "police officer" sense from 1913. It is especially used of those footing it to keep our cities safe, but it can also refer to police in general. 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 September 8, 2011 is: tutoyer • \tew-twah-YAY\ • verb : to address familiarly Examples: "Yes, now (to the outside world) we were on first-name terms, now to anyone within earshot I tutoyered him." -- From Marie Brenner's 1976 book Tell Me Everything "Perfect strangers tutoyer us or attempt to perpetrate socialite air-kisses near our faces." -- From Glenn O'Brien's 2011 book How to Be a Man Did you know? In conversational French, the pronoun "vous" ("you") is used for formal address of individuals (as well as plural addressees familiar or otherwise), while the singular pronoun "tu" (also "you," a relative of Middle English "thou") is reserved for use among intimate friends. A person who uses "tu" to address his or her elders, for example, is committing a breach of etiquette. The French verb "tutoyer" -- literally, "to address with the pronoun 'tu'" -- was borrowed into English in the late 17th century to refer to this concept. In many cases, the English verb is still used in reference to people speaking French (as English does not discriminate between intimate and formal address in its pronouns), but it is occasionally used to describe casual address among close English speakers. 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 September 7, 2011 is: marginalia • \mahr-juh-NAY-lee-uh\ • noun 1 : marginal notes or embellishments (as in a book) 2 : nonessential items Examples: "Read between the lines of an old family recipe and you're liable to read the story of the family itself. The scrawled marginalia and cooking stains, the collective memory of shared feasts…." — From an article by Lila Byock on GiltTaste.com, August 15, 2011 "Corruption and crime fouled the innards of the new Russian regime almost from the moment of its birth, yet these subjects were often treated by Westerners as regrettable marginalia rather than as the fundamental and systemic issues that they really were." — From a letter by Christian Caryl on ForeignPolicy.com, September/October 2011 Did you know? We don't consider a word's etymology to be marginalia, so we'll start off by telling you the etymology of this one. "Marginalia" is a New Latin word that can be traced back to the Latin forms "margin-" and "margo," meaning "margin." "Marginalia" is a relatively new word; our earliest evidence of its use is from 1832. The related adjective "marginal" is quite a bit older; it was first used in 1573. On the other end of the spectrum is another relative, "marginalize." That word was first used in 1970. 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 September 6, 2011 is: pelf • \PELF\ • noun : money, riches Examples: "Nowadays Western Union is good only if you want to wire cash to your child in college or pelf to a partner in peril." -- From an editorial by Vincent L. Hall in The Dallas Morning News, June 19, 2011 "On an island with the third-highest GDP per capita in the world, where every British bank has a presence, where numberless tax-dodgers stash their pelf, perhaps it shouldn't be surprising." -- From an article by Oliver Thring in the Guardian Unlimited, April 20, 2011 Did you know? In the 14th century, the Anglo-French word "pelfre," meaning "booty" or "stolen goods," was exchanged into English as "pelf" with the added meaning of "property." ("Pelfre" is also an ancestor of the English verb "pilfer," meaning "to steal.") Two centuries later "pelf" showed gains when people began to use it for "money" and "riches." In some regions of Britain the word's use was diversified further, in a depreciative way, to refer to trash and good-for-nothings. The first of those meanings was a loss by about the mid-17th century; the second has little value outside of the Yorkshire region of England. 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 September 5, 2011 is: perspicacious • \per-spuh-KAY-shus\ • adjective : of acute mental vision or discernment : keen Examples: The average time for solving the puzzle was seven minutes, but some of the more perspicacious subjects did it in under three minutes. "There was always someone who had it worse, whose pain was more fresh. But there was also someone a few months or years further along, who was beginning to thrive. And far from being losers, these were accomplished and bright people, wise and perspicacious." -- From an article by Jane Eaton Hamilton on Salon.com, July 19, 2011 Did you know? "Perspicacious" is similar in meaning to "shrewd" and "astute," but a sharp mind will discern subtle differences among them. All three mean acute in perception and sound in judgment, but "shrewd" stresses practical, hardheaded cleverness, whereas "perspicacious" implies unusual power to see through and comprehend what is puzzling or hidden. (You can see this shade of meaning in the root of "perspicacious" -- the Latin word "perspicere," meaning "to look through" or "to see clearly.") "Astute" suggests both shrewdness and perspicacity, as well as diplomatic skill. 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 September 4, 2011 is: palliate • \PAL-ee-ayt\ • verb 1 : to reduce the violence of (a disease); also : to ease (symptoms) without curing the underlying disease 2 : to cover by excuses and apologies 3 : to moderate the intensity of Examples: Don't try to palliate your constant lying by claiming that everybody lies. "Insomnia is a chronic disorder that needs to be managed with careful and often long-term pharmacotherapy, among other treatments, rather than relegated as a troublesome symptom that needs to be palliated over the short term." -- From an article by Dr. Qanta Ahmed in USA TODAY, July 29, 2011 Did you know? Long ago, the ancient Romans had a name for the cloak-like garb that was worn by the Greeks (distinguishing it from their own "toga"); the name was "pallium." In the 15th century, English speakers modified the Late Latin word "palliatus," which derives from "pallium," to form "palliate." Our term, used initially as both an adjective and a verb, never had the literal Latin sense referring to the cloak you wear, but it took on the figurative "cloak" of protection. Specifically, the verb "palliate" meant (as it still can mean) "to lessen the intensity of a disease." Nowadays, "palliate" can be used as a synonym of "gloss" or "whitewash" when someone is attempting to disguise something bad. 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 September 3, 2011 is: synecdoche • \suh-NEK-duh-kee\ • noun : a figure of speech by which a less encompassing term is put for a more encompassing term or vice versa Examples: Shakespeare's Macbeth employs synecdoche when he orders a servant out of his presence with the command "Take thy face hence." "At times, Dos Passos suggests that New York City is a synecdoche for a larger, unrepresentable global society, which effectively transgresses any clear boundary between domestic and foreign policies…." -- From John Carlos Rowe's 2011 book Afterlives of Modernism Did you know? "Synecdoche," from Greek "syn-" ("together") and "ekdochē" ("interpretation"), is a good word to know if you are a budding author. Writers, and especially poets, use synecdoche in several different ways to create vivid imagery. Most frequently, synecdoche involves substituting a part for the whole ("fifty sail" for "fifty ships"). Less commonly, it involves putting the whole for the part ("society" for "high society"), the species for the genus ("cutthroat" for "assassin"), the genus for the species ("a creature" for "a man"), or the material for the thing made ("boards" for "stage"). Synecdoche is similar to metonymy, the use of the name of one thing in place of something associated with it (such as "Shakespeare" for "the works of Shakespeare"). 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 September 2, 2011 is: finicky • \FIN-ih-kee\ • adjective 1 : extremely or excessively particular, exacting, or meticulous in taste or standards 2 : requiring much care, precision, or attentive effort Examples: Pamela found it challenging to come up with ideas for healthy meals that her young son, a finicky eater, would enjoy. "Reports that the actor [Kelsey Grammer] -- famous for playing the finicky Freudian Frasier Crane -- may be running for NYC mayor are at least a decade premature, the actor’s spokesman said Monday." -- From an article by Sheila Anne Feeney in AM New York, August 1, 2011 Did you know? You may be familiar with an advertising campaign featuring Morris, the "finicky" housecat who would only eat a certain brand of cat food. Morris’s tastes in cuisine are not only very particular, but very fine as well, and that’s appropriate given the origin of "finicky." The word came about as an alteration of "finicking," itself an alteration of another adjective, "finical." It’s believed that "finical" derives from the adjective "fine." "Finicking" also gives us "finick," a somewhat rare verb meaning "to put on airs" or "to dawdle 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 September 1, 2011 is: coruscate • \KOR-uh-skayt\ • verb 1 : to give off or reflect light in bright beams or flashes : sparkle 2 : to be brilliant or showy in technique or style Examples: The astronomy students observed the coruscating stars through a high-powered telescope. "Down below the Sea of Galilee gleamed, coruscated, in the setting biblical sun." -- From Justin Cartwright's 2011 book Other People's Money Did you know? To help you gain a flash of recognition next time you see "coruscate" (or to prompt you when you need a brilliant synonym for "sparkle"), remember this bit of bright imagery by George Bernard Shaw, describing a centuries-old abbey: "O'er this north door a trace still lingers / Of how a Gothic craftsman's fingers / Could make stones creep like ivy stems / And tilings coruscate like gems." Or you could just remember that "coruscate" developed from Latin "coruscare," which means "to flash." That word also gave us the noun "coruscation" ("glitter" or "sparkle") and the adjective "coruscant" ("shining" or "glittering"). 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 August 31, 2011 is: mettle • \MET-ul\ • noun 1 a : vigor and strength of spirit or temperament b : staying quality : stamina 2 : quality of temperament or disposition Examples: The tractor had proved its mettle, lasting for over four generations, but Bobby knew that it was high time to lay it to rest. "One thousand runners from across the country tested their mettle Saturday in the second annual Tough Mountain Challenge by flinging their bodies through obstacles on a 3-mile course." -- From an article by Terry Karkos in the Sun Journal (Maine), July 24, 2011 Did you know? Originally, "mettle" was simply a variant spelling of the word "metal" (which dates to at least the 14th century), and it was used in all of the same senses as its metallic relative. Over time, however, "mettle" came to be used mainly in figurative senses referring to the quality of someone's character. It eventually became a distinct English word in its own right, losing its literal sense altogether. "Metal" remained a term primarily used for those hard shiny substances such as steel or iron, but it also acquired a figurative use. Today, both words can mean "vigor and strength of spirit or temperament," but only "metal" is used of metallic substances. 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 August 30, 2011 is: precatory • \PREK-uh-tor-ee\ • adjective : expressing a wish Examples: Mr. Tyler’s will included a precatory provision that his grand piano be restored and donated to a music school. "A shareholder proposal to declassify the Board was defeated by shareholders who voted either by proxy or at the Meeting.… For the precatory proposal to pass, the affirmative vote of a majority of the shares represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting was required." -- From a Business Wire article in The Street, June 6, 2011 Did you know? Nowadays, you're most likely to see "precatory" used in legal contexts to distinguish statements that merely express a wish from those that create a legal obligation. For example, if you add a provision to your will asking someone to take care of your pet if you die, that provision is merely precatory. Outside of jurisprudence, you might see references to such things as "precatory dress codes" or "precatory stockholder proposals" -- all of which are non-binding. "Precatory” traces to Latin "precari" ("to pray"), and it has always referred to something in the nature of an entreaty or supplication. For example, a precatory hymn is one that beseeches “from sin and sorrow set us free” --versus a laudatory hymn (that is, one giving praise). 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 August 29, 2011 is: quid pro quo • \kwid-proh-KWOH\ • noun : something given or received for something else; also : a deal arranging a quid pro quo Examples: "In Hollywood no one does something for nothing," said the director, adding "there's always a quid pro quo involved." "If we are to believe current reports, Obama has agreed to significant cuts in Medicaid and Medicare without any quid pro quo except for promises of tax reform in the future. That's a huge win for Republicans." -- From an article by Andrew Leonard in Salon, July 22, 2011 Did you know? In the 1530s, a quid pro quo was something obtained from an apothecary. That's because when "quid pro quo" (New Latin for "something for something") was first used in English, it referred to the process of substituting one medicine for another -- whether intentionally (and sometimes fraudulently) or accidentally. The meaning of the phrase was quickly extended, however, and by the end of that century it was being used for more general equivalent exchanges. These days, it often occurs in legal contexts. 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 August 28, 2011 is: indite • \in-DYTE\ • verb 1 : make up, compose 2 : to give literary or formal expression to 3 : to put down in writing Examples: "He proceeded to indite a note to Biddy, with my love in it." -- From Charles Dickens' novel, Great Expectations, 1861 "Sometimes, instead of cursing, Upton would indite a note…." -- From Sally Ryder Brady's 2011 memoir A Box of Darkness: The Story of a Marriage Did you know? "Indite" looks like a misspelling of its homophone "indict," meaning "to charge with a crime," and that's no mere coincidence. Although the two verbs are distinct in current use, they are in fact related etymologically. "Indite" is the older of the two; it has been in the language since the 1300s. "Indict," which came about as an alteration of "indite," first appeared in English legal use around 1600. Ultimately, both terms come from the Latin "indicere," meaning "to make known formally" or "to proclaim," which in turn comes from "in-" plus "dicere," meaning "to say." 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 August 27, 2011 is: torpor • \TOR-per\ • noun 1 a : a state of mental and motor inactivity with partial or total insensibility b : a state of lowered physiological activity typically characterized by reduced metabolism, heart rate, respiration, and body temperature that occurs in varying degrees especially in hibernating and estivating animals 2 : apathy, dullness Examples: The magazine article provided ideas for activities designed to shake off the torpor of a rainy day. "Hummingbirds as a whole could not survive without going into torpor at night. During this state their body temperature plummets (they lack insulating downy feathers), their metabolic rate drops by 95%, and they appear to be dead." -- From Mark Denny and Alan McFadzean's 2011 book Engineering Animals: How Life Works Did you know? Our English word "torpor" looks the same and means the same thing as Latin "torpor," from which it was borrowed into Middle English. It stems from the Latin verb "torpēre," which means "to be sluggish or numb." "Torpor" first appeared in a 13th-century guide for religious recluses, where it referred to a spiritual or intellectual lethargy, but there is very little evidence of its use over next the 400 years. It began showing up again in the early 1600s in reference to both mental and physical sluggishness. The related adjective "torpid" (from the Latin adjective "torpidus") entered the language in the 15th 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 August 26, 2011 is: colloquial • \kuh-LOH-kwee-ul\ • adjective 1 : of or relating to conversation : conversational 2 a : used in or characteristic of familiar and informal conversation; also : unacceptably informal b : using conversational style Examples: Molly can switch from formal academic language to a charmingly colloquial style, depending on the audience and subject of her writing. "Founded in 1829 on the initiative of then Home Secretary Sir Robert Peel (hence the colloquial term 'bobby' for a policeman), the Metropolitan Police originally comprised 895 constables for a population of more than two million." -- From an article by Tim Lister on CNN.com, July 18, 2011 Did you know? The noun "colloquy" was first used in English to refer to a conversation or dialogue, and when the adjective "colloquial" was formed from "colloquy" it had a similar focus. Over time, however, "colloquial" developed a more specific meaning related to language that is most suited to informal conversation -- and it ultimately garnered an additional, disparaging implication of a style that seems too informal for a situation. "Colloquy" and "colloquial" trace back to the Latin verb "colloqui," meaning "to converse." "Colloqui" in turn was formed by combining the prefix "com-" and "loqui," "to speak." Other conversational descendants of "loqui" in English include "circumlocution," "eloquent," "loquacious," "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 August 25, 2011 is: whirligig • \WER-lih-gig\ • noun 1 : a child's toy having a whirling motion 2 a : one that continuously whirls or changes b : a whirling or circling course (as of events) Examples: Sam was spinning in a financial whirligig; the more he earned the more he spent as he plunged deeper and deeper into debt. "McKay said there will be family activities, including educational games such as playing with toys that would have amused children in colonial times…. Children can also make whirligigs and items to take home, McKay said." -- From an article in the Spartanburg Herald - Journal, June 30, 2011 Did you know? English speakers, and particularly children, began spinning whirligigs as early as the 15th century. Since then, "whirligig" has acquired several meanings beyond its initial toy sense. It even has a place in the common name of the whirligig beetle, a member of the family Gyrinidae that swiftly swims in circles on the surface of still water. The word "whirligig" comes to us from Middle English "whirlegigg" ("whirling top"), which is itself from "whirlen," meaning "to whirl," and "gigg," meaning "(toy) top." 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 August 24, 2011 is: homiletic • \hah-muh-LET-ik\ • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or resembling a homily 2 : of or relating to the art of preaching; also : preachy Examples: The lecturer sprinkled his talk with homiletic aphorisms. "In clerical collar and vestments, Mr. Gomes was a figure of homiletic power in the pulpit, hammering out the cadences in a rich baritone that The New Yorker called a blend of James Earl Jones and John Houseman." -- From an article in The New York Times, March 2, 2011 Did you know? "Homiletic" came to us by way of Latin from Greek "homilētikos," meaning "affable" or "social." "Homilētikos" came from "homilein," meaning "to talk with," "to address," or "to make a speech," which in turn came from "homilos," the Greek word for "crowd" or "assembly." "Homilos" and "homilein" also gave English, by way of Latin "homilia" and French "omelie," the word "homily," which is used for a short sermon, a lecture on a moral theme, and for an inspirational catchphrase or platitude. Like "homily," the English word "homiletic" focuses on the morally instructive nature of a discourse. "Homiletic" can also be used derogatorily in the sense of "preachy." 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 August 23, 2011 is: imbibition • \im-buh-BIH-shun\ • noun : the act or action of imbibing; especially : the taking up of fluid by a colloidal system resulting in swelling Examples: The sign at the entrance to the building stated that the imbibition of alcoholic beverages on the premises was prohibited. "Various chemical and mechanical treatments are used to overcome hard or impervious seed coats so that the imbibition of water and exchange of gases necessary for germination can occur." -- From an article by Marzieh Babashpour Asl et al. in Modern Applied Science, February 2011 Did you know? Joseph Thomas James Hewlett was a 19th-century English curate and schoolmaster who moonlighted as a novelist. In Parsons and Widows, in which the author disguises himself as "the Curate of Mosbury," Hewlett provided us with the first known use of "imbibition" to refer to a person’s drinking, in the phrase "imbibition of a little strong beer." Until then, "imbibition" had been used scientifically to refer to various processes of soaking and absorption (as it is still used today), or figuratively, to the taking in of knowledge. "Imbibition" traces back to Latin "imbibere," a verb whose meaning "to drink in" includes absorption of liquids, consuming drink, and appropriating ideas. 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 August 22, 2011 is: expedite • \EK-spuh-dyte\ • verb 1 : to execute promptly 2 : to accelerate the process or progress of : speed up 3 : issue, dispatch Examples: To expedite the processing of your request, please include your account number on all documents. "Under the executive order, state agencies can make emergency purchases and acquisitions for expediting the delivery of resources to local jurisdictions." -- From an article by Mark Schlachtenhaufen in The Edmond Sun (Oklahoma), March 14, 2011 Did you know? If you're really intent on expediting something, you jump in with both feet -- or apply a single foot where it will be most effective! And when you do, you're drawing on the etymology of "expedite" itself. The word comes from the Latin verb "expedire" ("to set free" or "to make useful"), a word that in turn traces back to the root "ped-" or "pes," meaning "foot." "Expedite" has been used in English since at least the 15th 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 August 21, 2011 is: objurgation • \ahb-jer-GAY-shun\ • noun : a harsh rebuke Examples: "Mr. Filer was now pouring forth his nature in objurgations and oaths, and brandishing before the culprits -- Verena and Ransom -- the extreme penalty of the law." -- From Henry James' 1886 novel The Bostonians "Pushing the Lloyd murder and Yvette's objurgation to a corner of his mind, he searched the room for a glimpse of Coby." -- From Nancy Bush's 2011 novel Hush Did you know? "Objurgation" traces to Latin "objurgare" ("to scold or blame"), which was formed from "ob-" ("against") and "jurgare" ("to quarrel" or, literally, "to take to law" -- in other words, "to bring a lawsuit"). "Jur-" in Latin means "law," and there are several English words related to "objurgation" that have legal implications, including "perjury," "abjure," "jurisprudence," and even "injury." But despite its etymological connection to the law, the word "objurgation" carries no legal weight. It refers to nothing more than an unusually harsh or severe scolding. 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 August 20, 2011 is: kerfuffle • \ker-FUFF-ul\ • noun : disturbance, fuss Examples: Predictably, the royal scandal caused quite a kerfuffle on Fleet Street. "If the kerfuffle over last week's Point Taken blog pointed out anything, it's that there is still a large amount of discord between automobile drivers and bicyclists." -- From an editorial in the Louisville (Kentucky) Courier-Journal, July 4, 2011 Did you know? "Fuffle" was first used in Scottish English, as early as the 16th century, as a verb meaning "to dishevel." The addition of the prefix "car-" (possibly derived from a Scottish Gaelic word meaning "wrong" or "awkward") didn't change the meaning of the word considerably. In the 19th century "carfuffle," with its variant "curfuffle," became a noun, and in the mid-20th century it was embraced by a broader population of English speakers and standardized to "kerfuffle." There is some dispute among language historians over how the altered spelling came to be favored. One theory holds that it might have been influenced by imitative words like "kerplunk," where the syllable "ker-" is simply added for emphasis. 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 August 19, 2011 is: ungainly • \un-GAYN-lee\ • adjective 1 a : lacking in smoothness or dexterity : clumsy b : hard to handle : unwieldy 2 : having an awkward appearance Examples: The futon mattress was heavy and ungainly, without any straps to hold onto, and the two roommates struggled to carry it up the stairs. "This fall collection was an '80s-inspired kaleidoscope of chaotic colors, awkward ball gowns, ungainly architectural silhouettes, and even a puzzling homage to the clown Pierrot, complete with pointy little hat." -- From an article by Robin Givhan in Newsweek, July 18, 2011 Did you know? What do you have to gain by knowing the root of "ungainly?" Plenty. The "gain" in "ungainly" is an obsolete English adjective meaning "direct," ultimately derived from the Old Norse preposition "gegn," meaning "against." (The unrelated verb "gain" came to English by way of Anglo-French and is related to an Old High German word meaning "to hunt for food.") "Ungainly" can describe someone who’s clumsy (as in "a tall and ungainly man"), or something that causes you to feel clumsy when you try to handle it (as in "a car with ungainly controls"), or something that simply looks awkward and out of place (as in "an ungainly strip mall"). 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 August 18, 2011 is: vaticination • \vuh-tiss-uh-NAY-shun\ • noun 1 : prediction 2 : the act of prophesying Examples: The book's plot hinges on a teenager with a knack for prophecy and a fondness for offering strangers her vaticinations. "But as is the case with romance, evidence of interest in vaticination and prognostication comes to us from many different sources, not just the Icelandic sagas." -- From Stephen A. Mitchell's 2010 book Witchcraft and Magic in the Nordic Middle Ages Did you know? When George Orwell's novel 1984 was published in the late 1940s, a displeased critic said it broke "all records for gloomy vaticination." (In Orwell's favor, another critic asserted, "It is impossible to put the book down.") While it's about as difficult to predict the future of a word as the future of the world, hindsight reveals that "vaticination" has endured better than other words based on Latin "vates," meaning "prophet." "Vaticinian" (prophetic), "vaticinar" (prophet), "vaticinatress" (prophetess), and "vaticiny" (prophesy) have all faded into obscurity (although two synonyms of "prophetic," "vatic" and "vaticinal," also keep the "vates" lineage alive today). 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 August 17, 2011 is: toplofty • \TAHP-lawf-tee\ • adjective : very superior in air or attitude Examples: Our dinner guest was interesting but a bit toplofty as she recounted tales of her adventures abroad for us. "He was being enormously toplofty, of course, trying to frighten her. And half succeeding." -- From Mary Balogh's 2011 novel More Than a Mistress Did you know? How many words do we need to describe those who seem to think they're better than the rest of us? By the 19th century we already had "arrogant," "haughty," and "supercilious," but there was apparently need for more because by mid-century the language had garnered two others: "toplofty" and its variant "toploftical." The source of these is likely the phrase "top loft," which refers to the highest story of a building. Neither is common, but both are available to you should their synonyms prove too boring or obvious. 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 August 16, 2011 is: defenestration • \dee-fen-uh-STRAY-shun\ • noun 1 : a throwing of a person or thing out of a window 2 : a usually swift dismissal or expulsion (as from a political party or office) Examples: As with all annoying electronic devices, there is a risk that my new alarm clock will meet with a sudden end by defenestration. "They are … bent on the politics of polarization, their more sensible leaders held hostage to the threat of defenestration in the next round of primary contests." -- From an article by Robert Shrum in The Week, July 14, 2011 Did you know? These days "defenestration" is often used as it is in our second example above: to describe the forceful removal of someone from public office or from some other advantageous position. History’s most famous defenestration, however, was one in which the tossing out the window was quite literal. On May 23, 1618, two imperial regents were found guilty of violating certain guarantees of religious freedom. As punishment, they were thrown out the window of Prague Castle. The men survived the 50-foot tumble into the moat, but the incident, which became known as the Defenestration of Prague, marked the beginning of the Bohemian resistance to Hapsburg rule that eventually led to the Thirty Years' War. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.