Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 7, 2011 is: curious • \KYUR-ee-us\ • adjective 1 a : marked by desire to investigate and learn b : marked by inquisitive interest in others' concerns : nosy 2 : exciting attention as strange, novel, or unexpected : odd Examples: She has a curious habit of mumbling to herself constantly while she does her crossword puzzles. "He [physicist Richard P. Feynman] was an irresistible subject for biographers and, as he called himself in two of his subtitles, a curious character indeed." -- From a book review by George Johnson in the New York Times, April 3, 2011 Did you know? Since the 1300s, "curious" has been variously used to describe things that in some way require, invite, or are characterized by carefulness or inquisitiveness. In so doing, it carries on the legacy of its Latin source, the adjective "curiosus," meaning "careful" or "inquisitive." The comparative of "curious" is "more curious," though it is not unusual to encounter the phrase "curiouser and curiouser," made popular by the title character of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland who, Lewis Carroll tells us, "was so much surprised that for the moment she quite forgot how to speak good 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 May 6, 2011 is: gesundheit • \guh-ZOONT-hyte\ • interjection : -- used to wish good health especially to one who has just sneezed Examples: "Gesundheit!" said the man on the bicycle as he passed a lady on the sidewalk who had sneezed. "The air was filled with 'God Bless You' and 'Gesundheit' as our Tuesday study group got together the other day…. We were reading together accompanied by sneezes, but it helped us ignore our stuffed-up heads." -- From an article by Sirkka Holm in the Finnish American Reporter, December 2010 Did you know? When English speakers hear "achoo," they usually respond with either "gesundheit" or "God bless you." "Gesundheit" was borrowed from German, where it literally means "health"; it was formed by a combination of "gesund" ("healthy") and "-heit" ("-hood"). Wishing a person good health when they sneezed was traditionally believed to forestall the illness that a sneeze often portends. "God bless you" had a similar purpose, albeit with more divine weight to the well-wishing. It was once believed that the soul could exit the body during a sneeze, causing ill health, so folks said "God bless you" to ward off this danger. "Gesundheit," at one time, also served as a toast when drinking (much like its English counterpart, "to your health"), but this usage is now mostly obsolete. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 5, 2011 is: jalousie • \JAL-uh-see\ • noun 1 : a blind with adjustable horizontal slats for admitting light and air while excluding direct sun and rain 2 : a window made of adjustable glass louvers that control ventilation Examples: The rooms of the little bungalow were protected from the brutal tropical heat by wooden jalousies. "The striated world visible through the slanted jalousies above the queen-size beds is bright and green." -- Donovan Hohn's 2011 book Moby-Duck: The True Story of 28,800 Bath Toys Lost at Sea and of the Beachcombers, Oceanographers, Environmentalists and Fools, Including the Author, Who Went in Search of Them Did you know? Etymologists are clear on the source of the word "jalousie" -- it's French for "jealousy" -- but the relationship between the emotion and the window treatments originally referred to as jalousies is not something they've speculated much about. Is it that those peering out through the original jalousie blinds were jealous of the people outside? Or is it more likely that the jealousy festered in the hearts of those outside, who could see the blinds but not the faces and lives of the people they hid? This excerpt from the October 23, 1766 entry in the Duchess of Northumberland's diary perhaps provides a clue: "Rows of Seats with Jalousies in Front that [the women] may not be seen." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 4, 2011 is: wane • \WAYN\ • verb 1 : to decrease in size, extent, or degree 2 : to fall gradually from power, prosperity, or influence Examples: Jenna loved the movie at first, but her enthusiasm waned as the pace began to drag. "Those foreclosure numbers aren't expected to wane anytime soon. RealtyTrac found that 2.9 million homes got foreclosure notices in 2010, with 20% more than that total expected to be in trouble this year." -- From an article in The Business Insider, March 19, 2011 Did you know? "Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour / Draws on apace / four happy days bring in / Another moon: But oh, methinks how slow / This old moon wanes!" So Theseus describes his eagerness for his wedding night in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. As illustrated by Theseus' words, "wane" is a word often called upon to describe the seeming decrease in size of the moon in the later phases of the lunar cycle. The traditional opposite of "wane" is "wax," a once common but now infrequently used synonym of "grow." "Wane" and "wax" have been partnered in reference to the moon since the Middle Ages. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 3, 2011 is: odious • \OH-dee-us\ • adjective : arousing or deserving hatred or repugnance : hateful Examples: Martin was an odious person: cruel, violent, and deceitful, willing to do anything to anyone to gain the wealth and power he craved. "The audition process and the testing process is so odious and miserable that you don't want to do it unless there is a prospect of working with great people on the other end." -- From an interview with Martha Plimpton in the Windy City Times, March 23, 2011 Did you know? "Odious" has been with us since the days of Middle English. We borrowed it from Anglo-French, which in turn had taken it from Latin "odiosus." The Latin adjective came from the noun "odium," meaning "hatred." "Odium" is also an ancestor of the English verb "annoy" (another word that came to Middle English via Anglo-French). And, at the beginning of the 17th century, "odium" entered English in its unaltered form, giving us a noun meaning "hatred" or "disgrace" (as in "ideas that have incurred much odium"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 2, 2011 is: vamoose • \vuh-MOOSS\ • verb : to depart quickly Examples: With the sheriff and his posse hot on their tails, the bank robbers knew they had better vamoose. "He raised his handgun and tried to line Reilly down its sight, but there was too much commotion around the agent and Zahed couldn't get a clean shot. Time to vamoose. With his weapon still in his grip, he leapt behind the wheel of the van, slammed it into drive, and floored it." -- From Raymond Khoury's 2010 novel The Templar Salvation Did you know? In the 1820s and '30s, the American Southwest was rough-and-tumble territory -- the true Wild West. English-speaking cowboys, Texas Rangers, and gold prospectors regularly rubbed elbows with Spanish-speaking vaqueros in the local saloons, and a certain amount of linguistic intermixing was inevitable. One Spanish term that caught on with English speakers was "vamos," which means "let's go." Cowpokes and dudes alike adopted the word, at first using a range of spellings and pronunciations that varied considerably in their proximity to the original Spanish form. But when the dust settled, the version most American English speakers were using was "vamoose." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 1, 2011 is: Beltane • \BEL-tayn\ • noun : the Celtic May Day festival Examples: Aunt Kat vividly described the huge bonfires and colorful rituals she had witnessed at the Beltane festival in Edinburgh as a girl. "Meg said that Beltane eve was one of great natural power. Blessings and curses abounded as the veil between the worlds thinned. " -- From Traci E. Hall's 2010 novel Boadicea's Legacy Did you know? To the ancient Celts, May Day was a critical time when the boundaries between the human and supernatural worlds were removed and people needed to take special measures to protect themselves against enchantments. The Beltane fire festival originated in a spring ritual in which cattle were herded between two huge bonfires to protect them from evil and disease. Perhaps the earliest mention of Beltane (formerly spelled "beltene," "belltaine," and "beltine") appears in an Old Irish dictionary commonly attributed to Cormac, a king and bishop who lived in Cashel, Ireland, toward the end of the first millennium. The "Beltane" spelling entered English in the 15th century by way of Scottish Gaelic. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 30, 2011 is: shivaree • \shiv-uh-REE\ • noun : a noisy mock serenade to a newly married couple Examples: On the night of Sally and Henry's wedding, the townspeople gathered outside the couple's window to participate in a raucous shivaree. "A shivaree on Virginia Street brought these youngsters together to bang pots and make noise on the occasion of the Shovlin family wedding." -- From Debbie Bowman Shea's 2011 book Irish Butte Did you know? In 19th century rural America, a newly-married couple might be treated to a mock serenade, performed with pots, pans, homemade instruments, and other noisemakers. Such cacophonous serenades were traditionally considered especially appropriate for second marriages or for unions deemed incongruous because of an age discrepancy or some other cause. In the eastern U.S. this custom, imported from rural England, was simply called a "serenade" or known under various local names. In much of the central U.S. and Canada, however, it was called a "shivaree," a loan from French "charivari," which denotes the same folk custom in France. In more recent years, "shivaree" has also developed broader senses; it is sometimes used to mean simply "a cacophony" or "a 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 April 29, 2011 is: ken • \KEN\ • noun 1 a : the range of vision b : sight, view 2 : the range of perception, understanding, or knowledge Examples: The author advised the aspiring writers in the crowd to develop an authoritative voice by sticking to subjects within their ken. "[Yemeni President Ali Abdullah] Saleh and his military-based regime are steering the country into a demographic and political minefield, and it's already far beyond their ken to steer out of it." -- From an article by Ellen Knickmeyer in Foreign Policy, February 10, 2011 Did you know? "Ken" appeared on the English horizon in the 16th century as a term of measurement of the distance bounding the range of ordinary vision at sea -- about 20 miles. British author John Lyly used that sense in 1580 when he wrote, "They are safely come within a ken of Dover." Other 16th-century writers used "ken" to mean "range of vision" ("Out of ken we were ere the Countesse came from the feast." -- Thomas Nashe) or "sight" ("'Tis double death to drown in ken of shore." -- Shakespeare). Today, however, "ken" rarely suggests literal sight. Rather, "ken" nowadays almost always implies a range of comprehension, understanding, or knowledge. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 28, 2011 is: catastrophe • \kuh-TASS-truh-fee\ • noun 1 a : a violent and sudden change in a feature of the earth b : a violent usually destructive natural event (as a supernova) 2 : utter failure : fiasco Examples: The party was a catastrophe; the band didn't show up, the food was awful, and a sudden rain shower sent the guests running for cover. "The democratization of economics owes much to the financial crisis that first hit in 2007. That ongoing catastrophe, which few economists predicted, tarnished the profession's reputation, prompting some to look elsewhere for answers." -- From an article by Stephen Mihm in The New York Times Magazine, December 19, 2010 Did you know? When English speakers first borrowed the Greek word "catastrophe" in the 1500s, they used it for the conclusion or final event of a dramatic work, especially of a tragedy. By the early 1600s, "catastrophe" was being used more generally of any generally unhappy conclusion or disastrous or ruinous end. By the 18th century, "catastrophe" had come to denote truly devastating events, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Finally, it came to be applied to things that are only figuratively catastrophic -- burnt dinners, lost luggage, really bad movies, etc. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 27, 2011 is: axiomatic • \ak-see-uh-MAT-ik\ • adjective 1 : taken for granted : self-evident 2 : based on or involving an axiom or system of axioms Examples: The axiomatic concept of supply and demand dictates that if there is a decrease in the amount of a commodity available and an increase in the public need for it, then the price of that commodity will go up. "It has long been unspoken but axiomatic among those who live in the stratospheric world of the membership rolls of Augusta National Golf Club: people desperate to join never will, regardless of how hard they may try." -- From an article by Larry Dorman in the New York Times, April 9, 2011 Did you know? An axiom is a principle widely accepted on the basis of its intrinsic merit or one regarded as self-evidently true. A statement that is axiomatic therefore, is one against which few people would argue. "Axiomatic" entered English from Middle Greek "axiōmatikos," and "axiom" derived via Latin from Greek "axiōma" ("something worthy") and "axios" ("worthy"). The word "axiom" can also refer to a statement accepted as true as the basis for argument or inference. Such axioms are often employed in discussions of philosophy, as well as in mathematics and geometry (where they are sometimes called postulates). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 26, 2011 is: ensconce • \in-SKAHNSS\ • verb 1 : to place or hide securely : conceal 2 : to establish or settle firmly, comfortably, or snugly Examples: Rather than ensconce the discouraging news in falsely hopeful language, the doctor imparted the diagnosis in a clear, straightforward manner. "From Wednesday morning through Sunday night, nine men and one woman along with assorted helpers and facilitators will be sequestered on the 15th floor of The Westin hotel in Indianapolis. Ensconced in a luxury bunker, they won't come out for good until they've decided the 68 NCAA men's tournament teams, seeded them and placed them in the brackets." -- From an article by Rusty Miller for the Associated Press, March 7, 2011 Did you know? You might think of "sconce" as a type of candleholder or lamp, but the word can also refer to a defensive fortification, usually one made of earth. Originally, then, a person who was "ensconced" was enclosed in or concealed by such a structure, out of harm's way. The earliest writer to apply the verb "ensconce" with the general sense of "hide" was William Shakespeare. In The Merry Wives of Windsor, the character Falstaff, hoping to avoid detection when he is surprised during an amorous moment with Mrs. Ford, says "She shall not see me; I will ensconce me behind the arras." (An arras is a tapestry or wall hanging.) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 25, 2011 is: vitrine • \vuh-TREEN\ • noun : a glass showcase or cabinet especially for displaying fine wares or specimens Examples: The tiny antiquarian bookshop has some books that are available for browsing, but the rarer and more valuable volumes are housed in the tall vitrines that line the walls. "A weathered wooden child's chair is stacked atop its twin, with two bright pink plastic bowls stacked on the top seat. In an adjacent vitrine sits a miniature version of this assemblage, the tiny pieces placed in the center of a bright orange square of velvet." -- From an art exhibit review by Jessica Baran in the Riverfront Times (St. Louis, MO), February 24, 2011 Did you know? The history of "vitrine" is clear as glass. It comes to English by way of the Old French word "vitre," meaning "pane of glass," from Latin "vitrum," meaning "glass." "Vitrum" has contributed a number of words to the English language besides "vitrine." "Vitreous" ("resembling glass" or "relating to, derived from, or consisting of glass") is the most common of these. "Vitrify" ("to convert or become converted into glass or into a glassy substance by heat and fusion") is another. A much rarer "vitrum" word -- and one that also entered English by way of "vitre" -- is "vitrailed," meaning "fitted with stained glass." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 24, 2011 is: aspersion • \uh-SPER-zhun\ • noun 1 : a sprinkling with water especially in religious ceremonies 2 a : a false or misleading charge meant to harm someone's reputation b : the act of making such a charge : defamation Examples: Melissa believed that Roger had unjustly cast aspersions on the quality of her research. "There's always, for whoever is president, the opponents, the people on the other side who cast aspersions that they may not even believe themselves…." -- Laura Bush in an interview on Fox News Network, May 16, 2010 Did you know? "No sweet aspersion shall the heavens let fall / To make this contract grow." In this line from Shakespeare's The Tempest, "aspersion" literally refers to a sprinkling of rain, but figuratively means "blessing." Shakespeare's use is true to the heritage of the term. "Aspersion" comes from the Latin word "aspersus," itself a derivative of the verb "aspergere," which means "to sprinkle" or "to scatter." When "aspersion" first appeared in English in the 16th century, it referred to the type of sprinklings (for instance, of holy water) that occur in religious ceremonies. But English speakers noted that splatterings can soil and stain, and by the end of the century "aspersion" was also being used for reports that stain or tarnish a reputation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 23, 2011 is: meme • \MEEM\ • noun : an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture Examples: It is easy to fall prey to a meme that has been perpetuated by the mass media even without any evidence to support the original idea. "The Internet-to-print projects usually happen swiftly, Boog noted, so the books are released before the Internet 'meme' - a concept that spreads online - loses the interest of fickle fans." -- From an article by Joseph Lord in The Courier-Journal (Louisville, Kentucky), April 3, 2011 Did you know? In his 1976 book The Selfish Gene, British scientist Richard Dawkins defended his newly coined word "meme," which he defined as "a unit of cultural transmission." Having first considered, then rejected, "mimeme," he wrote: "‘Mimeme’ comes from a suitable Greek root, but I want a monosyllable that sounds a bit like ‘gene.’ I hope my classicist friends will forgive me if I abbreviate ‘mimeme’ to ‘meme.’" (The suitable Greek root was "mim-," meaning "mime" or "mimic." The English suffix "-eme" indicates a distinctive unit of language structure, as in “grapheme,” “lexeme,” and “phoneme.”) "Meme" itself, like any good meme, caught on fairly quickly, spreading from person to person as it established itself in the language. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 22, 2011 is: primordial • \prye-MOR-dee-ul\ • adjective 1 a : first created or developed : primeval b : existing in or persisting from the beginning (as of a solar system or universe) c : earliest formed in the growth of an individual or organ 2 : fundamental, primary Examples: All life on Earth supposedly came from a primordial ooze in existence many millions of years ago. "Indeed, and in spite of all our current observations, physical theories, computer models, and mathematical skill we must not forget that the primordial breath is inherently unknown to us." -- From Martin Beech's 2010 book The Large Hadron Collider Did you know? The history of "primordial" began when the Latin words "primus" (meaning "first") and "ordiri" (meaning "to begin") came together to form "primordium," the Latin word for "origin." When it entered English in the 14th century, "primordial" was used in the general sense "primeval." Early on, there were hints that "primordial" would lend itself well to discussions of the earth's origins. Take, for instance, this passage from a 1398 translation of an encyclopedia called On the Properties of Things: "The virtu of God made primordial mater, in the whiche as it were in massy thinge the foure elementis were . . . nought distinguishd." Nowadays, primordial matter is often referred to in evolutionary theory as "primordial soup," a mixture of organic molecules from which life on earth originated. 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 21, 2011 is: haughty • \HAW-tee\ • adjective : blatantly and disdainfully proud Examples: "Do you know who I am?" asked the woman with a tone of haughtydisdain. "Diana Ross was the first modern pop diva, a benchmark of haughty elegance that laid the path for Whitney, Mariah and Christina. Her front-and-center attitude could be trying; she constantly overshadowed fellow Supremes Flo Ballard and Mary Wilson and demanded top billing in the trio's final years." -- From a review by Christian Schaeffer in the Dallas Observer (Texas), February 24, 2011 Did you know? "Haughty," "proud," "arrogant," "insolent," "overbearing," "supercilious," and "disdainful" all mean showing scorn for inferiors. "Haughty" (which derives via Anglo-French "haut" or "halt" from Latin "altus," meaning "high") suggests a consciousness of superior birth or position. "Proud" may suggest an assumed superiority or loftiness ("too proud to take charity"). "Arrogant" implies a claiming for oneself of more consideration or importance than is warranted ("an arrogant executive"). "Insolent" implies contemptuousness ("We were ignored by an insolent waiter"). "Overbearing" suggests a tyrannical manner ("an overbearing supervisor"). "Supercilious" implies a cool, patronizing attitude ("an aloof and supercilious manner"). "Disdainful" suggests a more active and openly scornful superciliousness ("disdainful of their social inferiors"). 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 20, 2011 is: disseise • \dih-SEEZ\ • verb : to deprive especially wrongfully of seisin : to put out of possession or occupancy : dispossess Examples: "The complainant declared that he or she had been disseised -- usually physically and sometimes even violently deprived -- of land unjustly and without judgment of a court." -- From a footnote by Janet Loengard in the 2011 book The Ties That Bind: Essays in Medieval British History in Honor of Barbara Hanawalt "Noting that Joann did not even become aware of the property until after her husband's death - nine years after the transfer of interests - the panel concluded she 'was not therefore disseised of her one-third interest until 1997….'" -- From an article by Melissa P. Stewart, Esq., in Michigan Lawyers Weekly, October 15, 2007 Did you know? "Disseise," "seisin" ("the possession of land or chattels"), and "seize" are all 13th-century words derived from the Anglo-French word "seisir," meaning "to put in possession of." That’s the original meaning of English "seize" as well. ("Seize" can also be spelled "seise" in that sense.) The Magna Carta (the great charter of liberties, originally written in Medieval Latin and signed in 1215) is perhaps the most frequently quoted use of the word "disseise": "No free man shall be … disseised … except by the lawful judgment of his peers or by the law of the land." 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, 2011 is: parable • \PAIR-uh-bul\ • noun : example; specifically : a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle Examples: The priest opened his homily by relating the parable of the Good Samaritan that appears in the Gospel of Luke. "Look for no blameless moppets in ‘The Adventures of Pinocchio,’ Carlo Collodi’s 1883 folk classic about a naughty puppet who longs to be a real boy. A far cry from Disney’s sanitized classic, Collodi’s masterly parable captures the spirit of childhood anarchy as few other works of children's literature have before or since." -- From a theater review by F. Kathleen Foley in the Los Angeles Times Culture Monster blog, March 3, 2011 Did you know? "Parable" comes to us via Anglo-French from the Late Latin word "parabola," which in turn comes from Greek "parabolē," meaning "comparison." The word "parabola" may look familiar if you remember your geometry. The mathematical "parabola" refers to a kind of comparison between a fixed point and a straight line, resulting in a parabolic curve; it came to English from New Latin (Latin as used since the end of the medieval period, especially in scientific description and classification). "Parable," however, descends from Late Latin (the Latin language used by writers in the 3rd to 6th centuries). The Late Latin term "parabola" referred to verbal comparisons: it essentially meant "allegory" or "speech." Other English descendants of Late Latin "parabola" are "parole" and "palaver." 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, 2011 is: condign • \kun-DYNE\ • adjective : deserved, appropriate Examples: A suspension without pay is condign punishment for breaking the company's code of business ethics. "Kara Mustafa's failure, ignominious retreat and condign punishment were greeted with glee in Western Europe." -- From Andrew Wheatcroft's 2009 book The Enemy at the Gate: Habsburgs, Ottomans, and the Battle for Europe Did you know? In his 1755 Dictionary of the English Language, lexicographer Samuel Johnson noted that "condign" was "always used of something deserved by crimes." Even today, it is most likely to be used to modify "punishment" or a related word, such as "redress," "justice," or "chastisement." And yet, "condign" (which traces to Latin "com-," meaning "thoroughly," and "dignus," meaning "worthy") once meant "worthy" or "of equal worth or dignity" in English. How did such a word get chained to "punishment"? It was apparently so condemned in the 1500s by the phraseology of the Tudor Acts of Parliament: "Former statutes … for lacke of condigne punishment … be littell feared or regarded." 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, 2011 is: lavation • \lay-VAY-shun\ • noun : the act or an instance of washing or cleansing Examples: "Instead of careful lavations with a few minims of the miraculous water, she bathed daily in one or another of the springs, and imbibed gallons of the fabulous flow of the streams." -- From Jack Vance's 2004 novel Lurulu "In Maycomb County, it was easy to tell when someone bathed regularly, as opposed to yearly lavations: Mr. Ewell had a scalded look; as if an overnight soaking had deprived him of protective layers of dirt, his skin appeared to be sensitive to the elements." -- From Harper Lee's 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird Did you know? It sounds logical that you would perform a "lavation" in a "lavatory," doesn't it? And it is logical: both words come from Latin "lavare," meaning, appropriately, "to wash." English picked up a few other words from this root as well. In medicine, the therapeutic washing out of an organ is "lavage." There is also "lavabo" (in Latin, literally, "I shall wash"), which in English can refer to a ceremony at Mass in which the celebrant washes his hands, to the basin used in this religious ceremony, or to other kinds of basins. Even the word "lavish," via a Middle French word for a downpour of rain, comes to us from "lavare." 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, 2011 is: biophilia • \bye-oh-FILL-ee-uh\ • noun : a hypothetical human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms of life in nature Examples: "We live in an age in which it is easy to email Buenos Aires, and browse the internet from the Grand Canyon. We could just dial in from whatever sylvan spot appeals to our biophilia." -- From an article by Edward L Glaeser in The Independent [UK], March 23, 2011 "For some, biophilia manifests itself in such ordinary ways as, say, owning four or five house cats. For myself and others … it means flying to the other side of the globe to see a fruit bat, a duck-billed platypus, or a parrotfish." -- From an article by Lisa Gosselin in Audubon magazine, September - October 1998 Did you know? The term "biophilia" was popularized by psychoanalyst Erich Fromm in the 1960s. In his work, he used the word (from "bio-," meaning "life," and "-philia," meaning "friendly feeling toward") to describe the biological drive toward self-preservation. In the late 1970s, American biologist Edward O. Wilson extended the word's meaning, seeing it as the perfect word for "the rich, natural pleasure that comes from being surrounded by living organisms." Recently, "biophilia" has been in the news as the title of Icelandic singer Björk's latest project, a multimedia production that (according to the website for the Manchester International Festival) "celebrates how sound works in nature, exploring the infinite expanse of the universe, from planetary systems to atomic structure." 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, 2011 is: terpsichorean • \terp-sih-kuh-REE-un\ • adjective : of or relating to dancing Examples: One film critic speculated that this feel-good, terpsichorean movie would have tweens across the nation begging their parents to send them to dance school. "The Jazz Singer turned the industry on its ear, and Jolson's contribution can hardly be overstated. His vitality, inseparable from his ego, was tuned to a vocal, terpsichorean, and comedic pitch that nullified the need for microphones, scripts, or other actors." -- From Gary Giddins' 2010 book Warning Shadows: Home Alone with Classic Cinema Did you know? In Greek and Roman mythology, Terpsichore was one of the nine muses, those graceful sister-goddesses who presided over learning and the arts. Terpsichore was the patron of dance and choral song (and later lyric poetry), and in artistic representations she is often shown dancing and holding a lyre. Her name, which earned an enduring place in English through the adjective "terpsichorean," literally means "dance-enjoying," from "terpsis," meaning "enjoyment," and "choros," meaning "dance." "Choros" is also the source of "choreography" and "chorus" (those "choruses" in Athenian drama consisted of dancers as well as singers). The only other word we know that incorporates "terpsis" is "terpodion," an obsolete term for a piano-like musical instrument that was invented in 1816 but never really caught on. 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, 2011 is: compurgator • \KAHM-per-gay-ter\ • noun : one who under oath vouches for the character or conduct of an accused person Examples: As a compurgator, you do not have to believe in the innocence of the defendant, but you do have to feel confident speaking positively about that person's character. "To clear himself, the defendant required corroboration from a prescribed number of compurgators or 'oath-helpers,' which varied according to the nature and severity of the accusation. Neither the defendant nor his compurgators were required to present any evidence to the court." -- From Bruce L. Benson and Paul R. Zimmerman's 2010 book Handbook on the Economics of Crime Did you know? "Compurgator" is a descendant of the Latin verb "compurgare," meaning "to purify wholly." The root of that word, "purgare," also gave English "purge" ("to clear of guilt," "to cause evacuation from," or "to get rid of") and "expurgate" ("to cleanse of something morally harmful, offensive, or erroneous"). "Compurgator" has occasionally been used in a more general sense of "one who supports or defends another," but its primary application is to the specific legal situation in which someone appears in court as a character witness for the defendant. "Compurgator" has been used in English with this specific legal meaning since the 16th 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 13, 2011 is: vestige • \VESS-tij\ • noun : a mark or visible sign left by something that existed before; also: a minute remaining amount Examples: Viaducts, walls, and ancient baths remain as vestiges of the Roman occupation of Britain. "Outside her home flies a large American flag, but inside there are vestiges of her native France, with paintings all round of the City of Lights and its grand boulevards and striking architecture." -- From an article in the Gloucester Daily Times (Massachusetts), March 3, 2011 Did you know? "Vestige" is derived via Middle French from the Latin noun "vestigium," meaning "footstep, footprint, or track." Like "trace" and "track," "vestige" can refer to a perceptible sign made by something that has now passed. Of the three words, "vestige" is the most likely to apply to a tangible reminder, such as a fragment or remnant of what is past and gone. "Trace," on the other hand, may suggest any line, mark, or discernible effect ("the snowfield is pockmarked with the traces of caribou"). "Track" implies a continuous line that can be followed ("the fossilized tracks of dinosaurs"). 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, 2011 is: concatenate • \kahn-KAT-uh-nayt\ • verb : to link together in a series or chain Examples: As part of her presentation, Tiffany created a flow chart that concatenated all of the company’s suppliers and accounts. “You may want to place fields on a data-entry form quite differently from the way you want them to print on reports. For example, on the data-entry form, you might want to display separate fields for first, middle, and last names, but on a printed report, you may want to concatenate those fields into a single full name.”-- From an article by William Porter in Macworld, February 1, 2011 Did you know? "Concatenate" comes directly from Latin "concatenare," which in turn is formed from "con-," meaning "with" or "together," and "catena," meaning "chain." In fact, the word "chain" itself evolved from "catena." "Concatenate" has a somewhat longer history as an adjective, meaning "linked together," than as a verb. The adjective first appeared in English in the 15th century and the verb was in use by the early 17th century. "Catenate," a verb in its own right meaning "to link in a series," had also arrived on the scene by the early 17th 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 11, 2011 is: haphazard • \hap-HAZZ-erd\ • adjective : marked by lack of plan, order, or direction Examples: Because of the haphazard way the cars were parked in the field, it was difficult for drivers to exit in an orderly fashion after the reception. "With bookshelves piled to the ceiling, and every inch of space filled with stacks both meticulous and haphazard, Lippincott Books seems so firmly entrenched in its Central Street, Bangor location that one can’t imagine how it will close its doors this spring." -- From an article by Jennifer Vincent in The Maine Campus (University of Maine), February 20, 2011 Did you know? The "hap" in "haphazard" comes from an English word that means "happening," as well as "chance or fortune," and that derives from the Old Norse word "happ," meaning "good luck." Perhaps it’s no accident that "hazard," as well, has its own connotations of luck: while it now refers commonly to something that presents danger, at one time it referred to a dice game similar to craps. (The name ultimately derives from the Arabic "al-zahr," or "the die.") "Haphazard" first entered English as a noun (again meaning "chance") in the 16th century, and soon afterward was being used as an adjective to describe things with no apparent logic or order. 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, 2011 is: panegyric • \pan-uh-JEER-ik\ • noun : a eulogistic oration or writing; also : formal or elaborate praise Examples: Written on the tenth anniversary of his mother’s death, the poet’s latest piece is a panegyric in her honor. "Football's over reliance on expert based statistics, mathematical probabilities and the highest panegyric going to non-players goes against my grain." -- From an article by Bill Dement in the Ruidoso News (New Mexico), January 13, 2011 Did you know? On certain fixed dates throughout the year, the ancient Greeks would come together for religious meetings. Such gatherings could range from hometown affairs to great national assemblies, but large or small, the meeting was called a "panēgyris." (That name comes from "pan," meaning "all," and "agyris," meaning "assembly.") At those assemblies, speakers provided the main entertainment, and they delivered glowing orations extolling the praises of present civic leaders and reliving the past glories of Greek cities. To the Greeks, those laudatory speeches were "panēgyrikos," which means "of or for a panēgyris." Latin speakers ultimately transformed "panēgyrikos" into the noun "panegyricus," and English speakers adapted that Latin term to form "panegyric." 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, 2011 is: organoleptic • \or-guh-noh-LEP-tik\ • adjective 1 : being, affecting, or relating to qualities (as taste, color, odor, and feel) of a substance (as a food or drug) that stimulate the sense organs 2 : involving use of the sense organs Examples: "In addition to extra virgin olive oil, there are a number of other grades which define chemical and organoleptic qualities." -- From an article posted March 28th, 2011, at oliveoiltimes.com "The goal of beverage distillers is generally a beverage, often very traditional in nature, with very specific organoleptic properties…." -- From Steven E. Ullrich's 2011 book Barley: Production, Improvement, and Uses Did you know? English speakers first got a taste of "organoleptic" in an 1852 translation of a French chemistry textbook. Its spelling is an Anglicization of the French word "organoleptique," which derives from "organ" (same meaning as in English) and Greek "lēptikos," meaning "disposed to take or accept." "Lēptikos" is also an ingredient in "neuroleptic" (a type of powerful tranquilizer). The parent of "lēptikos" -- the verb "lambanein," meaning "to take or seize" -- contributed to the formation of several English words, including "epilepsy" and "syllable." 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, 2011 is: cloud-cuckoo-land • \kloud-KOO-koo-land\ • noun : a realm of fantasy or of whimsical or foolish behavior Examples: If the boss really thinks he can up productivity and increase profit after the company is downsized, he is living in cloud-cuckoo-land. "I vastly prefer to live in my own cloud cuckoo land. Anything else sends me into such depression that I can't get out of bed in the morning and the only thing that cheers me up is Mum's ginger biscuits." -- From Elizabeth George's 2010 novel This Body of Death Did you know? In Aristophanes' 5th century B.C. comedy TheBirds, Peisthetaerus (a human) convinces the king of the birds and his followers to help him build an ideal city juxtaposed between heaven and earth. They plan to intercept all of the sacrifices rising from the earth to the gods on Olympus, thereby starving the gods into cooperating with them. The newly built city is dubbed "Nephelokokkygia," (from "nephos," meaning "cloud," and "kokkyx," the native European cuckoo). By the late 19th century, English speakers had translated the town's name as "Cloud-Cuckoo-Land" and had begun using it as a general term for any similarly unreal or whimsical place or situation. These days, "cloud-cuckoo-land" makes occasional appearances in U.S. contexts but is far more common in British 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 7, 2011 is: conventicle • \kun-VEN-tih-kul\ • noun 1 : an assembly of an irregular or unlawful character 2 : an assembly for religious worship; especially : a meeting for worship not sanctioned by law 3 : meetinghouse Examples: In 18th-century England, it was a capital offense to preach in any conventicle. "The radicals tended to meet in small conventicles, sometimes in houses and farmsteads but also in cellars, gates, wayside shelters, clearings, water towers, forests, meadows, or 'windstill zones,' border areas where jurisdiction was contested." -- From C. Scott Dixon's 2010 book Protestants: A History from Wittenberg to Pennsylvania 1517-1740 Did you know? "Conventicle" comes to us from Latin "conventiculum" and ultimately from "convenire," meaning "to assemble." "Conventiculum" means "place of assembly" (it was applied in particular to Roman Christian meetinghouses) or simply "assembly." The English "conventicle" also originally meant "assembly." It then developed an application to illegal meetings, which, in turn, led to the arrival of a sense describing secret meetings for worship in a religion proscribed by law. And finally, "conventicle" developed a sense of "meetinghouse," echoing the earlier use of "conventiculum." 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, 2011 is: stultify • \STUL-tuh-fye\ • verb 1 : to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical 2 a : to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective : negate b : to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on Examples: Placing too many people in decision-making positions often has the effect of stultifying discussion and new ideas. "Without continuing support for higher education, we will stultify our national progress and go down a vicious spiral of ever-diminishing returns." -- From a letter by Michael Pravica to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, March 6, 2011 Did you know? Stupid or absurd behavior can be almost laughable at times. That’s the kind of situation depicted in an 1871 London Daily News article, describing how a witness “stultified himself” by admitting that he was too far off to hear what he had claimed to have heard. But there is nothing especially funny about the now-archaic original usage of “stultify.” The word was first used in the mid-1700s in legal contexts, where if you stultified yourself, you claimed to be of unsound mind and thus not responsible for your acts. Nor is there humor in the most common meaning of “stultify" nowadays, that of rendering someone or something useless or ineffective. 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, 2011 is: abrogate • \AB-ruh-gayt\ • verb 1 : to abolish by authoritative action : annul 2 : to treat as nonexistent Examples: The newspaper’s editors abrogated their responsibilities by failing to investigate the wrongful actions of the mayor’s office more forcefully. "Israelis are worrying that a new government in Egypt could abrogate the two countries' 31-year-old peace treaty that is a cornerstone of Israel's security policy." -- From an article by Linda Gradstein in AOL News, February 15, 2011 Did you know? If you can't simply wish something out of existence, the next best thing might be to "propose it away." That's more or less what "abrogate" lets you do -- etymologically speaking, at least. "Abrogate" comes from the Latin root "rogare," which means "to propose a law," and "ab-," meaning "from" or "away." We won't propose that you try to get away from the fact that "rogare" is also an ancestor in the family tree of "prerogative" and "interrogate." "Abrogate" first appeared in English as a verb in the 16th century; it was preceded by an adjective sense meaning "annulled" or "cancelled" which is now obsolete. 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, 2011 is: Ruritanian • \rur-uh-TAY-nee-un\ • adjective : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an imaginary place of high romance Examples: "The dancers are dressed in vaguely Ruritanian costumes, the men in military, the women in stiff tutus." -- From an article by John Rockwell in The New York Times, September 9, 2006 "ABC's Good Morning America opened with a trumpeted fanfare over pictures of the couple, proof that in the US Britain remains more period drama than real country, a Ruritanian theme park that is forever charming and quaint." -- From an article by Jonathan Freedland in The Guardian (London), November 17, 2010 Did you know? In 1894, British author Anthony Hope published The Prisoner of Zenda, a novel set in the mythical kingdom of Ruritania. The book relates the adventures of Rudolf Rassendyll, a British gentleman who impersonates the king of Ruritania to save him from a treasonous plot. An improbable but high-spirited tale filled with heroes, villains, courtly intrigue, romance, and sword play, Hope's narrative (and its fictional locale) quickly captured the imagination of the public. Within two years of the novel's publication, George Bernard Shaw had seen fit to use "Ruritanian" as a generic adjective: "Our common sense ... must immediately put a summary stop to the somewhat silly Ruritanian gambols of our imagination." Romantic or fanciful places or things have been "Ruritanian" 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 April 3, 2011 is: doff • \DAHF\ • verb 1 a : to remove (an article of wear) from the body b : to take off (the hat) in greeting or as a sign of respect 2 : to rid oneself of : put aside Examples: Although the temperature at the beach was a far cry from its August highs, the children doffed their shoes and made a game of teasing the surf. "As faithful as the 'True Grit' remake seems to the 1969 version, it takes the story one step beyond and uses the original ending from the Charles Portis novel. Instead of U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn doffing his cowboy hat and riding off to a musical flourish by Elmer Bernstein, the film strikes a more bittersweet note." -- From a movie review by Barbara Vancheri in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 22, 2010 Did you know? Time was, people talked about doffing and donning articles of wear with about the same frequency. But in the mid-19th century the verb "don" became significantly more popular and left "doff" to flounder a bit in linguistic semi-obscurity. "Doff" and "don" have been a pair from the start: both date to the 14th century, with "doff" coming from a phrase meaning "to do off" and "don" from one meaning "to do on." Shakespeare was first, as far as we know, to use the word as it's defined at sense 2. He put it in Juliet's mouth: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose / By any other name would smell as sweet. / … Romeo, doff thy name; / And for that name, which is no part of thee, / Take all myself." 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, 2011 is: meshuggener • \muh-SHUG-uhner\ • noun : a foolish or crazy person Examples: Alex wondered what kind of meshuggener would be foolish enough to buy bonds from a known scam artist. "'Take no notice,' she said…. 'The man's a meshuggener.'" -- From Howard Jacobson's 2010 novel The Finkler Question Did you know? From "bagel" and "chutzpah" to "shtick" and "yenta," Yiddish has given English many a colorful term over the years. "Meshuggener" is another example of what happens when English interprets that rich Jewish language. "Meshuggener" comes from the Yiddish "meshugener," which in turn derives from "meshuge," an adjective that is synonymous with "crazy" or "foolish." English speakers have used the adjective form, "meshuga" or "meshugge," to mean "foolish" since the late 1800s; we've dubbed foolish folk "meshuggeners" since at least 1900. 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, 2011 is: riddle • \RID-ul\ • noun 1 : a mystifying, misleading, or puzzling question posed as a problem to be solved or guessed : conundrum, enigma 2 : something or someone difficult to understand Examples: Despite Nick's outgoing nature, he doesn't share many details about his background and personal life, so he remains something of a riddle. "Beginning with his landmark work alongside partner Carl Bernstein on Nixon's Watergate scandal, through books on the administrations of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, [Bob] Woodward has devoted a near-40-year career to unraveling the riddle of how power works in Washington, D.C." -- From an article by Eric Deggans in Florida's St. Petersburg Times, March 16, 2011 Did you know? It is not unusual for words to acquire and lose meanings over time, and "riddle" is no exception. Old English speakers -- who had a variety of spellings for "riddle," including "hrædels," "redelse," and "rædelle" -- used the word as we do today to describe a question posed as a problem to be solved or guessed, but they also used it in the now obsolete senses of "counsel," "consideration," "debate," "conjecture," "interpretation," "imagination," and "example." (Not surprisingly, the Old English source of "riddle" is a cousin to Old English "rædan," meaning "to interpret.") Toward the end of the 14th century "riddle" acquired the sense of "a puzzling or perplexing thing," and in the 17th century it also came to refer to "a puzzling or enigmatic person or being." 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, 2011 is: osculate • \AHSS-kyuh-layt\ • verb : kiss Examples: "I've been osculated by everyone in the building!" Kevin exclaimed, wiping his cheeks to remove the vestiges of kisses planted there by adoring family on his wedding day. "When a pretty girl steps forward fully puckered up and expecting an appropriate response, it would be ungentlemanly to turn away…. But is there a correct way to osculate…?" -- From an article in The Sentinel (UK), February 22, 2010 Did you know? "Osculate" comes from the Latin noun "osculum," meaning "kiss" or "little mouth." It was included in a dictionary of "hard" words in 1656, but we have no evidence that anyone actually used it until the 19th century, except for scientists who used it differently, to mean "contact." Today, "osculate" is used in geometry for the action of a pair of curves or surfaces that touch so that they have a common tangent at the point of contact. When "osculate" is used to mean "kiss," the context is often humorous. 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, 2011 is: proximity • \prahk-SIM-uh-tee\ • noun : the quality or state of being proximate : closeness Examples: Although the proximity of the large dog made her nervous, Carla tried to keep her composure. "The tiny island nation of Malta, owing to its proximity to Libya -- Tripoli is closer to Malta than to Benghazi -- has emerged as a major transport hub as nations scramble to evacuate their citizens from Libya." -- From a blog post by Joshua Keating at ForeignPolicy.com, March 3, 2011 Did you know? The history of "proximity" hinges on the idea of closeness, both physical and metaphorical. English speakers borrowed the word from Middle French, which in turn acquired it from Latin "proximitat-, proximitas," forms of the adjective "proximus," meaning "nearest" or "next." A number of other languages, including Catalan, Portuguese, and Italian, derived similar words from Latin "proximus." Other descendants of "proximus" in English include "proximal," "proximate," and the somewhat more rare "approximal" (meaning "contiguous"). 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, 2011 is: wraith • \RAYTH\ • noun 1 a : the exact likeness of a living person seen usually just before death as an apparition b : ghost, specter 2 : an insubstantial form or semblance : shadow 3 : a barely visible gaseous or vaporous column Examples: We paused on our morning hike to watch the wraiths of mist rising from the swamps beyond the low hills in front of us. "Esben and the Witch take their name from a spooky Danish fairy tale. We expect dark gothic vibes and a singer who sounds like an eerie female wraith. We get both in Violet Cries. But this ambitious debut album also delivers much more." -- From a review by Ludovic Hunter-Tilney in the Financial Times, January 29, 2011 Did you know? If you see your own double, you're in trouble, at least if you believe old superstitions. The belief that a ghostly twin's appearance portends death is one common to many cultures. In German folklore, such an apparition was called a "Doppelgänger" (literally, "double goers"); in Scottish lore, they were "wraiths." The exact origin of the word "wraith" is misty, however. Etymologists can only trace it back to its first use in an English text in a 1513 translation of Virgil’s "Aeneid" by Gavin Douglas (the Scotsman used “wraith” to name apparitions of both the dead and the living). In current English, "wraith" has taken on additional, less spooky, meanings as well; it now often suggests a shadowy -- but not necessarily scary -- lack of substance. 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, 2011 is: farouche • \fuh-ROOSH\ • adjective 1 : unruly or disorderly : wild 2 : marked by shyness and lack of social graces Examples: The writer’s publicist was often frustrated by her client, who was urbane and eloquent on the page but farouche when it came to meeting with fans and giving interviews. "The girl is classical, farouche as a Jamesian heroine: she discloses her body in its spotless white swimming costume shyly, like a marble nymph." -- From Rachel Cusk's 2010 book The Last Supper: A Summer in Italy Did you know? In French, "farouche" can mean wild or shy, just as it does in English. It is an alteration of the Old French word "forasche," which derives via Late Latin "forasticus" ("living outside") from Latin "foras," meaning "outdoors." In its earliest English uses, in the middle of the 18th century, "farouche" was used to describe someone who was awkward in social situations, perhaps as one who has lived apart from groups of people. The word can also mean "disorderly," as in "farouche ruffians out to cause trouble." 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, 2011 is: jimjams • \JIM-jamz\ • noun plural : jitters Examples: "Just thinking about my presentation today gives me the jimjams," confided Joseph to his coworker. "'Now, don't make me repeat myself,' the man said, still musical but jittery, as though talking to kids gave him the jimjams." -- From Ingrid Law's 2008 novel Savvy Did you know? When "jimjams" entered English in the mid-19th century, it probably referred to a specific kind of jitters -- the "delirium tremens," a violent delirium caused by excessive drinking. "Jimjams" is not particularly common today, but when it is used in current American English it means simply "jitters." Etymologists aren't sure about the origin of the term. Some speculate that it came about as an alteration of "delirium tremens." Others, though uncertain of the origin of "jim" and "jam," notice that the word follows a pattern of similar words in which one sound is repeated or altered slightly. Interestingly, other words for "jitters" were formed in the same repetitive way -- "whim-whams" and "heebie-jeebies" are examples. 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, 2011 is: legerity • \luh-JAIR-uh-tee\ • noun : alert facile quickness of mind or body Examples: With legerity, the prefect noted that the man had just divulged information about the murder that had not been made public, and which placed him at the scene of the crime. "I think, the results will not take long to appear, taking into account the legerity acquired by our leading bankers in recent years." -- From a blog entry on 24dash.com, January 30, 2011 Did you know? When "legerity" first appeared in English in 1561, it drew significantly upon the concept of being "light on one's feet," and appropriately so. It is derived from words in Middle and Old French and ultimately Latin that all mean "light in weight." These days, "legerity" can describe a nimbleness of mind as well as of the feet. A cousin of "legerity" in English is "legerdemain," meaning "sleight of hand" or "a display of skill or adroitness." "Legerdemain" comes from the French phrase "leger de main," meaning "light of hand." 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, 2011 is: nonplus • \nahn-PLUS\ • verb : to cause to be at a loss as to what to say, think, or do : perplex Examples: The student's unexpected about-face during the class discussion nonplussed the teacher. "I spent a few days making phone calls, talking to perplexed and befuddled healthcare providers who were absolutely nonplussed by the fact that I wanted to pay them rapidly depreciating American dollars to provide me with healthcare services." -- From Kevin Williamson's 2011 book The Politically Incorrect Guide to Socialism Did you know? Does "nonplus" perplex you? You aren't alone. Some people believe the "non" in "nonplus" means "not" and assume that to be "nonplussed" is to be calm and poised when just the opposite is true. If you are among the baffled, the word's history may clarify things. In Latin, "non plus" means "no more." When "nonplus" debuted in English in the 16th century, it was used as a noun synonymous with "quandary." Someone brought to a nonplus had reached an impasse in an argument and could say no more. Within 10 years of the first known use of the noun, people began using "nonplus" as a verb, and today it is often used in participial form with the meaning "perplexed" (as in "Joellen's nasty remark left us utterly nonplussed"). 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, 2011 is: toothsome • \TOOTH-sum\ • adjective 1 a : agreeable, attractive b : sexually attractive 2 : of palatable flavor and pleasing texture : delicious Examples: The cookbook has recipes for a number of toothsome Italian dishes, including one for gnocchi in Bolognese sauce. "I had never had hominy and I instantly fell in love with the white, toothsome corn." -- From a dining review by Tanya Henry in the Marin Independent Journal (California), February 2, 2011 Did you know? One meaning of “tooth” is “a fondness or taste for something specified.” “Toothsome” comes from this definition of “tooth” plus the suffix “-some,” meaning “characterized by.” Although “toothsome” was at first used to describe general attractiveness, it quickly developed a second sense that was specific to the sense of taste (perhaps because from as far back as Chaucer’s time, “tooth” could also refer specifically to eating and the sense of taste). In addition, “toothsome” is now showing signs of acquiring a third sense, “toothy” (as in “a toothsome grin”), but this sense is not yet established enough to qualify for dictionary entry. 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, 2011 is: billion • \BILL-yun\ • noun 1 : the number 1,000,000,000 : a thousand million b British, old-fashioned : the number 1,000,000,000,000 : a million million 2 : a very large number Examples: If you were to count to a billion at the rate of one number per second, it would take you over 31 and a half years to finish. "'Charlie Sheen has been lining Lorre's and Warner Bros. pockets with what will amount to billions of dollars through Mr. Sheen's work on 177 episodes on the series, and Mr. Sheen has been ready, willing and able to work to finish out the season,' his lawsuit states." -- From an Associated Press Online article, March 11, 2011 Did you know? How much is a billion? It might depend who you ask. "Billion" was borrowed from French in the late 1600s to indicate the number one million raised to the power of two, or a million million -- a number represented by a one followed by 12 zeros. However, the French later changed their naming conventions so that a billion became a thousand million (a one followed by nine zeros) and a trillion became a thousand thousand million (or a million million, the old billion). The French have since returned to the older system, but it was this new system that was adopted by American English speakers in the 1800s. In Britain the newer system has seen increasing use since the 1950s, but the older sense is still sometimes used there 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 March 22, 2011 is: vespertine • \VESS-per-tyne\ • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or occurring in the evening 2 : active, flowering, or flourishing in the evening Examples: A vespertine fog crept over the farm, concealing the outbuildings and the orchard and stranding the house in an inky ocean of darkness as the evening turned to night. "In research involving American black bears Ursus americanus, Bridges et al. … recorded activity patterns at bait sites in Virginia and found bear activity was generally vespertine but exhibited seasonal differences with bears becoming more nocturnal in the fall…." -- From a chapter by A.S. Bridges and A.J. Noss in Camera Traps in Animal Ecology (2011) Did you know? Imagine this vespertine scenario: Hesperus, the Evening Star, shines in a clear sky; little brown bats flutter near the treetops; somewhere in the distance a church bell calls worshipers to the evening service. Can you find three words (other than "vespertine") associated with the Latin root "vesper," which means "evening," hidden in that scene? The evening star was once known as "Vesper" ("Hesperus" is from the Greek for "evening"); "vespertilian" means "batlike" (the Latin word for bat is "vespertilio"); and we still call an evening worship service "vespers." 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, 2011 is: savant • \sa-VANT\ • noun : a person of learning; especially : one with detailed knowledge in some specialized field (as of science or literature) Examples: Since she knew that Brad was a savant when it came to cars, Millicent sought his advice on which of the year’s new models she should test-drive. "It takes a certain type of savant to attend a Pink Floyd tribute show and audit every note, tempo, timbre, and sibilance. It takes an even more maniacal enthusiast to confirm which songs would have been embellished into improvisational sub-genres, and for how long." -- From a blog post by Ryan Carey on the web site of the Philadelphia City Paper, February 8, 2011 Did you know? Savant comes from Latin "sapere" ("to be wise") by way of Middle French, where "savant" is the present participle of "savoir," meaning "to know." "Savant" shares roots with the English words "sapient" ("possessing great wisdom") and "sage" ("having or showing wisdom through reflection and experience"). The term is sometimes used in common parlance to refer to a person who demonstrates extraordinary knowledge in a particular subject, or an extraordinary ability to perform a particular task (such as complex arithmetic), but who has much more limited capacities in other areas. 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, 2011 is: truncate • \TRUNG-kayt\ • verb : to shorten by or as if by cutting off Examples: The phone cut out, truncating Susan's sentence, and I was left wondering what she had intended to communicate. "Thanks to the State of the Union Address, The Biggest Loser was cut in half this week. And while in the past, we've seen the editors truncate the events of the episode to fit in a single hour's running time, that wasn't the case this week." -- From a review in TV Squad, January 26, 2011 Did you know? The earliest use of "truncate" in English was as an adjective describing something (such as a leaf or feather) with the end squared off as if it had been cut. It makes sense, then, that the verb which was coined very shortly thereafter referred to shortening things as though by cutting. "Truncate" descends from the Latin verb "truncare" ("to shorten"), which in turn can be traced back to the Latin word for "trunk," which was "truncus." Incidentally, if you've guessed that "truncus" is also the ancestor of the English word "trunk," you are correct. "Truncus" also gave us "truncheon" (a police officer's billy club) and the obscure word "obtruncate" ("to cut the head or top from"). 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, 2011 is: Kafkaesque • \kahf-kuh-ESK\ • adjective : of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially : having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality Examples: Though he had always filed his taxes swiftly, completely, and with full documentation, Michael was chosen to go through the Kafkaesque experience of being audited. "A Kafkaesque new system, supposed to make it easier for younger family members to act for elderly relatives, has triggered widespread confusion leading to delays, frustrations and unpaid bills." -- From an article by Teresa Hunter in The Guardian (London, England), February 7, 2011 Did you know? Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was a Czech-born German-language writer whose surreal fiction vividly expressed the anxiety, alienation, and powerlessness of the individual in the 20th century. Kafka's work is characterized by nightmarish settings in which characters are crushed by nonsensical, blind authority. Thus, the word "Kafkaesque" is often applied to bizarre and impersonal administrative situations where the individual feels powerless to understand or control what is happening. The first recorded appearance of "Kafkaesque" in English was in 1946. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.