Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 18, 2011 is: expatriate • \ek-SPAY-tree-ut\ • noun : a person who lives in a foreign country; also : a person who has renounced his or her native country Examples: After college Joshua got a job teaching English in Prague, where he shared an apartment with several fellow expatriates. "Carlos operated a catering business within one of the country’s large oil camps, which included a nine-hole golf course that was built for American expatriates." -- From an article by Tod Leonard in The San Diego Union-Tribune, January 21, 2011 Did you know? "Patria," the Latin word for "native country," is derived from "pater," meaning "father." ("Patria" is occasionally used for "native country" in English, too.) Speakers of Medieval Latin combined "patria" with the prefix "ex-" ("out of") to form the verb "expatriare," meaning "to leave one's native country," which led to our verb "expatriate" in the 18th century and the adjective and noun "expatriate" in the 19th century. We also have "repatriate" (from Late Latin "repatriare"), which is a verb meaning "to return to one's native country" and a noun meaning "one who is repatriated." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 17, 2011 is: galley-west • \gal-ee-WEST\ • adverb : into destruction or confusion Examples: A rogue wave knocked the anchored boats galley-west. "'Get the door, Scott.' 'Daddy, what if he's … there?' 'Then I'll knock him galley-west with this thing.'" -- From Stephen King's 2006 novel Lisey's Story Did you know? American author Mark Twain is on record as one of the first to use "galley-west" in his writing. Etymologists believe the word is a corruption of dialectal English "colleywest" or "collyweston." The earliest appearance of those words, used with the meaning "askew or awry," dates from the late 16th century. The ultimate source of "colleywest" and "collyweston" is not known but is suspected to be from a personal name. When "galley-west" is used in speech or writing, the verb "knock" usually precedes it. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 16, 2011 is: microcosm • \MY-kruh-kahz-um\ • noun 1 : a little world; especially : the human race or human nature seen as an epitome of the world or the universe 2 : a community or other unity that is an epitome of a larger unity Examples: The city’s downtown shopping district, where several stores have come and gone in the last six months, is a microcosm of the nation’s fluctuating economy as a whole. "The pushing and shoving among men in suits to get a seat were a microcosm of the fierce competition and frenetic pace of a wireless industry here for its largest annual gathering. It was a stampede of the electronics industry to mobility." -- From an article by Sharon Chan in The Seattle Times, February 15, 2011 Did you know? A microcosm is a "little world" -- "mikros kosmos" in Greek. The Greek term was modified to "microcosmus" in Medieval Latin. When early medieval scholars referred to humans as miniature embodiments of the natural universe, they either employed the Latin word "microcosmus" or they used the English translation, "less world." "Man is callyd the lasse worlde, for he shewyth in hymselfe lyknesse of all the worlde," wrote John Trevisa when he translated the Latin text of Bartholomaeus Anglicus’ encyclopedia in the 14th century. But by the 15th century scholars had adopted an anglicized version of the Latin word, the word we use today -- "microcosm." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 15, 2011 is: continual • \kun-TIN-yoo-ul\ • adjective 1 : continuing indefinitely in time without interruption 2 : recurring in steady usually rapid succession Examples: The continual blaring of the car alarm outside made it very difficult for Jane to focus on her work that morning. "The international community must help the Afghan government approach the task of empowering Afghan women as a continual process rather than as a single benchmark, for experience shows us that even legal equality does not translate into equal treatment." -- From an article by M. Ashraf Haidari in The Washington Times, March 9, 2010 Did you know? Since the mid-19th century, many grammarians have drawn a distinction between "continual" and "continuous." "Continual" should only mean "occurring at regular intervals," they insist, whereas "continuous" should be used to mean "continuing without interruption." This distinction overlooks the fact that "continual" is the older word and was used with both meanings for centuries before "continuous" appeared on the scene. The prescribed sense of "continuous" became established only in the 19th century, and it never succeeded in completely driving out the equivalent sense of "continual." Today, "continual" is the more likely of the two to mean "recurring," but it also continues to be used, as it has been since the 14th century, with the meaning "continuing without interruption." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 14, 2011 is: batten • \BAT-un\ • verb 1 a : to grow or make fat b : to feed gluttonously 2 : to grow prosperous especially at the expense of another -- usually used with on Examples: There have always been unscrupulous individuals who batten on the misfortunes of others. "At the same time, others who had battened on the business of originating mortgages --thousands of small-time mortgage brokers -- went out of business." -- From Nouriel Roubini and Stephen Mihm's 2010 book Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance Did you know? The origin of today's word is believed to be the Old Norse verb "batna," meaning "to improve." "Batna" is akin to Old Norse "betr" and Old English "betera," from which we get the modern English word "better." "Batten" entered the English language in the late 1500s with the meaning "to improve," and was especially used in the sense of improving or thriving by feeding. It is not related to the verb "batten" found in expressions such as "batten down the hatches." This latter "batten" comes from the noun "batten," which denotes, among other things, an iron bar used to secure the covering of a hatchway on a ship. This "batten" has Latinate rather than Germanic origins, and can be traced back through Anglo-French "batre" to the Latin verb "battuere" ("to beat"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 13, 2011 is: hermetic • \her-MET-ik\ • adjective 1 : relating to or characterized by occultism or abstruseness : recondite 2 a : airtight b : impervious to external influence c : recluse, solitary Examples: The infomercial claimed that the new containers used modern technology to guarantee a hermetic seal that would keep food fresh for months. "Is all the Oscar buzz and fascination with 'Black Swan' -- Darren Aronofsky's decidedly lurid look at the hermetic world of classical ballet -- boosting ticket sales for live 'Swan Lake' performances?" -- From an article in the Los Angeles Times, February 2, 2011 Did you know? "Hermetic" derives from Greek via the Medieval Latin word "hermeticus." When it first entered English in the early 17th century, "hermetic" was associated with writings attributed to Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom. Thoth, whom the Greeks called Hermes Trismegistus ("thrice-great Hermes"), was believed to be the author of a number of mystical, philosophical, and alchemistic works. The obscure subject matter of these works may have made them difficult to wade through, for soon English speakers were also applying "hermetic" to things that were beyond ordinary human comprehension. Additionally, Hermes Trismegistus was said to have invented a magic seal that could keep vessels airtight. "Hermetic" thus came to mean "airtight," both literally and figuratively. These days, it can also sometimes mean "recluse" or "solitary." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 12, 2011 is: ancillary • \AN-suh-lair-ee\ • adjective 1 : of lower or secondary class or rank : subordinate, subsidiary 2 : providing additional help or support : auxiliary, supplementary Examples: One ancillary benefit to Beatrice’s job at the movie theater is the ability to catch an early glimpse of all the new releases. "The arts are not ancillary to education, they are integral. The school system has identified this [auditorium] as its number one capital priority. Greenwich's kids deserve it. The town should build it." -- From an editorial in the Greenwich Time (Old Greenwich, Connecticut), February 4, 2011 Did you know? "Ancillary" derives from the English word "ancilla," a somewhat rare word that means "an aid to achieving or mastering something difficult." That word derives from Latin, where it meant "female servant." While English "ancilla" is unlikely to be encountered except in very specialized contexts (such as philosophy or quantum computing), "ancillary" picks up on the notion of providing aid or support in a way that supplements something else. In particular, the word often describes something that is in a position of secondary importance, such as the “ancillary products in a company’s line.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 11, 2011 is: fulvous • \FULL-vus\ • adjective : of a dull brownish yellow : tawny Examples: The dog had an unusual coat of fulvous fur with black and white splotches. "'Do you realize what you’re monkeying with here, Mr. Swillenale? A HISTORICAL DISTRICT. What if your neighbors wanted to capriciously paint their home fawn with fulvous trim because it was cheaper than their historically accurate burnt umber with citrine trim? Eh? I think you’ll agree that that’s not a pretty picture. No sir.'" -- From a satirical piece by Bill Morem in The San Luis Obispo Tribune (California), April 1, 2010 Did you know? "Fulvous" has never been a common word, but you are much more likely to encounter it in texts from the 19th century than in texts from the decades since -- unless, that is, you care about ducks. In that case, you might know about a kind of whistling duck called the fulvous tree duck, which is a brownish duck with long legs and a long neck that has an unusual world distribution. It lives in isolated populations in North America, South America, India, and Africa -- remarkably without geographic variation. But back to "fulvous": it shares a meaning with its direct ancestor, the Latin word "fulvus," and "fulvus" itself is believed to possibly share an ancestor with "flavus," Latin for "yellow." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 10, 2011 is: ignoramus • \ig-nuh-RAY-mus\ • noun : an utterly ignorant person : dunce Examples: "You ignoramus -- you can't splice wires of different colors. You'll start an electrical fire," bawled Adam to his roommate. "I think, you know, I've been called edgy, but you know, in all honestly, I think that there is a safety in what I do because I'm always the idiot. And unless you're listening to the buzzwords and not really taking into account the context or the content of it, you see that I'm the idiot always, the ignoramus in the scenario." -- Sarah Silverman in an interview on National Public Radio, April 22, 2010 Did you know? "Ignoramus" is the title of a farce by George Ruggle (1575-1622) that was first produced in 1615. The title character, whose name in Latin literally means "we do not know," is a lawyer who fancies himself to be quite shrewd but is actually foolish and ignorant. Ruggle may have been inspired in his choice of name for his character by a proceeding in the English judicial system. The term "ignoramus" was written on bills of indictment when the evidence presented seemed insufficient to justify prosecution. In these cases "ignoramus" indicated "we take no notice of (i.e., we do not recognize) this indictment." Such a reference would have been most appropriate for Ruggle's satire of the judiciary. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 9, 2011 is: zibeline • \ZIB-uh-leen\ • noun : a soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair, alpaca, or camel's hair Examples: An elegant zibeline scarf was the perfect complement to her outfit. "A single shoulder, ruffled beyond belief with taffeta and organza layers, tops the silk-zibeline A-line gown, which is finished with a sweep train." -- From a photo caption in Brides magazine, April 2010 Did you know? Though zibeline is woven from the hair of alpacas, camels, or Angora goats, its name actually traces back to a Slavic word for the sable, a small mammal related to the weasel. The Slavic term was adopted into Old Italian, and from there it passed to Middle French, then on to English in the late 1500s. English "zibeline" originally referred to the sable or its fur, but in the late 19th century it developed a second sense, applying to a soft, smooth, slightly furry material woven from a mixture of animal hairs. It's especially suited to women's suits and coats, or, as a fashion columnist in the December 6, 1894 issue of Vogue observed, "Zibeline . . . makes an exceedingly pretty, warm theatre cloak, not too fine to be crushed into the small one-chair space." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 8, 2011 is: deem • \DEEM\ • verb 1 : to come to think or judge : consider 2 : to have an opinion : believe Examples: Based on the testimony of two forensic psychologists, the judge deemed the defendant competent to stand trial. "By the end of Notre Dame's two snowbound days at a hotel near O'Hare, Tyrone Nash had digested an entire season of 'Mad Men' and deemed it Emmy-worthy." -- From an article by Brian Hamilton in the Chicago Tribune, February 3, 2011 Did you know? In the Middle Ages, "demen" was a fateful word. Closely related to "doom," this precursor of "deem" meant "to act as a judge" or "to sentence, condemn, or decree." These meanings passed to "deem" itself, but we haven't used "deem" to mean "legally condemn" since the early 17th century. Though "deem" is still frequently used in law contexts, today it means "judge" only in a broader sense of "to decide (something specified) regarding," as in "the act was deemed unlawful" or "the defendant is deemed to have agreed to the contract." Outside of the law, "deem" usually means simply "to consider." Some usage commentators consider "deem" pretentious, but its use is well established in both literary and journalistic contexts. We deem it perfectly acceptable. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 7, 2011 is: collop • \KAH-lup\ • noun 1 : a small piece or slice especially of meat 2 : a fold of fat flesh Examples: "I kept my eyes fixed on my dish. It was a fast day, and I could not imagine how to swallow the collop of tench that lay there…." -- From Emma Darwin's 2008 novel A Secret Alchemy "You put the collops of meat in a pan with wine, marjoram, shallots and bacon." -- From an article by Bee Wilson in The Sunday Telegraph (London), July 11, 2010 Did you know? The word "collop" is fat with meaning. It originated as a Middle-English word for an egg fried on bacon and later for the slice of bacon itself. In 18th-century Great Britain, it began designating the Monday before Shrove Tuesday. Traditionally, on "Collop Monday" fried bacon and eggs were eaten. The word was also extended to refer to any slice of meat, as in "collops of lobster," and to a fold of flesh on the body. In addition, the word can be used figuratively to refer to any piece of something -- for example, in Sir Walter Scott's novel Waverley we find "a 'collop of the foray,' or, in plainer words, a portion of the robber's booty." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 6, 2011 is: lapidary • \LAP-uh-dair-ee\ • noun 1 : a cutter, polisher, or engraver of precious stones usually other than diamonds 2 : the art of cutting gems Examples: Grandfather had many hobbies, and was especially skilled in both woodworking and lapidary. "White earned a doctorate degree in homeopathy and acupuncture at Open International University in Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 2000, though, she felt inclined to return home to Bradenton and renew the knowledge she learned from her father, Mikes Howes, a silversmith and lapidary." -- From an article in the Sarasota Herald Tribune (Florida), December 16, 2010 Did you know? The Latin word for "stone" is "lapis"; in that language, something "of or relating to stone" is described as "lapidarius." Gem cutters obviously relate well to stone, and during the 14th century someone decided that "lapidarius" should be related to them. The spelling of the term was modified, and it was borrowed into English as a name for both gem cutters and their art. Since the 1700s, "lapidary" has also been used as an adjective describing things having the elegance and precision of inscriptions carved on stone monuments or things relating to the art of gem cutting. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 5, 2011 is: volte-face • \vawlt-FAHSS\ • noun : a reversal in policy : about-face Examples: The mayor’s abrupt volte-face on new town zoning regulations made some of his critics wonder if he was being persuaded by special interest groups. "I worried that [Anthony Bourdain] might be showing the signs of creeping celebrity rot -- the expensive haircut, the perpetual tan, the new, younger wife, and what seemed like a markedly more benign view of some of his egregious contemporaries (I mean, of course, his unforgivable volte-face about Emeril)." -- From an article by John Broening in The Denver Post, June 9, 2010 Did you know? "Volte-face" came to English by way of French from Italian "voltafaccia" (from "voltare," Italian for "to turn," and "faccia," meaning "face"). It has existed as an English noun since at least 1819, making it just slightly older than the more English-sounding "about-face." Although foot soldiers have been stepping smartly to the command "About face! Forward march!" for centuries, "about-face" didn’t appear as a figurative noun meaning "a reversal of attitude, behavior, or point of view" until 1853. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 4, 2011 is: raffish • \RAF-ish\ • adjective 1 : marked by or suggestive of flashy vulgarity or crudeness 2 : marked by a careless unconventionality : rakish Examples: Gina often seemed to be attracted to the raffish and rebellious boys, rather than the quiet intellectuals in her classes. "They rode a bus a few stops and got off in the raffish suburb of Chelsea, a low-rent neighborhood of artists and writers." -- From Ken Follett's 2010 novel Fall of Giants Did you know? "Raffish" sounds like it should mean "resembling raff." But what is raff? Originally, "raff" was a word meaning "rubbish"; it derived from Middle English "raf," and it was being used for trash and refuse back in the 1400s. Around a century later, English speakers were also using the word "riffraff" to mean "disreputable characters" or "rabble." The origins of "riffraff" are distinct from the "rubbish" sense of "raff"; "riffraff" derived from an Anglo-French phrase meaning "one and all." By the mid-1500s, the similarities between "raff" and "riffraff" had prompted people to start using the two words as synonyms, and "raff" gained a "rabble" sense. It was that ragtag "raff" that gave rise to the adjective "raffish" in the late 1700s. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 3, 2011 is: declension • \dih-KLEN-shun\ • noun 1 a : noun, adjective, or pronoun inflection especially in some prescribed order of the forms b : a class of nouns or adjectives having the same type of inflectional forms 2 : a falling off or away : deterioration 3 : descent, slope Examples: The most common declension in modern English is the set of nouns that form their plurals with a simple -s. "We eat local, buy organic, and support small farms. Some of us even forage and hunt…. This trend appears to be a unique response to a declension narrative that goes something like this: Americans once lived on small farms, ate locally-produced food, did not poison the soil with chemicals, and always knew from whence their food came. Then industrialization and urbanization hit…. We lost our culinary innocence, fell from grace, and got fat." -- From a New York Times blog post by James McWilliams, March 9, 2010 Did you know? "Declension" came into English (via Middle French) in the first half of the 15th century, originating in the Latin verb "declinare," meaning "to inflect" or "to turn aside." The word seems to have whiled away its time in the narrow field of grammar until Shakespeare put a new sense of the word in his play Richard III in 1593: "A beauty-waning and distressed widow / … Seduc'd the pitch and height of his degree / To base declension and loath'd bigamy." This "deterioration" sense led within a few decades to the newest sense of the word still in common use, "descent" or "slope." The 19th century saw still another new sense of the word -- meaning "a courteous refusal" -- but this sense has remained quite 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 March 2, 2011 is: enigmatic • \en-ig-MAT-ik\ • adjective : of, relating to, or resembling an enigma : mysterious Examples: When Rolf asked Tianna where she had been all day, she gave him an enigmatic smile and answered, "Oh, here and there." "Perhaps the most enigmatic feature of the heart-shaped cherimoya is its evocative green, scaled armor-like exterior: Is it an artichoke? Dinosaur egg? Armadillo? Grenade? A fabric swatch from Karl Lagerfeld's spring collection?" -- From an article by Kelly Rae Hickman in the San Francisco Chronicle, January 30, 2011 Did you know? When it comes to things that aren't clearly understandable, you have a wide range of word choices, including "dark," "enigmatic," "cryptic," and "equivocal." Of these, "dark" is the most sinister, implying an imperfect or clouded revelation, often with ominous overtones. "Enigmatic" (which traces back to Greek "ainissesthai," meaning "to speak in riddles") emphasizes a puzzling, mystifying quality, whereas "cryptic" implies a purposely concealed meaning. "Equivocal" is the best choice for language that is left open to differing interpretations with the intention of deceiving or evading. 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 1, 2011 is: acceptation • \ak-sep-TAY-shun\ • noun 1 : acceptance; especially : favorable reception or approval 2 : a generally accepted meaning of a word or understanding of a concept Examples: I may not be an "athlete," in the common acceptation of that word, but I do enjoy my daily workouts at the gym. "'I first met Anup in 2003 when he walked into the Art Gallery 100 in Longview, where I am a member, carrying about a dozen paintings to be submitted for acceptation into the gallery,' The Gallery Director Patsy Irons said." -- From an article in Palestine Herald-Press (Texas), November 28, 2010 Did you know? "Acceptation" is older than its synonym "acceptance"; it first appeared in print in the 15th century, whereas "acceptance" took until 1574. Grammarian H. W. Fowler insisted in 1926 that "acceptation" and "acceptance" were not actually synonymous (he preferred to reserve "acceptation" for the "accepted meaning" use), but the earliest meaning of "acceptation" was indeed "acceptance." Both words descend from the Anglo-French word "accepter" ("to accept"), but "acceptation" took an extra step. Anglo-French added the "-ation" ending, which was changed to form "acceptacioun" in Middle English. (English embraced the present-day "-ation" ending later.) "Acceptance" simply comes from "accepter" plus the Anglo-French "-ance." 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 February 28, 2011 is: cuspidor • \KUSS-puh-dor\ • noun : a receptacle for spit : spittoon Examples: Hannah loves to repurpose old, interesting-looking objects, most recently using an antique brass cuspidor as a planter. "When a passenger pulled the bell cord, porters were to answer swiftly and cheerfully. Just do what the passengers asked -- or demanded. Shine their shoes, fetch them drinks, make their beds, empty their cuspidors. No questions, no complaints, no protests. No rights." -- From an article published by the States News Service, February 15, 2010 Did you know? "Cuspidor" entered English in the early 18th century via the Portuguese word "cuspidouro," meaning "place for spitting." The Portuguese word, unsurprisingly, has its origins in Latin: the word "conspuere" comes from the prefix "com-" and "spuere," meaning "to spit." ("Spuere" is also the source of "spew" and "sputum.") Since the early 19th century, "cuspidor" has been competing with (and losing to) "spittoon," but "cuspidor" beats "spittoon" in one particular category: the receptacle for spit at a dentist's office is more often referred to by the older word. 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 February 27, 2011 is: circuitous • \ser-KYOO-uh-tus\ • adjective 1 : having a circular or winding course 2 : not being forthright or direct in language or action Examples: Jenn came up with the same answer I did, but her method was more circuitous, so I showed her how she could do the problem a lot faster. "The splashy DeSean Jackson and the serene Jeremy Maclin are the Eagles' starting wide receivers. They could be called the Sod Couple, because both young receivers make big plays. But that's where the similarities really end. Jackson flops and detours along the goal line on his circuitous route to the end zone. Maclin goes straight in for six points, face first and as fast as he can." -- From an article in the Courier-Post (Cherry Hill, New Jersey), December 24, 2010 Did you know? If you guessed that "circuitous" is related to "circuit," you're right -- both words come from Latin "circuitus," the past participle of the verb "circumire," meaning "to go around." "Circumire" is derived in turn from Latin "circum," meaning "around," plus "ire," which means “to go.” Other "circum" descendants making the rounds in English include "circumference" ("the perimeter of a circle"), "circumvent" (one meaning of which is "to make a circuit around"), "circumlocution" (the act of "talking around" a subject), and "circumnavigate" ("to go around"). There's also the prefix "circum-," which means "around" or "about," and the familiar word "circumstance," which describes a condition or event that "stands around" another. 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 February 26, 2011 is: gormandize • \GOR-mun-dyze\ • verb : to eat gluttonously or ravenously Examples: Lady Baleforth watched in horror as Lord Hoggwood gormandized the hors d'oeuvres, polishing off the entire lot before any of the other guests even arrived. "People stuff themselves, they gorge, they gormandize; their fingers are greasy from morning to night." -- From Philippe Sagant's 2008 book The Dozing Shaman Did you know? "Gormandize" entered English in the mid-1500s as a modification of "gourmand," a term borrowed from the French that served as a synonym for "glutton." The meanings of both "gourmand" and "gormandize" were clearly disparaging until the 19th century, when "gourmet" came into use to refer to a connoisseur of food and drink. Since then, the meaning of "gourmand" has softened, so that it now suggests someone who likes good food in large quantities but not in a way that is disgusting or gluttonous. "Gormandize" still carries such negative connotations, but it can also imply that a big eater has a discriminating palate as well as a generous appetite. 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 February 25, 2011 is: apposite • \AP-uh-zit\ • adjective : highly pertinent or appropriate : apt Examples: Before sending the final draft of his novel to his editor, Lyle searched for an apposite quotation that could serve as the book’s epigraph. "The Venetian merchants who travelled to other lands or cities were especially useful; it is apposite, too, that in a mercantile state, the language of merchants was used as a code." -- From Peter Ackroyd's 2010 book Venice: Pure City Did you know? "Apposite" and "opposite" sound so much alike that you would expect them to have a common ancestor -- and they do. It is the Latin verb "ponere," which means "to put or place." Adding the prefix "ad-" to "ponere" created "apponere," meaning "to place near" or "to apply to," and that branch of the "ponere" family tree led to "apposite." The word is used to describe something that applies well to or is very appropriate for something else, a notion perhaps suggested by the close proximity of two objects. To get "opposite," the prefix "ob-" was added to "ponere" to create "opponere," meaning "to place against or opposite." The related verb "componere," meaning "to put together," gave us "compound" and "composite." 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 February 24, 2011 is: snaffle • \SNAFF-ul\ • verb : to obtain especially by devious or irregular means Examples: Jacob snaffled up the last cookie, leaving his sister none. "Started on Tyneside in the late 1930s, the chain has expanded by snaffling up other bakeries…." -- From an article by Will Self in the New Statesman, December 13, 2010 Did you know? The origins of "snaffle" are shrouded in mystery. What we know of its story begins in the 16th century -- at that time, "snaffle" existed as both a noun referring to a simple bit for a horse's bridle and a verb meaning "to fit or equip with a snaffle" or "to restrain or check with or as if with a snaffle." The noun could be from an old German word for mouth, "snavel," but the connection has not been confirmed. The "obtain" meaning of the verb appeared in the early 18th century, and its origins are similarly elusive. A 1699 dictionary entered "snaffle" with the definition "a Highwayman that has got Booty" -- that's a logical derivative of the verb, but it is also unconfirmed. 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 February 23, 2011 is: edacious • \ih-DAY-shus\ • adjective 1 : having a huge appetite : ravenous 2 : excessively eager : insatiable Examples: My edacious dining companion could always be counted on to order the largest -- and often most expensive -- item on the menu. "My adoration is edacious, idolatrous. I have loved a lot of cakes. And I have loved some of them in shameful ways." -- From Leslie F. Miller's 2009 memoir Let Me Eat Cake: A Celebration of Flour, Sugar, Butter, Eggs, Vanilla, Baking Powder, and a Pinch of Salt Did you know? "Tempus edax rerum." That wise Latin line by the Roman poet Ovid translates as "Time, the devourer of all things." Ovid's correlation between rapaciousness and time is appropriate to a discussion of "edacious." That English word is a descendant of Latin "edax," which is a derivative of the verb "edere," meaning "to eat." In its earliest known English uses, "edacious" meant "of or relating to eating." It later came to be used generally as a synonym of "voracious," and it has often been used specifically in contexts referring to time. That's how Scottish essayist and historian Thomas Carlyle used it when he referred to events "swallowed in the depths of edacious Time. 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 February 22, 2011 is: congenial • \kun-JEEN-yul\ • adjective 1 : having the same nature, disposition, or tastes : kindred 2 a : existing together harmoniously b : suited to one's nature, tastes, or outlook c : sociable, genial Examples: Olga found the college's interdisciplinary curriculum congenial to the breadth of her academic interests. "Visiting a neighbor's home and engaging in congenial conversation is fast becoming a lost art. Polite verbal exchanges once familiar and customary in centuries past have gone the way of electronic surrogates: texting, e-mail and smart phones." -- From an article by Ty Pelfrey in The Union (Grass Valley, California), January 2, 2011 Did you know? According to ancient Roman and Greek mythology, each person at birth was assigned a guardian spirit. The Latin name for this attendant spirit was "genius." Two people who get along well together can be thought of as sharing a similar spirit; they might even be described by a word combining the Latin prefix "com-" (meaning "with, together") and "genius." And, indeed, it was this "com-genius" combination that gave rise in the 17th century to the English word "congenial." (The Greek word for the guardian spirit, "daimōn," gave us "eudaemonia," meaning "well-being" or "happiness," but that word is extremely 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 February 21, 2011 is: fraternize • \FRAT-er-nyze\ • verb 1 : to associate or mingle as brothers or on fraternal terms 2 a : to associate on close terms with members of a hostile group especially when contrary to military orders b : to be friendly or amiable Examples: The boss warned that fraternizing with the junior employees could be a risky career move for a manager. "Packers and Bears players fraternize with each other in the offseason. They attend each other's charity functions. They work out together and, dare I say it, look out for one another." -- From an article in the Green Bay Press-Gazette (Wisconsin), January 22, 2011 Did you know? Both "fraternize" and "fraternal" (meaning "of, relating to, or involving brothers") come to us, by way of Medieval Latin, from Latin "frater," meaning "brother." Other "frater" descendants in English include "friar," "fraternity," and "confraternity" ("a society devoted especially to a religious or charitable cause"). Even "brother" itself shares a relationship with "frater." These days, although "fraternize" can still refer to a brotherly association or simple friendliness, it often occurs in contexts, such as "fraternizing with the enemy," implying friendliness toward someone who would be better avoided. 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 February 20, 2011 is: cartographer • \kahr-TAH-gruh-fer\ • noun : one that makes maps Examples: A retired cartographer, Uncle Charlie has maps of the city that date all the way to the early 1800s. "Not so many years ago, the task of sending census statistics to the states so they could redraw voting districts involved trips to the loading dock. Cathy McCully, who heads the redistricting data division, often was on hand to oversee the mailing of boxes stuffed with computer printouts for politicians and cartographers to pore over." -- From an article in The Washington Post, December 31, 2010 Did you know? Up until the 18th century, maps were often decorated with fanciful beasts and monsters, at the expense of accurate details about places. French mapmakers of the 1700s and 1800s encouraged the use of more scientific methods in the art they called "cartographie." The French word "cartographie" (the science of making maps), from which we get our English word “cartography,” was created from "carte," meaning “map,” and "-graphie," meaning “representation by.” Around the same time we adopted “cartography” in the mid-19th century, we also created our word for a mapmaker, “cartographer.” 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 February 19, 2011 is: cabbage • \KAB-ij\ • verb : steal, filch Examples: In the late 18th-century play The Reconciliation, Mrs. Grim confesses that she "now and then cabbaged a penny." "He cabbaged parts from sources that ranged from an old washing machine wringer to the cam shaft from a six-cylinder Chevrolet engine." -- From an article by Larry Porter in the Omaha World-Herald, March 20, 2005 Did you know? Does the "filching" meaning of "cabbage" bring to mind an image of thieves sneaking out of farm fields with armloads of pilfered produce? If so, you're in for a surprise. Today's featured word has nothing to do with the leafy vegetable. It originally referred to the practice among tailors of pocketing part of the cloth given to them to make garments. The verb was cut from the same cloth as an older British noun "cabbage," which meant "pieces of cloth left in cutting out garments and traditionally kept by tailors as perquisites." Both of those ethically questionable "cabbages" probably derived from "cabas," the Middle French word for "cheating or theft." The "cabbage" found in cole slaw, on the other hand, comes from Middle English "caboche," which means "head." 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 February 18, 2011 is: mayhem • \MAY-hem\ • noun 1 : willful and permanent crippling, mutilation, or disfigurement of any part of the body and especially deprivation of a bodily member 2 : needless or willful damage or violence Examples: "A 22-year-old Salt Lake man was charged Wednesday with felony mayhem for allegedly biting off a piece of another man's nose, court documents state." -- From an article by Amy Joi O'Donoghue in the Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah), January 19, 2011 "Forty-one people were arrested in the mayhem after the Montreal Canadiens' Game 7 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Some stores were looted and police fired tear gas at hundreds of bottle-throwers." -- From an article by the Associated Press, May 13, 2010 Did you know? Legally speaking, mayhem refers to the gruesome crime of deliberately causing an injury that permanently disfigures another. The name derives via Middle English from the Anglo-French verb "maheimer" ("to maim") and is probably of Germanic origin; our own verb "to maim" comes from the same ancestor. The disfigurement sense first appeared in English in the 15th century. By the 19th century the word had come to mean any kind of violent behavior; nowadays, "mayhem" can be used to suggest any kind of chaos or disorder, as in, "there was mayhem in the streets during the citywide blackout." 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 February 17, 2011 is: flounce • \FLOUNSS\ • verb 1 a : to move with exaggerated jerky or bouncy motions b : to go with sudden determination 2 : flounder, struggle Examples: Bernard flounced around the house in a huff, yanking doors open and slamming them shut as he stomped from room to room. "The Master of the Music flounced out with the choir flouncing out in perfect unison behind him." -- From Terry Pratchett's 2009 novel Unseen Academicals Did you know? The story behind "flounce" is an elusive one. The verb's first recorded use in English occurred in 1542, and some scholars believe it is related to the Norwegian verb "flunsa" (meaning "to hurry" or "to work briskly") and Swedish "flunsa" ("to fall with a splash" or "to plunge"). The connection is uncertain, however, because the "flunsa" verbs did not appear in their respective languages until the 18th century, long after "flounce" surfaced in English. A second distinct sense of "flounce," referring to a strip or ruffle of fabric attached on one edge, did not appear in English until the 18th century. This "flounce" derives from the Middle English "frouncen" ("to curl"). 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 February 16, 2011 is: chameleon • \kuh-MEEL-yun\ • noun 1 : a small lizard whose skin changes color especially according to its surroundings 2 a : a person given to often expedient or facile change in ideas or character b : one that is subject to quick or frequent change especially in appearance Examples: At the summer resort he acquired a reputation as a social chameleon -- someone who could be whatever his hosts wanted him to be. "Bill Hader is the rare chameleon who's equally strong as his own man. From hilarious impressions of Vincent Price and Al Pacino to his breathtakingly original Stefon, TV's funniest deviant, the fact that he's still creating unique, gut-busting characterizations in his sixth 'SNL' year makes him a cherished talent." -- From a review in The New York Post, December 26, 2010 Did you know? The chameleon is probably best known for the ability to change colors -- but when the ancients named this lizard, they apparently had other qualities in mind. "Chameleon" comes to us, via Latin, from Greek "chamaileōn," a combination of "chamai" ("on the ground") and "leōn" ("lion") -- a tribute, perhaps, to the lizard's fearsome aspect. It is the ability of the chameleon to change colors, however, that has led to the figurative use of "chameleon" for someone or something that is quick to change. Such figurative use dates back to at least the late 16th century, as demonstrated by King James VI who, writing in 1586 or 1587, requested "I praye you not to takk me to be a Camelion." 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 February 15, 2011 is: brummagem • \BRUM-ih-jum\ • adjective : not genuine : spurious; also : cheaply showy : tawdry Examples: Donald knew better than to pay good money for the brummagem watch that was being falsely advertised as a quality Swiss timepiece. "Just as critics … conceived high culture in some antithetical relationship to 'middlebrow' or 'kitsch,' which imitated the intelligentsia's culture and blurred the distinction between commodity and art, so too, they warned, the spirit of Christianity now had to be preserved from its brummagem versions…." -- From Jason W. Stevens' 2010 book God-Fearing and Free: A Spiritual History of America's Cold War Did you know? "Brummagem" first appeared in the 17th century as an alteration of "Birmingham," the name of a city in England. At that time Birmingham was notorious for the counterfeit coins made there, and the word "brummagem" quickly became associated with things forged or inauthentic. By the 19th century, Birmingham had become a chief manufacturer of cheap trinkets and gilt jewelry, and again the word "brummagem" followed suit -- it came to describe that which is showy on the outside but essentially of low quality. Perhaps the term was something of an annoyance to the people of Birmingham way back when, but nowadays "brummagem" is usually used without any conscious reference to the British city. 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 February 14, 2011 is: canoodle • \kuh-NOO-dul\ • verb : to engage in amorous embracing, caressing, and kissing Examples: Chaperones watched for couples attempting to sneak under the gymnasium's bleachers to canoodle. "The honeymooners are ubiquitous. They cuddle on the beaches, and they maneuver kayaks across the clear, turquoise waterways. They hold hands and canoodle at dinner in dimly lit restaurants." -- From an article by Ron Donoho in San Diego Magazine, January 2009 Did you know? The origins of "canoodle" are obscure. Our best guess is that it may come from an English dialect noun of the same spelling meaning "donkey, fool, or foolish lover," which itself may be an alteration of the word "noodle," meaning "a foolish person." That "noodle" in turn may come from "noddle," a word for the head. The guess seems reasonable given that, since its appearance in the language around the mid-19th century, "canoodle" has been most often used jocularly for playful public displays of affection by couples who are head over heels in love. 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 February 13, 2011 is: harbinger • \HAHR-bun-jer\ • noun 1 : one that pioneers in or initiates a major change : precursor 2 : one that presages or foreshadows what is to come Examples: The February thaw is a harbinger of spring -- even if it's followed by a few more snowstorms. "When Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews had three sacks against Philadelphia in the opener, it was a harbinger of things to come for the Eagles. They allowed 50 sacks on the season, the most in the 12-year Andy Reid era." -- From an article by Jim Polzin in the Wisconsin State Journal, January 9, 2011 Did you know? When medieval travelers needed lodging for the night, they went looking for a harbinger. As long ago as the 12th century, "harbinger" was used to mean "one who provides lodging" or "a host," but that meaning is now obsolete. By the late 1300s, "harbinger" was also being used for a person sent ahead of a main party to seek lodgings, often for royalty or a campaigning army, but that old sense has largely been left in the past, too. Both of those historical senses are true to the Anglo-French parent of "harbinger," the word "herberge," meaning "lodgings." The most common sense of the word nowadays, the "forerunner" sense, has been with us since the mid-1500s. 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 February 12, 2011 is: emprise • \em-PRYZE\ • noun : an adventurous, daring, or chivalric enterprise Examples: The poet Rupert Brooke, in an elegy to the passing of youth, lamented the loss of "high emprise and ventures dear." "But perhaps he was the only one courageous enough to voice an opinion that others might have shared, but were afraid to say, that this whole quixotic emprise had been a bad idea, that they had been fools to attempt an escape." -- From John D. Lukacs' 2010 book Escape From Davao Did you know? Someone who engages in emprises undertakes much, so it's no surprise that "emprise" descends from the Anglo-French word "emprendre," meaning "to undertake." It's also no surprise that "emprise" became established in English during the 13th century, a time when brave knights engaged in many a chivalrous undertaking. Fourteenth-century author Geoffrey Chaucer used "emprise" to describe one such knight in "The Franklin's Tale" (one of the stories in The Canterbury Tales): "Ther was a knyght that loved and dide his payne / To serve a lady in his beste wise; / And many labour, many a greet emprise, / He for his lady wroghte er she were wonne." 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 February 11, 2011 is: unctuous • \UNK-chuh-wus\ • adjective 1 a : fatty, oily b : smooth and greasy in texture or appearance 2 : insincerely smooth in speech and manner Examples: Angela's date was an unctuous man who attempted, unsuccessfully, to pass himself off as a sensitive, artistic soul. "Cucumbers by themselves are too watery and mild, and avocados by themselves are a little rich and unctuous, but together they make a soup that's fresh and bright, yet rich enough to be satisfying." -- From an article by John Broening in The Denver Post, August 25, 2010 Did you know? Nowadays, "unctuous" has a negative connotation, but it originated in a term describing a positive act, that of healing. The word comes from the Latin verb "unguere" ("to anoint"), a root that also gave rise to the words "unguent" ("a soothing or healing salve") and "ointment." The oily nature of ointments may have led to the application of "unctuous" to describe things that are afflicted with an artificial gloss of sentimentality. An unctuous individual may mean well, but his or her insincere earnestness may leave an unwelcome residue with others, much like some ointments. 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 February 10, 2011 is: torpedo • \tor-PEE-doh\ • noun 1 a : a weapon for destroying ships by rupturing their hulls below the waterline: as b : a submarine mine c : a thin cylindrical self-propelled underwater projectile 2 : a large sandwich on a long split roll with any of a variety of fillings : submarine Examples: Among the undersea wreckage, the divers found an unexploded torpedo. "The threat of 'massive surprise bombardment,' as the white paper puts it, is one reason why South Korean forces have held back on striking targets inside North Korea in reprisals for surprise attacks such as that on Yeonpyeong Island and also on the navy corvette the Cheonan, sunk by a torpedo fired by a midget submarine in March with a loss of 46 lives." -- From an article by Donald Kirk in The Christian Science Monitor, December 30, 2010 Did you know? Like the adjective "torpid," "torpedo" can be traced back to the Latin verb "torpēre," meaning "to be sluggish or numb." In Latin "torpedo" referred to stiffness or numbness, and also to the crampfish or electric ray. "Torpedo" first entered English as a name for the electric ray. During the Napoleonic Wars, the American inventor Robert Fulton experimented with an explosive charge for use against warships which he called a "torpedo" (and which we would now refer to as a mine), after the electric ray's ability to incapacitate creatures it comes in contact with. Fulton was also the inventor of the "Nautilus," an early hand-powered submarine which was one of the precursors of the vessels that would deliver the more familiar cigar-shaped torpedoes with such devastating effects during the 20th century's two World Wars. 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 February 9, 2011 is: vicissitude • \vuh-SISS-uh-tood\ • noun 1 : the quality or state of being changeable : mutability 2 a : an unexpected change or fluctuation b : a difficulty or hardship usually beyond one's control Examples: A good investor cannot simply rely on the vicissitude of the market; one must also have patience and use strategy to invest wisely. "Ten years is a lifetime in the art world, where the vicissitudes of trends and tastes can befuddle the most experienced." -- From an article by Scarlet Cheng in the Los Angeles Times, January 9, 2011 Did you know? "Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better," wrote British theologian Richard Hooker in the 16th century. That observation may shed some light on "vicissitude," a word that can refer simply to the fact of change, or to an instance of it, but that often refers specifically to hardship or difficulty brought about by change. To survive "the vicissitudes of life" is thus to survive life's ups and downs, with special emphasis on the downs. "Vicissitude" is a descendant of the Latin noun "vicis," meaning "change" or "alternation," and it has been a part of the English language since the 16th century. In contemporary usage, it most often occurs in the plural. 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 February 8, 2011 is: plaguey • \PLAY-ghee\ • adjective : causing irritation or annoyance : troublesome Examples: Mona was a quiet girl who loved her books and detested the annoying antics of her plaguey peers. "What about monks? What about those stories I read as a boy featuring solitary genius inventors, working away at their crazy later-famous tasks, uninterrupted by plaguey human contact?" -- From Joan Silber’s 2008 novel The Size of the World Did you know? Plagues have, well, "plagued" humanity for centuries. One sense of the word "plague," referring to a deadly fever transmitted from rodents to humans by way of infected fleas, was all too familiar to English speakers in the late 16th century. That's when the word "plaguey" first appeared on the scene as an adjective describing something relating, literally or figuratively, to a plague. The fact that "plaguey" developed its "annoying" meaning by the end of that same century suggests just how familiar, and troublesome, the disease was in those days. "Plaguey" is also sometimes used as an adverb meaning "irritatingly," as in "it is plaguey cold." (The form "plaguily" is occasionally seen as well, with the same meaning.) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 7, 2011 is: interminable • \in-TER-muh-nuh-bul\ • adjective : having or seeming to have no end; especially : wearisomely protracted Examples: Sarah declared that, if she had to sit through one more interminable meeting where nothing was resolved, she would scream. "With the exception of having to eat a couple of cold dinners caused by interminable rush-hour traffic jams, we survived Old Man Winter's first frontal assault of the season with our Minnesota Nice largely intact." -- From an article by Jeff Strickler in Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN), December 17, 2010 Did you know? We promise not to ramble on endlessly about the origins of "interminable." The word was borrowed into English in the 15th century and descends from a Latin combination of the prefix "in-" ("not") and the verb "terminare," meaning "to terminate" or "to limit." English speakers also coined the antonym "terminable," meaning "capable of being brought to an end," from "terminare." Other relatives of "interminable" in English include "terminate," "determine," "terminal," and "exterminate." 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 February 6, 2011 is: tutelage • \TOO-tuh-lij\ • noun 1 : an act of guarding or protecting 2 : the state of being under a guardian or tutor 3 a : instruction especially of an individual b : a guiding influence Examples: Under the tutelage of her high school swim coach, Lynn has greatly improved her times. "Originally a classically trained pianist as a child and moving to bass in his early teens under the tutelage of legendary Brit blues architects Alexis Korner and John Mayall, he revolutionized the art of bass playing by combining the raw energy of blues with hard rock in the late 60's to help form the 'blues rock' sound." -- From a PR Newswire article, January 24, 2011 Did you know? The Latin verb "tuēri" means "to look at" or "to guard." When "tutelage" first began appearing in print in the early 1600s, it was used mainly in the protective sense of "tuēri," as writers described serfs and peasants of earlier eras as being "under the tutelage of their lord." Over time, however, the word's meaning shifted away from guardianship and toward instruction. This pattern of meaning can also be seen in the related nouns "tutor" (which shifted from "a guardian" to "a private teacher") and "tuition" (which now refers to the act or profession of teaching or the cost of instruction but originally meant "protection, care, or custody especially as exercised by a parent or guardian over a child or ward"). 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 February 5, 2011 is: earwig • \EER-wig\ • verb : to annoy or attempt to influence by private talk Examples: Some of the students are not above earwigging the professor in an attempt to improve their grades. “In Mississippi's casual sociality, lawyers see judges on hunting trips and at cocktail parties, and sometimes visit them privately in chambers. Occasionally, talk turns to the subject of a case pending before the court. Such ex-parte communication -- or 'earwigging,' as it's more commonly known -- is a technical violation of ethics standards, but it is hardly rare, and is usually harmless.” -- From an article by Peter J. Boyer in The New Yorker, May 19, 2008 Did you know? Earwigs are small insects that were once thought to crawl into the ears of sleeping people. This isn't true -- earwigs prefer moist, dark places under leaves and rocks to human ears -- but the superstition led people to name the insect "ēarwicga," Old English for "ear insect." Over time, people connected the idea of having an insect in one's ear to situations that involve whispering or speaking privately into someone's ear. The noun "earwig" came to also mean "a whispering busybody" (though this sense is now considered archaic), and the verb "earwig" evolved to refer to the acts of such meddlers. In British English, the word is more commonly used to mean "eavesdrop," as in "earwigged on their conversation at the party." 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 February 4, 2011 is: salvo • \SAL-voh\ • noun 1 : a simultaneous discharge of guns or bombs 2 a : a sudden burst b : a spirited attack Examples: The newspaper article was intended as a salvo against the mayor's policies. "With the arrival of the New Year, Hollywood is prepared to hurl another salvo of films into theaters to see what sticks." -- From an article by Aaron Wilder in the Abilene [Texas] Reporter-News, January 5, 2011 Did you know? "Salvo" derives via Italian and French from the Latin adjective "salvus," meaning "healthy." "Salve," another form of the word, means "hail!" in Latin and was used as a greeting by ancient Romans. (Incidentally, the English "salve" is no relation, despite the coincidental spelling.) In English, "salvo" originally meant a discharge of firearms performed usually simultaneously as a salute -- which is appropriate, since "salute" is another descendant of "salvus." With time "salvo" came to refer to such a discharge performed as an act of war. Nowadays when we hear the word, it’s usually part of a figurative act of war -- whether it’s a critical remark aimed at a debate opponent, for example, or a business decision in a highly competitive industry. 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 February 3, 2011 is: ragtag • \RAG-tag\ • adjective 1 : ragged, unkempt 2 : composed of diverse often incongruous elements : motley Examples: Despite fielding a ragtag collection of players unwanted by other teams, the Barons finished the season with a winning record. "The U.S. Army teaches every recruit about Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States, by Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, the Prussian general under George Washington who established the standards and training that allowed the ragtag Continental Army to defeat the greatest military force of its day." -- From a letter by Arthur Reilly published in The Salt Lake Tribune, January 6, 2011 Did you know? "Tag and rag" was a relatively common expression in the 16th and 17th centuries, and it was often used pejoratively to refer to members of the lower classes of society. By the 18th century, the phrase had been expanded to "rag, tag and bobtail." That expression could mean either "the lower classes" or "the entire lot of something" (as opposed to just the more desirable parts -- the entire unit of an army, for example, not just its more capable soldiers). Something described as "ragtag and bobtail," then, was usually common and unspectacular. "Ragtag and bobtail" was eventually shortened to "ragtag," the adjective we know today, which can describe an odd mixture that is often hastily assembled or second-rate. 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 February 2, 2011 is: linchpin • \LINCH-pin\ • noun 1 : a locking pin inserted crosswise (as through the end of an axle or shaft) 2 : one that serves to hold together parts or elements that exist or function as a unit Examples: A matching DNA sample was the linchpin in the murder case. "Although ties to the EU remain its economic linchpin, the country has shifted economic and foreign policy toward its old Ottoman holdings in the Mideast and ethnic brethren in Central Asia." -- From an article by Joel Kotkin in Newsweek, October 4, 2010 Did you know? "There was the good old custom of taking the linch-pins out of the farmers' and bagmens' gigs at the fairs, and a cowardly blackguard custom it was." That custom, described by British writer Thomas Hughes in his 1857 novel Tom Brown's School Days, was "blackguard" indeed. The linchpin in question held the wheel on the carriage and removing it made it likely that the wheel would come off as the vehicle moved. Such a pin was called a "lynis" in Old English; Middle English speakers added "pin" to form "lynspin." Modern English speakers modified it to "linchpin" and, in the mid-20th century, began using the term figuratively for anything as critical to a complex situation as a linchpin is to a wagon. 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 February 1, 2011 is: lucid • \LOO-sid\ • adjective 1 a : suffused with light : luminous b : translucent 2 : having full use of one's faculties : sane 3 : clear to the understanding : intelligible Examples: When Shelly talks in her sleep she often says things that are perfectly lucid, but if you ask her about the statements in the morning she won’t remember a thing. "Through her characteristic prodigious research and lucid prose, Janette Thomas Greenwood has produced a magisterial narrative that tells an incredibly moving and often tragic story about Reconstruction." -- From a book review by Erik J. Chaput in the Providence Journal-Bulletin (Rhode Island), December 26, 2010 Did you know? It's easy enough to shed some light on the origins of "lucid" -- it derives, via the Latin adjective "lucidus," meaning "shining," from the Latin verb "lucēre," meaning "to shine." "Lucid" has been used by English speakers since at least the late 16th century. Although it once meant merely "filled with light" or "shining," it has developed extended senses describing someone whose mind is clear or something with a clear meaning. Other shining examples of "lucēre" descendants include "translucent," "lucent" ("glowing"), and the somewhat rarer "relucent" ("reflecting light" or "shining"). Even the word "light" itself derives from the same ancient word that led to "lucēre." 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 January 31, 2011 is: hoodlum • \HOOD-lum\ • noun 1 : thug; especially : a violent criminal 2 : a young ruffian Examples: The shaken man tried his best to give the police an accurate physical description of the hoodlum who mugged him in the parking lot. "In the good old days, the bowling alley was a place for teenage punks to gather outside, smoke and fight…. These days, the bowling alley is a smoke-free family place, and instead of hoodlums in leather jackets you'll find groups such as the Koffee Kup bowling league…." -- From an article by Roy Bragg in The San Antonio Express-News, December 20, 2010 Did you know? A hoodlum can be anyone from a dangerous thug to a young person who’s just up to no good. The exact origins of the word are not known, but one theory is that the word derives from "hudelum," an adjective that means "disorderly" in dialects of German spoken in and around the region of Swabia. A similar-looking word for a young troublemaker is "hooligan," but that word is not related to "hoodlum"; rather, it most likely derives from the name of Patrick Hooligan, an Irish youth purported to have wreaked havoc in the streets of Southwark, England, in the late 19th century. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 30, 2011 is: urbane • \er-BAYN\ • adj : notably polite or polished in manner Examples: When had my willful and tomboyish cousin turned into this urbane young artist greeting the guests at her opening reception? "It is an archetypal scenario: innocent nave falls victim to the chicanery of a malevolent, urbane and -- most importantly -- seemingly innocuous predator." -- From an article by Judith Acosta on The Huffington Post, December 27, 2010 Did you know? City slickers and country folk have long debated whether life is better in town or in the wide open spaces, and "urbane" is a term that springs from the throes of that debate. The word traces back to Latin "urbs," meaning "city," and in its earliest English uses "urbane" was synonymous with its close relative "urban" ("of, relating to, characteristic of, or constituting a city"). "Urbane" developed its modern sense of savoir faire from the belief (no doubt fostered by city dwellers) that living in the city made one more suave and polished than did leading a rural life. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 29, 2011 is: euphoria • \yoo-FOR-ee-uh\ • noun : a feeling of well-being or elation Examples: The whole college was swept up in the euphoria of winning the national basketball title. "As for the new airport, McArthur could hardly keep a smile from his face during its entire opening ceremony. The event saw the mayor singing, laughing and soaking in the euphoria of seeing a dream of his finally becoming a reality." -- From an article by Brian Ahern in The Spectrum (St. George, Utah), January 13, 2011 Did you know? Health and happiness are often linked, sometimes even in etymologies. Nowadays "euphoria" generally refers to happiness, but it derives from "euphoros," a Greek word that means "healthy." Given that root, it's not surprising that in its original English uses "euphoria" was a medical term. A 1706 quotation shows how doctors used it then: "'Euphoria,' the well bearing of the Operation of a Medicine, i.e. when the Patient finds himself eas'd or reliev'd by it." Modern physicians still use the term, but they aren't likely to prescribe something that will cause it. In contemporary medicine and psychology, "euphoria" can describe abnormal or inappropriate feelings such as those caused by an illegal drug or an illness. 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 January 28, 2011 is: tog • \TAHG\ • verb : to dress especially in fine clothing -- usually used with up or out Examples: She smiled as she took pictures of her teenage son, who was togged out in a tuxedo and standing next to his prom date. "Brolin is togged out in 20 pounds of woolen Civil War-era clothing, including a floor-length duster, for one of the movie's opening scenes." -- From an article by Mike Scott in the Times-Picayune (New Orleans), June 19, 2010 Did you know? The history of "tog" is a true rags-to-riches tale that begins with the slang of vagabonds and thieves -- specifically, with the noun "togeman," an old (and now obsolete) slang word meaning "cloak." By the early 18th century, the noun "tog," a shortened form of "togeman," was being used as a slang word for "coat," and before the century's end the plural form "togs" was being used to mean "clothing." The verb "tog" debuted shortly after "togs" and was immediately in style as a word for dressing up. You may be wondering if there's a connection between "tog" and "toga," and if so, you are right on track. "Togeman" is believed to be derived in part from "toga," which means "cloak" or "mantle" in Latin. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.