Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 19, 2010 is: peculation • \pek-yuh-LAY-shun\ • noun : embezzlement Examples: The employee's peculation might never have been discovered had he not misdirected an e-mail intended for his bookie to the company bookkeeper. "Starting with Kansas in 1911, most states passed laws to protect investors from nefarious sales practices and other peculation in the offer and sale of securities." -- From an article by Arthur B. Laby in Business Lawyer, February 2010 Did you know? "Peculation" has some peculiar relatives. It derives from Latin "peculatus" ("misappropriation of property"), which belongs to a family of Latin words having to do with property and possession. The most basic members of the family, "pecu" ("cattle") and "pecus"("livestock"), reflect the fact that animals were a fundamental form of wealth in ancient societies. Other members of the family include "pecunia" ("money"), which gave English "pecuniary" ("monetary"), and "peculiaris" ("of private property" or "special"), which led to our "peculiar." Test Your Memory: Our featured word on September 30 was "raconteur." It means ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 18, 2010 is: outlandish • \out-LAN-dish\ • adjective 1 : of or relating to another country : foreign 2 a : strikingly out of the ordinary : bizarre b : exceeding proper or reasonable limits or standards 3 : remote from civilization Examples: The author’s award-winning novels are noted for their lush, fantastical settings and outlandish characters. "Lady Gaga has made a pop culture splash with her extravagant stage costumes and outlandish street clothes. But a wardrobe of oddball outfits isn't enough to turn a performer into an icon." -- From Washingtonpost.com, August 13, 2010 Did you know? In olden times, English speakers used the phrase "outlandish man" to refer to a foreigner -- or, one who came from an outland, which originally meant "a foreign land." From here, "outlandish" broadened in usage from a word meaning "from another land" to one describing something unfamiliar or strange. Dress was a common early target for the adjective -- Henry Fielding, in Tom Jones (1749), writes of a woman "who was drest in one of your outlandish Garments." Nowadays, the word can be applied to anything that strikes us as out of the ordinary, as in the description of one man’s "outlandish proposal to replace the aging Tappan Zee Bridge with a seven-mile tunnel," from the New York Times, September 16, 2001. Test Your Memory: What former Word of the Day means "lacking proper respect or seriousness"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 17, 2010 is: hie • \HYE\ • verb 1 : to go quickly : hasten 2 : to cause (oneself) to go quickly Examples: Every autumn, we hie ourselves down to the county fair for a day of greasy food and entertainment. "If you're interested in acting, and you're between 14 and 19, hie thee to the Long Wharf Theatre this week, where Annie DiMartino is running auditions for 'The Taming of the Shrew,' as part of a new Shake-It-Up Shakespeare for teens." -- From an article by Sandi Kahn Shelton in the New Haven Register, July 26, 2010 Did you know? "Hie" has been part of English since the 12th century, and it stems from the even hoarier "hīgian," an Old English word meaning "to strive" or "to hasten." "Hie" enjoyed a high popularity period from the 16th to the 19th centuries, and you're sure to encounter it in the literature of those times -- writers from Shakespeare to Twain penned it into their prose. But don't get the idea that "hie" is just a word of the past; it regularly pops up in current publications as well -- often, though not always, in contexts in which the author is wanting to approximate an old-timey way of communicating. Test Your Memory: Our featured word on September 30 was "raconteur." It means ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 16, 2010 is: eddy • \EDD-ee\ • noun 1 a : a current of water or air running contrary to the main current; especially : a circular current : whirlpool b : something moving similarly 2 : a contrary or circular current (as of thought or policy) Examples: The strong gusts whipped up eddies of fallen leaves. "At a time when the moneyed life in New York feels as if it is being sucked into the sewers, the reopening of Alice Tully Hall, the chamber music venue at Lincoln Center, feels like an eddy in the stream." -- From an article by Geraldine Baum in the Los Angeles Times, March 11, 2009 Did you know? "He walked by the stream, far from the houses, and in the light and warmth of the sun fell asleep on the bank. When he awoke and was afoot again, he lingered there yet a little longer, watching an eddy that turned and turned purposeless, until the stream absorbed it, and carried it on to the sea." This use of "eddy" (from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens) reflects a sense that has been swirling around English for centuries; the earliest documented uses of "eddy" to refer to water currents date from the 15th century. Etymologists trace the word to the Scottish dialect term "ydy," which had the same basic meaning as our modern term and may in turn come from the Old Norse word "itha." Quick Quiz: What synonym of "eddy" rhymes with "cortex"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 15, 2010 is: zeroth • \ZEE-rohth\ • adjective : being numbered zero in a series; also : of, relating to, or being a zero Examples: Science fiction writer Isaac Asimov's Zeroth Law for robots --"A robot may not harm humanity" -- supersedes his First Law disallowing a robot to harm an individual human being. "For us to consider 2009 the end of the decade, we would have to have had a year 0. But this means the first century, too, would have to have been the zeroth century. And the first millennium the zeroth millennium. It doesn't work that way. It can't work that way, unless you want to be at the end of the zeroth decade of the zeroth century of the second millennium." -- From an article by Dennis E. Powell in The Athens News (Ohio), December 28, 2009 Did you know? You don't have to be a rocket scientist to use "zeroth," but the word, which was coined by physicists over a hundred years ago, does often show up in scientific contexts. (It comes from "zero," which is itself from Arabic "ṣifr.") These days "zeroth" is frequently used, as in our first example sentence, to suggest a level of importance that is even higher than first. Renowned Soviet physicist Lev Landau used "zeroth" this way when he classified all the famous physicists according to the relative value of their contributions to science. He put Niels Bohr and Max Planck, for example, right up there in the first class, and lesser-rated physicists in the second through fifth classes. Where did he think Albert Einstein and Isaac Newton belonged? They were unmatched, he felt, so they went in his zeroth class. Test Your Memory. What other word did we feature this fall that begins with "ze" and ends with "th"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 14, 2010 is: boustrophedon • \boo-struh-FEE-dahn\ • noun : the writing of alternate lines in opposite directions (as from left to right and from right to left) Examples: The archaeologist was quick to see that the text was written in boustrophedon. "Some writing systems, like the ancient Greeks' boustrophedon, in which alternate lines are read in opposite directions, appear to actually support these pre-literary inclinations." -- From an article in The Economist (U.S. Edition), July 10, 2010 Did you know? Before the standardization of writing from left to right, ancient Greek inscribers once used a style called "boustrophedon," a word meaning literally "turning like oxen in plowing." When they came to the end of a line, the ancient Greeks simply started the next line immediately below the last letter, writing the letters and words in the opposite direction, and thus following the analogy of oxen plowing left to right, then right to left. "Reverse boustrophedon" writing has also been found in which the inscribers turned the document 180 degrees before starting a new line so that the words are always read left to right with every half turn. The word "boustrophedon" itself is formed from the Greek word for the ox or cow, "bous," and the verb "strephein," which means "to turn." Quick Quiz: What "strephein" descendent means "a great disaster or misfortune"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 13, 2010 is: erstwhile • \ERST-wile\ • adverb : in the past : formerly Examples: We were delighted to discover a new community garden where erstwhile had been a trash-filled vacant lot. "In Florida, the erstwhile popular Republican governor, Charlie Crist, dropped out of the party's Senate primary race to run as an independent after encountering Tea Party opposition." -- From the Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd.'s Country Report Select, October 1, 2010 Did you know? The adverb "erstwhile" has been part of English since the 16th century, but it is formed from two words that are much older. It comes from the Old English words "ær," meaning "early," and "hwīl," which has much the same meaning as the modern word "while." (The English word "ere," meaning "before," is also descendant of "ær.") The adjective "erstwhile," as in "erstwhile enemies," joined the language around 1900. Test Your Memory: Our featured word on September 29 was "parlay." It means ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 12, 2010 is: gimcrack • \JIM-krak\ • noun : a showy object of little use or value : gewgaw Examples: The silver yo-yo that Jerry kept on his office desk was a gimcrack he had won as a carnival prize many years ago. "Know how many times you're willing to stop and how much money you're willing to spend on treats and souvenirs on the drive. If one hat, T-shirt or gimcrack is the limit, make sure they know to choose wisely." -- From an article on traveling with children, by Christy Strawser, Detroit Free Press, August 28, 2010 Did you know? "Gimcrack" is only one of many peculiar-sounding words that have pervaded our language to refer to something ornamental and of little value. Others include "bauble," "trinket," "knickknack," "gewgaw," "kickshaw" and "tchotchke." "Bauble" appears to be the oldest among the group, with usage dating back to the 14th century. "Gewgaw" and "kickshaw" first appeared in the 16th century, whereas "gimcrack" and "knickknack" established themselves in the 17th century. "Tchotchke," borrowed from the Yiddish, is by far the most recent addition to our language, only first appearing as an English word in the 1970s. Test Your Memory: What former Word of the Day means "a hotel or inn"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 11, 2010 is: abrasive • \uh-BRAY-siv\ • adjective 1 : tending to wear away by rubbing 2 : causing irritation Examples: Coworkers tolerated John's abrasive personality because he was also brilliant, but many privately wished he could learn to be a bit more polite. "Every time I watch my husband, who is a chef like me, sharpen our knives on one of his old-fashioned oilstones, I admire the simple elegance of the process: he just rubs the moistened blade at an angle against the rectangular block's finely abrasive surface." -- From an article in Saveur, January/February 2010 Did you know? Once upon a time, English had two different but similarly derived words meaning "to wear down": "abrade" and "abrase." However, in this fairy tale, only one of the two had a happy ending; while "abrade" remains a familiar word to modern English speakers, "abrase" has become quite rare. And yet, "abrase" lives on in its descendant "abrasive," which was formed by combining the verb with the "-ive" suffix. Both of the verbs, and by extension "abrasive," can be traced back to the Latin verb "abradere," meaning "to scrape off." "Abradere" in turn was a combination of "ab-" and "radere," meaning "to scrape." Quick Quiz: What relative of "abrasive" means "to rub or scratch out"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 10, 2010 is: supersede • \soo-per-SEED\ • verb 1 : to cause to be set aside 2 : to take the place or position of 3 : to displace in favor of another Examples: The special-effects technologies used in films of the 20th century have been superseded by developments in computer-generated imagery. "Wednesday's appeals court ruling supersedes a decision issued Monday by State Supreme Court Justice Donna M. Siwek." -- From an article by Dan Herbeck and Aaron Besecker in Buffalo News, September 2, 2010 Did you know? "Supersede" ultimately derives from the Latin verb "supersedēre," meaning "to be superior to," but it came to us through Middle English, where it was rendered "superceden." It may be no surprise that modern English speakers can be confused about how to spell this word -- it sometimes turns up as "supercede." In fact, the earliest record of the word in English shows it spelled with a "c" (although the "s" spelling has been the dominant choice since it first appeared in the 16th century). Although both spellings can be etymologically justified, "supersede" continues to be regarded as the "correct" version. "Supercede" can be considered a variant (albeit the less frequent one) after several centuries of use, but it still draws criticism. Quick Quiz: What 7-letter word beginning with a "r" is a synonym of "supersede"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 9, 2010 is: tendentious • \ten-DEN-shus\ • adjective : marked by a tendency in favor of a particular point of view : biased Examples: The author’s tendentious history of the chemical company glosses over its role in one of the most catastrophic environmental accidents in history. "YouTube-style montages and mash-ups have been an excellent tool for seeing and showing how rhetoric takes shape. Of course, these videos can themselves be polemical, and people use them to advance all kinds of tendentious theories." -- From an article by Virginia Heffernan in The New York Times, August 29, 2010 Did you know? "Tendentious" is one of several words English speakers can choose when they want to suggest that someone has made up his or her mind in advance. You may be partial to "predisposed" or prone to favor "partisan," but whatever your leanings, we're inclined to think you'll benefit from adding "tendentious" to your repertoire. A derivative of the Medieval Latin word "tendentia," meaning "tendency," plus the English suffix "-ious," "tendentious" has been used in English as an adjective for biased attitudes since at least 1900. Test Your Memory: Our featured word on September 18 was "scintillate." It means ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 8, 2010 is: foliage • \FOH-lee-ij\ • noun 1 : a representation of leaves, flowers, and branches for architectural ornamentation 2 : the aggregate of leaves of one or more plants 3 : a cluster of leaves, flowers, and branches Examples: The autumn foliage is often a resplendent display of reds, oranges, and yellows. "The Virginia Tech football team's success has become a rite of autumn in Blacksburg, with victories accumulating as consistently as the foliage that falls over the Blue Ridge Mountains." -- From an article by Adam Himmelsbach in the New York Times, September 6, 2010 Did you know? The English language has its share of common but disputed usages. One such example is the pronunciation of "foliage" as FOH-lij or, even more irksome to some, FOY-lij. The first of these two pronunciations, though frequently disparaged, is consistent with the pronunciation of the "-iage" ending in "marriage" and "carriage," as well the less common but widely accepted pronunciation of "verbiage" as VER-bij. The second of these is often more fiercely denounced, in part because of its association with the nonstandard spelling "foilage." Oddly enough, "foliage" traces back to Middle French "foille" ("leaf"), which is also the source of the English word "foil." (When adopted by Middle English speakers, "foil" originally meant "leaf.") Quick Quiz: What 5-letter relative of "foliage" can mean "a leaf of a book or manuscript"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 7, 2010 is: untoward • \un-TOH-erd\ • adjective 1 : difficult to guide, manage, or work with : unruly, intractable 2 : not favorable : adverse, unpropitious 3 : improper, indecorous Examples: The coach forewarned the players that any untoward behavior, on or off the field, would not be tolerated. "According to preliminary reports, the voting on Wednesday proceeded smoothly. Other than the usual minor glitches, there were no untoward incidents." -- From an article in The Kansas City Star, August 5, 2010 Did you know? More than 700 years ago, English speakers began using the word "toward" for "forward-moving" youngsters, the kind who showed promise and were open to listening to their elders. After about 150 years, the use was broadened somewhat to mean simply "docile" or "obliging." The opposite of this "toward" is "froward," meaning "perverse" or "ungovernable." Today, "froward" has fallen out of common use, and the cooperative sense of "toward" is downright obsolete, but the "newcomer" to this series -- "untoward" -- has kept its toehold. "Untoward" first showed up in the 1400s, and it is still used, just as it was then, as a synonym of "unruly," though it has since acquired other meanings as well. Test Your Memory: What former Word of the Day means "like a fox." The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 6, 2010 is: kismet • \KIZZ-met\ • noun : fate Examples: Penelope and Richard believed it was kismet that brought them together on that day when they met and fell in love. "He was sitting at the bar of the Fairmont Hotel…. It was pure kismet that I sat down next to him." -- From an article in Simple Justice, August 29, 2010 Did you know? Is it your fate to tie macrame while drinking coffee and eating sherbet in a minaret? That would be an unusual destiny, but if it turns out to be your kismet, you will owe much to Turkish and Arabic. We borrowed "kismet" from Turkish in the 1800s, but it ultimately derives from the Arabic "qisma," meaning "portion" or "lot." Several other terms in our bizarre opening question (namely, "macrame," "coffee," "sherbet," and "minaret") have roots in those languages too. In the case of "macrame" and "minaret," there is a little French influence as well. "Coffee" and "macrame" also have Italian relations, and "sherbet" has an ancestor in a Persian name for a type of cold drink. Quick Quiz: What flower's name comes from the Turkish word for "turban"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 5, 2010 is: sigmoid • \SIG-moyd\ • adjective 1 a : curved like the letter C b : curved in two directions like the letter S 2 : of, relating to, or being the sigmoid colon Examples: Glancing out the airplane's window, I could see the sigmoid curvature of the river below us. "In my opinion, Missouri's deer herd is following the classic sigmoid population curve. The sigmoid curve is 'S' shaped with slow growth on the left side, very rapid growth in the middle, followed by population maintenance as the population reaches carrying capacity for the habitat." -- From an article by Spencer E. Turner in Missouri's Columbia Daily Tribune, January 6, 2008 Sunday Did you know? The shape sense of "sigmoid" is most often used in scientific contexts to describe an s-shaped curve on a graph. Usually, though, "sigmoid" is used in contexts relating to the sigmoid colon-the contracted and crooked part of the colon immediately above the rectum. "Sigmoid" comes from "sigma," the name of the 18th letter of the Greek alphabet. At one time sigma had a common form that was shaped like the Roman letter C (hence sense 1a), but sigma is equivalent to the English letter S (hence sense 1b). Test Your Memory: What recently featured Word of the Day means "dull or childish"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 4, 2010 is: dorsal • \DOR-sul\ • adjective : relating to or situated near or on the back especially of an animal or of one of its parts Examples: "I might have identified the bird as a yellow-throated vireo if I'd had more than a dorsal view," explained Roger. "The sleek, rounded head of an orca breaks the surface, tall black dorsal fin trailing behind." -- From an article by Cassandra Brooks in The Seattle Times, September 2, 2010 Did you know? The most famous use of "dorsal" is with "fin," whether it conjures the ominous dorsal fin of sharks or the benign, even benevolent, image of porpoises and dolphins. Less well-known is the botanical sense of "dorsal," meaning "facing away from the stem" (thus the underside of a leaf can be the dorsal side), or the linguistic sense referring to articulations made with the back part of the tongue (\k\ and \g\, for example). "Dorsal" can be used of non-living things too (in particular, the backs of airplanes), as can its opposite, "ventral," which means "relating to the belly." "Dorsal" descends from Latin "dorsum" ("back"), which also gave us "dossier" (via French, for a bundle of documents labeled on the back) and "reredos" ("an ornamental screen or partition wall behind an altar"). Quick Quiz: What "dorsal" relative means "to write on the back of"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 3, 2010 is: caucus • \KAW-kus\ • noun : a closed meeting of a group of persons belonging to the same political party or faction usually to select candidates or to decide on policy; also : a group of people united to promote an agreed-upon cause Examples: Delegates attending the local caucus chose the candidates they wanted placed on the ballot at the party convention. "Williams's appeal is clearly pitched at the Wilkerson supporters who don't care about the machinations of the Democratic caucus, but wonder why the revival of, say, Dudley Square never seems to happen." -- From an article by Adrian Walker in The Boston Globe, September 4, 2010 Did you know? In February of 1763, John Adams reported that the Boston "caucus club," a group of politically active city elders, would meet in the garret of Tom Dawes to choose "Assessors, Collectors, Wardens, Fire Wards, and Representatives." He wrote that at the meetings, those present would "smoke tobacco till you [could not] see from one end of the garret to the other." A similarly opaque smoke screen seems to shroud the history of the word "caucus." Linguists can see that it is clearly an Americanism; Adams's use is the first known to link the word to such a political meeting. Beyond that, details are uncertain, but some scholars think "caucus" may have developed from an Algonquian term for a group of elders, leaders, or advisers. Test Your Memory: What recently featured Word of the Day means "to revoke by a contrary order"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 2, 2010 is: amok • \uh-MUK\ • adverb 1 : in a murderously frenzied state 2 a : in a violently raging manner b : in an undisciplined, uncontrolled, or faulty manner Examples: "We simply can’t have children running amok all over the school,” said the principal when asked to explain the school’s hallway pass policy. "Massing in moonlight, legions of critters swarm across back roads and run amok through the countryside. Vegetable gardens disappear overnight. Lawns and crops are destroyed. It's the attack of the voles. And they could be coming to a backyard near you." -- From an article by Debbie Arrington in the Sacramento Bee, August 21, 2010 Did you know? "Amok" first entered English in the mid-1600s as a noun meaning "murderous frenzy." In the 16th century, visitors to Southeast Asia first reported on a psychiatric disorder known in Malay as "amok." Typically, the afflicted person (usually a Malay man) attacked bystanders in a frenzy, killing everyone in sight until he collapsed or was himself killed. By the 17th century English speakers had adopted both the noun and adverb forms of "amok," as well as the phrase "run amok," a translation of the Malay verb "mengamok." The psychopathological behavior the noun "amok" refers to is now recognized to occur worldwide in numerous countries and cultures. As for the adverb, time has mitigated its violent nature; nowadays it usually describes the actions of the unruly and not the murderous. Test Your Memory: Our featured word on September 17 was "farrago." It means ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 1, 2010 is: tittup • \TITT-up\ • verb : to move in a lively manner often with an exaggerated or affected action Examples: As the curtains part, the play's main characters tittup to and fro across the stage. "Ahead of him Sulla could see Gaius Julius Caesar's women tittupping along on the high cork soles and higher cork heels of their winter shoes…." -- From Colleen McCullough's 1990 novel The First Man In Rome Did you know? "Tittup" has been used as noun naming an imitation of the sound of horses' hooves moving at a pace between a canter and a gallop since as early as 1703. The rhythmic sound and bounce of such movement was infectious enough to lead people to apply the word to other bouncy gaits, and to lively or restless behavior in general. "Tittup" was first used as a verb in 1785. In 1862, William Makepeace Thackeray recalled the word's equine origins when he wrote of "a magnificent horse dancing, and tittupping." The word is not common today, but it does see occasional use, especially in British sources. Test Your Memory: What former Word of the Day comes from Roman mythology and means "cheerful" or "good-natured." The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 30, 2010 is: raconteur • \ra-kahn-TER\ • noun : a person who excels in telling anecdotes Examples: A bona fide raconteur, Turner can turn even mundane experiences into hilariously entertaining stories. "The story is constructed as a light mentor piece in which Henry, a sometime college literature professor, Christmas ball collector and raconteur, takes a boarder into his crummy New York apartment." -- From an article by Dennis King in The Oklahoman, September 10, 2010 Did you know? The story of "raconteur" is a tale of telling and counting. English speakers borrowed the word from French, where it traces back to the Old French verb "raconter," meaning "to tell." "Raconter" in turn was formed from another Old French verb, "aconter" or "acompter," meaning "to tell" or "to count," which is ultimately from Latin "computare," meaning "to count." "Computare" is also the source of our words "count" and "account." "Raconteur" has been part of the English vocabulary since at least 1828. Quick Quiz. What 8-letter relative of "raconteur" can mean "to disregard"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 29, 2010 is: parlay • \PAHR-lay\ • verb 1 : to bet in a parlay 2 a : to exploit successfully b : to increase or otherwise transform into something of much greater value Examples: The young actor parlayed his popularity as a teen heartthrob into a successful film career. "By combining on-the-job training with a willingness to learn new skills and take on additional work, analysts say, ambitious workers can parlay lower-level jobs into high-powered careers." -- From an article by Katie Johnston in The Boston Globe, September 12, 2010 Did you know? If you're the gambling type, you may already know that "parlay" can also be used as a noun describing a series of bets in which a person places a bet, then puts the original stake of money and all of its winnings on new wagers. But you might not know that "parlay" represents a modified spelling of the French name for such bets: "paroli." You might also be unaware that the original French word is still occasionally used in English with the same meaning as the noun "parlay." Be careful not to mix up "parlay" with the similar word "parley," meaning "to confer." Although the spellings are very close, "parley" comes from the Latin word for "speech." Test Your Memory: Our featured word on September 6 was "paranymph." It means ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 28, 2010 is: eternize • \ih-TER-nyze\ • verb 1 a : to make eternal b : to prolong indefinitely 2 : immortalize Examples: The poet with her pen eternizes what is fleeting in the world. "Today, almost a century after her death, Ida Saxton McKinley has been eternized as a representative of all American first ladies at her Canton home." -- From an article by Michael Schuman in the Chicago Tribune, April 25, 2004 Did you know? "Eternize" shows up in the works of literary greats, such as John Milton, Edmund Spenser, and Herman Melville, and it sees occasional use in modern-day sources, but it is far from common. The same can be said of its slightly longer and related synonym "eternalize." "Eternize" is the older of the two; our earliest evidence of the word dates to 1566, while evidence of "eternalize" dates to 1620. But there's a third relative that predates them both, and it's far more common than either of them. That would be "eternal," which has been with us since the 14th century. All three words are ultimately rooted in Latin "aevum," meaning "age" or "eternity." Quick Quiz: What 10-letter word beginning with a "p" is a synonym of "eternize"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 27, 2010 is: rectilinear • \rek-tuh-LINN-ee-er\ • adjective 1 : moving in or forming a straight line 2 : characterized by straight lines Examples: Maps of rectilinear states like Colorado and Utah are much easier to draw freehand than those of states with jagged outlines. "The four-story structure extends the original 1907 Beaux Arts building's low profile but dispenses with the neo-Classical columns, capitals, entablatures and whatnot in favor of severe, rectilinear blocks: a central glass atrium -- 12,184 square feet under a 63-foot ceiling -- flanked by granite and glass pavilions containing 53 galleries." -- From an article by Ken Johnson in The New York Times, September 12, 2010 Did you know? Today’s word has a straightforward line of descent. It comes from the Late Latin "rectilineus," which itself comes from the Latin words "rectus" ("straight") and "linea" ("line"). A lesser-known variant, "rectilineal," derives from the same Late Latin "rectilineus" and employs the "-al" suffix rather than "-ar." The grammarian H. W. Fowler dictated in 1926 that "there is no objection to either [variant] in itself, but '-ar' is so much commoner that, as there is no difference of meaning, '-al' should be abandoned as a needless variant." "Rectilineal" still turns up occasionally in spite of the redundancy, but "rectilinear" is by far the more common choice. Quick Quiz: What 5-letter verb descends from "linea" and means "to bring into line"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 26, 2010 is: phatic • \FATT-ik\ • adjective : of, relating to, or being speech used for social or emotive purposes rather than for communicating information Examples: Joe has a tendency to take even phatic inquiries seriously, so when Kristen asked him how he was feeling, I knew the answer would be much longer than "better, thanks." "Conversation is also more than the explicit back and forth between individuals asking questions and directly referencing one another. It's about the more subtle back and forth that allow us to keep our connections going. It's about the phatic communication and the gestures, the little updates and the awareness of what's happening in space." -- From an article about Twitter by Danah Boyd in Vator News, September 10, 2009 Did you know? “Phatic” was coined in the early 20th century by people who apparently wanted to label a particular quirk of human communication-the tendency to use certain rote phrases (such as the standard greeting "how are you?") merely to establish a social connection without sharing any actual information. It probably won't surprise you, then, to learn that "phatic" derives from the Greek "phatos," a form of the verb "phanai," meaning "to speak." Other descendants of "phanai" in English include "apophasis" ("the raising of an issue by claiming not to mention it"), "euphemism," "prophet," and the combining suffix "-phasia" (used to denote a speech disorder). You may also have spotted a similarity to "emphatic," but that turns out to be purely coincidence; "emphatic" traces back to a different Greek verb which means "to show." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 25, 2010 is: flippant • \FLIP-unt\ • adjective : lacking proper respect or seriousness Examples: We were disturbed by the mayoral candidate's flippant response to a question about the city's debt. "Sonja Richter, who plays Mona, works wonders with just a fearful glance or flippant smirk, and it's obvious she's mastered this role." -- From a movie review in Digital Journal, September 10, 2010 Did you know? "Flippant" did something of a flip-flop shortly after it appeared in English in the late 16th century. The word was probably created from the verb "flip," which in turn may have originated as an imitation of the sound of something flipping. The earliest senses of the adjective were "nimble" and "limber." One could be flippant not only on one's feet, but also in speech-that is, someone "flippant" might have a capacity for easy, flowing speech. Such flippancy was considered a good thing at first. But people who speak freely and easily can sometimes seem too talkative, and even impertinent. By the end of the 18th century, the positive sense of "flippant" had slipped from use, and the "disrespectful" sense had taken its place. Quick Quiz: What synonym of "flippant" rhymes with "hurt"? The answer is ... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 24, 2010 is: demeanor • \dih-MEE-ner\ • noun : behavior toward others : outward manner Examples: The professor's friendly and laid-back demeanor made him a favorite among the students. "Through it all, Bradford never seemed rattled, never lost composure. And more importantly, his demeanor did not suggest that of a rookie in his first NFL game right down to the final pass." -- From an article by Norm Sanders in Illinois's Belleville News-Democrat, September 13, 2010 Did you know? There's a long trail from Latin "minari" (which means "to threaten" and has been connected to the threatening cries of cattle drivers) to English "demeanor." Along the way, we first encounter Latin "minare"; it means "to drive" and was once used specifically of driving animals for herding. From there, the path leads us to Anglo-French, where we pass by "mener" ("to lead") and then "demener" ("to conduct"). Next comes Middle English "demenen" and then Modern English "demean," both meaning "to conduct (oneself) in a certain manner." And, finally, we take one last step, and add the suffix "-or" to "demean" to get "demeanor." Pick the right word: For a discussion of "demeanor" and its synonyms, see our entry for bearing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 23, 2010 is: reminisce • \rem-uh-NISS\ • verb : to indulge in the process or practice of thinking or telling about past experiences Examples: She reminisced with old friends at her high school reunion. "He reminisced about his grandma in the kitchen, early in the morning, stirring up her Cuban specialties and he would awake with his mouth watering to the aroma of her delicious cooking." -- From an article by Diann Greene in Georgia's Columbus Ledger-Enquirer, September 8, 2010 Did you know? "Reminisce" and its relative "reminiscence" come from the mind -- that is to say, they come from the Latin word for "mind," which is "mens." A root related to "mens" teamed up with the prefix "re-" to create the Latin verb "reminisci" ("to remember"), an ancestor of both words. "Reminisce" is one of several English verbs starting with "re-" that mean "to bring an image or idea from the past into the mind." Others in this group include "remember," "recall," "remind," and "recollect." "Reminisce" distinguishes itself from the others by implying a casual recalling of experiences long past, often with a sense of nostalgia as in our example sentences. "The difference between the almost right word and the right word is really a large matter -- 'tis the difference between the lighting bug and the lightning." -- Mark Twain Pick the right word: For a discussion of "reminiscence" and its synonyms, see our entry for memory. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 22, 2010 is: permeable • \PER-mee-uh-bul\ • adjective : capable of being permeated : penetrable; especially : having pores or openings that permit liquids or gases to pass through Examples: The best workout clothes are those made of permeable fabrics that allow body heat to escape. "The county is under a federal consent order to stop the overflows using green infrastructure, such as rain barrels and permeable pavement, rather than build expensive sewage storage facilities." -- From The Post Standard (Syracuse, NY), September 7, 2010 Did you know? Synonyms "permeable" and "pervious" both make good use of the Latin prefix "per-," meaning "through" "Permeate" traces back to a combination of "per-" and the Latin verb "meare," meaning "to go" or "to pass," whereas the history of "pervious" calls upon Latin "via," meaning "way." Both "permeable" and its more common relative, the verb "permeate," still retain the original Latin idea of "passing through." The prefix "per-" also gave English "pervade," meaning "to become diffused throughout every part of." "Meare" also has other English descendants, including "congé," which can mean "a formal permission to depart," and "irremeable," meaning "offering no possibility of return." Quick Quiz: What synonym of "permeable" rhymes with "Doris"? The answer is... See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 21, 2010 is: caravansary • \kair-uh-VAN-suh-ree\ • noun 1 : an inn surrounding a court in eastern countries where caravans rest at night 2 : hotel, inn Examples: Most of the area's hotels are on the pricey end of the scale, but there are a few caravansaries for budget travelers. "Dedan was an important caravansary on the Incense Road, the network of ancient trading routes that linked Persia and India with the Mediterranean world." -- From an article by Jorg von Uthmann in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 28, 2010 Did you know? In the Middle East, caravans often lodged at caravansaries. These inns were quadrangular in form and enclosed by massive walls with small windows near the top. The central court, which was surrounded by an arcade and storerooms, was large enough to hold 300 to 400 camels. The name was formed from the word "caravan" and the Persian word "sarāī," meaning "palace" or "inn." "Caravansary" can also be spelled "caravanserai," and the word "serai" is used as a synonym for 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 September 20, 2010 is: plaintive • \PLAYN-tiv\ • adjective : expressive of suffering or woe : melancholy Examples: We could hear the plaintive cry of a wounded animal in the woods. "The new album's got a timelessness to it, as Bondy pulls you in with tersely plaintive yarns of hard luck in the big, bad world, the predictability of loneliness and the faint promise of redemption." -- From a music review by John Payne in the Houston Press, August 12, 2010 Did you know? Like its relative "plangent," "plaintive" is often used to describe sad sounds. "A plaintive wail," for example, is a common use. "Plaintive" and "plangent" (along with relatives "plaintiff" and "complain") ultimately derive from the Latin verb "plangere," meaning "to strike," "to beat one's breast," or "to lament." This Latin verb led to "plaint," an Anglo-French word (and now also an English word) meaning "lamentation." "Plaint" is the root of Middle English "plaintif" (meaning "lamenting" or "complaining"), which gave rise to "plaintive" as well as the noun "plaintiff." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 19, 2010 is: fret • \FRET\ • verb 1 : to eat or gnaw into : wear, corrode; also : fray 2 : to become vexed or worried 3 : agitate Examples: A consummate worrier, he frets over every little thing that might go wrong. "Some political analysts had fretted before the speech that Obama would use the occasion as a 'victory lap' in the same way that Mr. Bush famously declared 'mission accomplished' for Iraq in May 2003." -- From an article by Howard LaFranchi in The Christian Science Monitor, September 1, 2010 Did you know? Since its first use centuries ago, "fret" has referred to an act of eating, especially when done by animals, in particular small ones. You might speak, for example, of moths "fretting" your clothing. Like "eat," "fret" also developed figurative senses to describe actions that corrode or wear away. A river could be said to "fret away" at its banks or something might be said to be "fretted out" with time or age. "Fret" can also be applied to emotional experiences so that something that "eats away at us" might be said to "fret the heart or mind." This use developed into the specific meaning of "vex" or "worry" with which we often use "fret" today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 18, 2010 is: scintillate • \SIN-tuh-layt\ • verb 1 : to emit sparks : spark 2 : to emit quick flashes as if throwing off sparks : sparkle Examples: We watched contentedly as our campfire scintillated in the darkness. "Nightlife in the city is all about glitz and glitter. Bright lights to illuminate, scintillate, and titillate." -- From an article by Virginia Hayes in Santa Barbara Independent, July 1, 2010 - July 8, 2010 Did you know? In addition to its literal use, "scintillate" can mean "to sparkle" in a figurative sense -- that is, to be lively, or to perform brilliantly. It is also frequently seen in its adjectival form, "scintillating," with the meaning "very clever, amusing, and interesting," as in "a scintillating discussion." The history of "scintillate" began with a spark -- or with the Latin word for "spark," at least. That word, "scintilla," is also the source of other words in English. There is "scintilla" itself (used as a noun meaning "a little bit"), "scintillant" (an adjective describing something that scintillates), and "scintillation" (which, among other things, means "a brilliant outburst"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 17, 2010 is: farrago • \fuh-RAH-goh\ • noun : a confused mixture : hodgepodge Examples: The shop is filled with a whimsical farrago of artwork, antiques, and vintage clothing. "So far, the excuses and explanations offered … for this fiasco have been a farrago of misleading and contradictory statements." -- From The Ottawa Sun, July 21, 2010 Did you know? "Farrago" might seem an unlikely relative of "farina" (the mealy breakfast cereal), but the two terms have their roots in the same Latin noun. Both derive from "far," the Latin name for "spelt" (a type of grain). In Latin, "farrago" meant "mixed fodder" -- cattle feed, that is. It was also used more generally to mean "mixture." When it was adopted into English in the early 1600s, "farrago" retained the "mixture" sense of its ancestor. Today, we often use it for a jumble or medley of disorganized, haphazard, or even nonsensical ideas or elements. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 16, 2010 is: jejune • \jih-JOON\ • adjective 1 : lacking nutritive value 2 : devoid of significance or interest : dull 3 : juvenile, puerile Examples: She made jejune remarks about life and art. "If familiar figures like Kermit the Frog and SpongeBob SquarePants are simply too jejune for you, the organizers of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade have added two new entrants to their 2010 lineup." -- From The New York Times, September 3, 2010 Did you know? Starved for excitement? You won't get it from something jejune. That term derives from the Latin "jejunus," which means "empty of food," "meager," or "hungry." Back in the 1600s, English speakers used "jejune" in senses very similar to those of its Latin parent, lamenting "jejune appetites" and "jejune morsels." Something that is meager rarely satisfies, and before long "jejune" was being used not only for meager meals or hunger, but for things wanting in intellectual or emotional substance. The word most likely gained its "childish" sense when people confused it with the look-alike French word "jeune," which means "young." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 15, 2010 is: antecessor • \an-tih-SESS-er\ • noun : one that goes before Examples: Literary critics hailed the first novel as a brilliant and groundbreaking follow-up to famous antecessors in the genre. "The relentless show-biz blitz by Gov. Bill Richardson, and all the movie- and TV-shooting it's brought to our state, will be a big part of his legend…. Before Richardson's initiative, antecessor Dave Cargo was beckoning to Beverly Hills." -- From an editorial in the Santa Fe New Mexican, July 25, 2009 Did you know? "Antecessor" may remind you of "predecessor," its synonymous and more familiar cousin -- and there's a good reason for that. Both words ultimately derive from the Latin verb "cedere," meaning "to go." "Antecessor" ultimately derives from a combination of "cedere" and the Latin prefix "ante-," meaning "before." "Predecessor" traces back to a different Latin prefix, "prae-," which also means "before," combined with "decessor," a "cedere" descendant meaning "retiring governor." Cedere" has many other descendants in English, including "decease," "necessary," and "succeed." Descendants of both "ante-" and "cedere" include "antecedent," "ancestor," and the verb "antecede," a synonym of "precede." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 14, 2010 is: countermand • \KOUNT-er-mand\ • verb 1 : to revoke (a command) by a contrary order 2 : to recall or order back by a superseding contrary order Examples: "From around the world, postcards poured in to then-U.S. Attorney Paul Charlton's office demanding that he countermand the order to prosecute." (Stephen Lemons, Phoenix New Times, February 25, 2010) Did you know? In the military, one's mandate is to follow the commands (and sometimes the "countermands") of the officers. Doing their bidding is not particularly commendable -- it's simply mandatory. The Latin verb "mandare," meaning "to entrust" or "to order," is the authority behind "countermand." It's also behind the words "mandate," "command," "demand," "commend" (which can mean "to entrust" as well as "to praise"), and "mandatory." "Countermand" came to English via Anglo French, where the prefix "cuntre-" ("against") was combined with the verb "mander" ("to command"). It has been a part of our language since the 1400s. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 13, 2010 is: flounder • \FLOUN-der\ • verb 1 : to struggle to move or obtain footing : thrash about wildly 2 : to proceed or act clumsily or ineffectually Examples: I'm not so sure they actually know what they are doing. They appear just to be floundering about. Did you know? Despite the fact that "flounder" is a relatively common English verb, its origins in the language remain obscure. It is thought that it may be an alteration of an older verb, "founder." To founder is to become disabled, to give way or collapse, or to come to grief or fail. In the case of a waterborne vessel, to founder is to sink. The oldest of these senses of "founder," "to become disabled," was also used, particularly in reference to a horse and its rider, for the act of stumbling violently or collapsing. It may have been this sense of "founder" that, some 200 years later, appeared in altered form as "flounder" in the sense of "to stumble." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 12, 2010 is: mayhap • \MAY-hap\ • adverb : perhaps Examples: "Mayhap this thought will lead to another, that perhaps we should have second thoughts about becoming a society all about consumption." (The Bismarck Tribune, November 21, 2007) Did you know? If "mayhap" looks to you like a relative of its synonym "perhaps," you're right -- the words are related. Both ultimately derive from the Middle English noun "hap," meaning "chance" or "fortune." "Mayhap" was formed by combining the phrase "(it) may hap" into a single word. "Hap" here is a verb essentially meaning "happen" (the word "maybe," another synonym of "mayhap" and "perhaps," was developed similarly from "may" and the verb "be"), and the verb "hap" comes from the noun "hap." "Perhaps" came about when "per" (meaning "through the agency of") was combined directly with the noun "hap" to form one word. Today "mayhap" is a rare word in contrast with the very common "maybe" and "perhaps," but it does show up occasionally. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 11, 2010 is: debacle • \dee-BAH-kul\ • noun 1 : a tumultuous breakup of ice in a river 2 : a violent disruption (as of an army) : rout 3 a : a great disaster b : a complete failure : fiasco Examples: Volunteers from around the nation have joined together to aid the communities affected by the oil spill debacle. Did you know? "Debacle" comes from the French noun "débâcle," which comes from the verb "débâcler," meaning "to clear," "to unbolt," or "to unbar." That verb is from Middle French "desbacler," which joined the prefix "des-" (equivalent to our "de-," meaning "to do the opposite of") with the verb "bacler" ("to block"). In its original uses, "debacle" meant a breaking up of ice, or the rush of ice or water that follows such an occurrence. Eventually, "debacle" was used also to mean "a violent, destructive flood." Naturally, such uses led to meanings such as "a breaking up," "collapse," and finally "disaster" or "fiasco." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 10, 2010 is: synchronicity • \sing-kruh-NISS-uh-tee\ • noun 1 : the quality or fact of being simultaneous 2 : the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events Examples: Who could explain the synchronicity of receiving an e-mail from cousin Jane on the very day we stumbled upon pictures from her wedding? Did you know? "It happens to everyone sooner or later: A certain number pops up wherever you go; an old friend you haven't seen in 20 years since high school appears the same day you're looking at her picture in a yearbook; you're singing a song and turn on the radio -- and the same song is playing." Such coincidences, here described by Thomas Ropp in the Arizona Republic, March 29,1999, are examples of synchronicity. The concept is linked to the psychology of Carl Jung. Jung didn't coin the word (the "simultaneousness" sense of "synchronicity" was already in use), but he gave it special importance in his writings. Jung believed that such "meaningful coincidences" play an important role in our lives. Today, some people even look to synchronicities for spiritual guidance. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 9, 2010 is: auxiliary • \awg-ZILL-yuh-ree\ • adjective 1 a : offering or providing help b : functioning in a subsidiary capacity 2 : constituting a reserve : supplementary Examples: "I began working in opera 65 years ago, coaching singers, and then served in various auxiliary functions before I began conducting." (Erich Leinsdorf, The New York Times Book Review, January 13, 1991) Did you know? "Auxiliary" can be used in a wide range of capacities in English to describe a person or thing that assists another. A fire department may bring in auxiliary units, for example, to battle a tough blaze, or a sailboat may be equipped with auxiliary engines to supply propulsion when the wind disappears. In grammar, an auxiliary verb assists another (main) verb to express person, number, mood, or tense, as "have" in "They have been informed." The Latin source of "auxiliary" is "auxilium," meaning "help." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 8, 2010 is: zenith • \ZEE-nith\ • noun 1 : the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the nadir and vertically above the observer 2 : the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body 3 : culminating point : acme Examples: "The race was either the nadir or the zenith of high jinks politics, depending on one's point of view." (Kathleen Parker, Charlotte Observer, June 14, 2010) Did you know? When you reach the zenith, you’re at the top, the pinnacle, the summit, the peak. "Zenith” developed from Arabic terms meaning "the way over one’s head," and then traveled through Old Spanish, Medieval Latin, and Middle French before arriving in English. As long ago as the 1300s, English speakers used "zenith" to name the highest point in the celestial heavens, directly overhead. By the 1600s, "zenith" was being used for other high points as well. As in our example sentence, "zenith" is often contrasted with "nadir." In celestial contexts, the nadir is the point that is vertically downward from the observer (imagine a line going through the earth from the observer's feet and out the other side into the sky). Figuratively, "nadir" simply means "the lowest point." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 7, 2010 is: laconic • \luh-KAH-nik\ • adjective : using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious Examples: "While the Ingallses were living outside the town of De Smet, in what is now South Dakota, Laura met her future husband, a laconic homesteader ten years her senior." (Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, August 10, 2009) Did you know? Laconia was an ancient country in southern Greece, bordering on the Aegean and the Mediterranean seas. Its capital city was Sparta, and the Spartans were famous for their terseness of speech. "Laconic" comes to us by way of Latin from Greek "Lakonikos," which is derived from "Lakon," meaning "native of Laconia." It has been with us since the 16th century and has sometimes been used with the basic meaning "of or relating to Laconia or its inhabitants" (though we’re more apt to use "Laconian" for this meaning today). In current use, "laconic" means "terse" or "concise," and thus recalls the Spartan tendency to use the fewest words possible. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 6, 2010 is: paranymph • \PAIR-uh-nimf\ • noun 1 : a friend going with a bridegroom to fetch home the bride in ancient Greece; also : the bridesmaid conducting the bride to the bridegroom 2 a : best man b : bridesmaid Examples: The bride and groom, accompanied by their paranymphs, stood before the officiating clergy. Did you know? "Paranymph" resulted from the marriage of the Greek prefix "para-" and the Greek word for bride, "nymphē." The prefix "para-" can mean "beside" or "alongside of," as is apparent in the word "parallel," from the Greek word "parallēlos," a union of "para-" and the word "allēnōn," meaning "of one another." At one time, the word "paranymph" also was used for a person who solicits or speaks for another -- that is, an advocate -- but that sense is now very rare. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 5, 2010 is: Sisyphean • \sis-uh-FEE-un\ • adjective : of, relating to, or suggestive of the labors of Sisyphus; specifically : requiring continual and often ineffective effort Examples: "Considering the inherently fickle nature of golf, defending a title is, no doubt, as Sisyphean a task as any in the sport." (Anthony Cuaycong, BusinessWorld, July 2008) Did you know? In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king who annoyed the gods with his trickery. As a consequence, he was condemned for eternity to roll a huge rock up a long, steep hill in the underworld, only to watch it roll back down. The story of Sisyphus is often told in conjunction with that of Tantalus, who was condemned to stand beneath fruit-laden boughs, up to his chin in water. Whenever he bent his head to drink, the water receded, and whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches moved beyond his grasp. Thus to "tantalize" is to tease or torment by offering something desirable but keeping it out of reach -- and something "Sisyphean" (or "Sisyphian," pronounced \sih-SIFF-ee-un) demands unending, thankless, and ultimately unsuccessful efforts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 4, 2010 is: bona fides • \boh-nuh-FYE-deez\ • noun 1 : good faith : sincerity 2 : evidence of one's good faith or genuineness 3 : evidence of one's qualifications or achievements Examples: If you still have doubts about Rob’s bona fides as a lawyer, you should hear all the good things his past clients have said about him. Did you know? "Bona fides" looks like a plural word in English, but in Latin, it's a singular noun that literally means "good faith." When "bona fides" entered English, it at first stayed very close to its Latin use -- it was found mostly in legal contexts and it meant "honesty or lawfulness of purpose," just as it did in Latin. It also retained its singular construction. Using this original sense one might speak of "a claimant whose bona fides is unquestionable," for example. But in the 20th century, use of "bona fides" began to widen, and it began to appear with a plural verb in certain contexts. For example, a sentence such as "the informant's bona fides were ascertained" is now possible. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 3, 2010 is: clitic • \KLIT-ik\ • noun : a word that is treated in pronunciation as forming a part of a neighboring word and that is often unaccented or contracted Examples: In "what's happening?" the "s" in "what's" is a clitic. Did you know? We hear clitics every day in sentences like "This'll be fine" and "C'mon over here." There are two kinds of clitics: "enclitics" and "proclitics." An enclitic is a clitic that is associated with the word that comes before it. Contractions, such as the "ve" in "would've" and the "ll" in "it'll," are enclitics. A proclitic is associated with the word that follows it. Proclitics are transcribed into print far less often than enclitics are, but we hear them frequently in speech. For example, the sentence "They love to dance" is typically pronounced with the "to" truncated to a "t" that gets tacked onto the front of "dance." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 2, 2010 is: vulpine • \VUL-pine\ • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox 2 : foxy, crafty Examples: "There is something Gatsby-esque about the whole story. [Bernie] Madoff is a clear proxy for Meyer Wolfsheim, the vulpine, self-satisfied criminal seducer." (Daniel Gross, Newsweek, January 12, 2009) Did you know? In Walden (1854), Henry David Thoreau described foxes crying out "raggedly and demoniacally" as they hunted through the winter forest, and he wrote, "Sometimes one came near to my window, attracted by my light, barked a vulpine curse at me, and then retreated." Thoreau's was far from the first use of "vulpine"; English writers have been applying that adjective to the foxlike or crafty since at least the 15th century, and the Latin parent of our term, "vulpinus" (from the noun "vulpes," meaning "fox"), was around long before that. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 1, 2010 is: hector • \HEK-ter\ • verb 1 : to play the bully : swagger 2 : to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure Examples: The judge sternly ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness. Did you know? In Homer's Iliad, Hector, the eldest son of King Priam of Troy, was a model soldier, son, father, and friend, the champion of the Trojan army until he was killed by the Greek hero Achilles. How did the name of a Trojan paragon become a verb meaning "to bully or harrass"? That use was likely influenced by gangs of rowdy street toughs who roamed London in the 17th century and called themselves "Hectors." They may have thought themselves gallant young blades, but to the general populace they were swaggering bullies who intimidated passersby and vandalized property. By 1660, "hector" was being used both as a verb and as a noun meaning "bully." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 31, 2010 is: dram • \DRAM\ • noun 1 : a unit of avoirdupois weight equal to 1/16 ounce 2 : a unit of apothecaries' weight equal to 1/8 ounce 3 : a unit of liquid capacity equal to 1/8 fluid ounce 4 a : a small portion of something to drink b : a small amount Examples: The two of them don't have a dram of sense between them, so I'm not surprised that they got into so much trouble. Did you know? In avoirdupois weight -- that is, the system of weights commonly used by English speakers in North America and the United Kingdom -- a dram is equal to 1/16 ounce (1.772 grams). The word "dram" was borrowed from the Anglo-French and Late Latin word "dragme," which was originally used for a silver coin used by the ancient Greeks (now known in English as the "drachma") and for the coin's approximate weight. In the 16th century, English speakers also began using "dram" for a weight of fluid measure (also called a "fluid dram") equal to 1/8 fluid ounce, and more loosely for any small portion of something to drink. "Dram" is also used figuratively for any small amount, in much the same way as "grain" and "ounce." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.