Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 2, 2010 is: ruthless • \ROOTH-lus\ • adjective : having no pity : merciless, cruel Examples: Even the most sociable and gentle of house cats remain, at heart, ruthless predators. Did you know? "Ruthless" can be defined as "without ruth" or "having no ruth." So what, then, is ruth? The noun "ruth," which is now considerably less common than "ruthless," means "compassion for the misery of another," "sorrow for one's own faults," or "remorse." And, just as it is possible for one to be without ruth, it is also possible to be full of ruth. The antonym of "ruthless" is "ruthful," meaning "full of ruth" or "tender." "Ruthful" can also mean "full of sorrow" or "causing sorrow." "Ruth" can be traced back to the Middle English noun "ruthe," itself from "ruen," meaning "to rue" or "to feel regret, remorse, or sorrow." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 1, 2010 is: puerile • \PYUR-ul\ • adjective 1 : juvenile 2 : childish, silly Examples: Though Laura enjoys a good practical joke, she finds some of the gags pulled by her co-workers on April Fool’s Day to be merely puerile. Did you know? "Puerile" may call to mind qualities of youth and immaturity, but the term itself is no spring chicken. On the contrary, it's been around for more than three centuries, and its predecessors in French and Latin, the adjectives "puéril" and "puerilis," respectively, are far older. Those two terms have the same basic meaning as the English word "puerile," and they both trace to the Latin noun "puer," meaning "boy" or "child." Nowadays, "puerile" can describe the acts or utterances of an actual child, but it more often refers (usually with marked disapproval) to occurrences of childishness where adult maturity would be expected or preferred. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 31, 2010 is: reprobate • \REP-ruh-bayt\ • noun 1 : a person foreordained to damnation 2 : a depraved person : scoundrel Examples: "He was just an old reprobate who lived poor and died broke...." (Richard Peck, A Long Way from Chicago) Did you know? These days, calling someone a "reprobate" is hardly a condemnation to hellfire and brimstone, but the original reprobates of the 16th century were hardened sinners who had fallen from God's grace. By the 19th century, "reprobate" had acquired the milder, but still utterly condemnatory, sense of "a depraved person." Gradually, though, the criticism implied by "reprobate" became touched with tolerance and even a bit of humor. It is now most likely to be used as it was in this August 1995 New Yorker magazine article about the death of musician Jerry Garcia: "It was suddenly obvious that Garcia had become, against all odds, an American icon: by Thursday morning, the avuncular old reprobate had smuggled his way onto the front pages of newspapers around the world." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 30, 2010 is: chevron • \SHEV-run\ • noun a : a figure, pattern, or object having the shape of a V or an inverted V: as b : a heraldic charge consisting of two diagonal stripes meeting at an angle usually with the point up c : a sleeve badge that indicates the wearer's rank and service (as in the armed forces) Examples: "A young cavalry soldier in a red uniform, with the three chevrons of a sergeant upon his sleeve, strode up the aisle, with an embarrassment which was only the more marked by the intense vigour of his step.…" (Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd) Did you know? First appearing in English in the 14th century, "chevron" derives via Middle English and Anglo-French from the Vulgar Latin word "caprio," meaning "rafter" (probably due to its resemblance to two adjoining roof beams). It is also related to the Latin noun "caper," meaning "goat," again likely based on the resemblance of a V-shape to a goat’s horns. "Caper" is also an ancestor of "Capricorn," the tenth sign of the zodiac, represented by a goat. The resemblance of "chevron" to "chèvre," the French word for "goat" and our word for a kind of cheese that comes from goat’s milk, is no coincidence, as that word derives from "caper" as well. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 29, 2010 is: uxorial • \uk-SOR-ee-ul\ • adjective : of, relating to, or characteristic of a wife Examples: “He watered the plants, cleared aspen leaves and debris from the rock garden, and cut the lawn … without any uxorial prompting.” (Rois M. Beal, The Washington Post, July 19, 2007) Did you know? With help from "-ial," "-ious," and "-icide," the Latin word "uxor," meaning "wife," has given us the English words "uxorial," "uxorious" (meaning "excessively fond of or submissive to a wife"), and "uxoricide" ("murder of a wife by her husband" or "a wife murderer"). Do we have equivalent "husband" words? Well, sort of. "Maritus" means "husband" in Latin, so "marital" can mean "of or relating to a husband and his role in marriage" (although "maritus" also means "married," and the "of or relating to marriage or the married state" sense of "marital" is far more common). And while "mariticide" is "spouse killing," it can also be specifically "husband-killing." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 28, 2010 is: pullulate • \PUL-yuh-layt\ • verb 1 a : germinate, sprout b : to breed or produce freely 2 : swarm, teem Examples: The coastal resort town is quiet now, but with summer approaching it will soon be pullulating with tourists. Did you know? To remember the history of "pullulate," think chickens. This may sound like odd advice, but it makes sense if you know that "pullulate" traces ultimately to the Latin noun "pullus," which means not only "sprout," but also "young of an animal" and, specifically, "chick." "Pullus" is also an ancestor of "pullet" ("young hen"), "poult" (meaning "young fowl" and especially "young turkey"), and even "poultry" ("domesticated fowl"). At first "pullulate" referred to sprouting, budding, and breeding around the farm; only later did it gain its "swarm" sense. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 27, 2010 is: esemplastic • \es-em-PLAS-tik\ • adjective : shaping or having the power to shape disparate things into a unified whole Examples: "The prison walls of self had closed entirely round him; he was walled completely by the esemplastic power of his imagination -- he had learned by now to project mechanically, before the world, an acceptable counterfeit of himself…." (Thomas Wolfe, Look Homeward, Angel) Did you know? "Unusual and new-coined words are, doubtless, an evil; but vagueness, confusion, and imperfect conveyance of our thoughts, are a far greater," wrote English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in Biographia Literaria, 1817. True to form, in that same work, he assembled "esemplastic" by melding the Greek phrase "es hen," meaning "into one," with "plastic" to fulfill his need for a word that accurately described the imagination's ability to shape disparate experiences into a unified whole (e.g., the poet's imaginative ability to communicate a variety of images, sensations, emotions, and experiences in the unifying framework of a poem). The verb "intensify" was another word that Coleridge was compelled to mint while writing Biographia. Coinages found in his other writings include "clerisy" and "psychosomatic," among others. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 26, 2010 is: shibboleth • \SHIB-uh-luth\ • noun 1 : catchword, slogan 2 : a widely held belief or truism 3 : a custom or usage regarded as distinctive of a particular group Examples: “Taxpayers beware: Don't buy into the shibboleth that more money automatically translates into better schools.” (Press Journal [Vero Beach, FL], July 27, 2003) Did you know? The Bible's Book of Judges (12:4-6) tells the story of the Ephraimites, who, after they were routed by the Gileadite army, tried to retreat by sneaking across a ford of the Jordan River that was held by their enemy. The Gileadites, wary of the ploy, asked every soldier who tried to cross if he was an Ephraimite. When the soldier said "no," he was asked to say "shibboleth" (which means "stream" in Hebrew). Gileadites pronounced the word "shibboleth," but Ephramites said "sibboleth." Anyone who left out the initial "sh" was killed on the spot. When English speakers first borrowed "shibboleth," they used it to mean "test phrase," but it has acquired additional meanings since that 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 March 25, 2010 is: nefarious • \nih-FAIR-ee-us\ • adjective : flagrantly wicked or impious : evil Examples: "We now learn that the two sides may have been working together in nefarious ways in some kind of conspiracy that transcends national boundaries and allegiances." (Paul A. Cantor, Gilligan Unbound) Did you know? "Vicious" and "villainous" are two wicked synonyms of "nefarious," and, like "nefarious," both mean "highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct." But these synonyms are not used in exactly the same way in all situations. "Vicious" may imply moral depravity or it may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence. "Villainous" applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic, while "nefarious" (which derives from the Latin noun "nefas," meaning "crime") suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct. "Nefarious" first appeared in English in the early 17th century, whereas "vicious" and "villainous" preceded "nefarious" by about two hundred years. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 24, 2010 is: hummock • \HUM-uk\ • noun 1 : a rounded knoll or hillock 2 : a ridge of ice 3 : a fertile area in the southern United States and especially Florida that is usually higher than its surroundings and that is characterized by hardwood vegetation and deep humus-rich soil Examples: Cattle and sparse vegetation dot a rolling landscape of hummocks and shallow valleys. Did you know? "Hummock" first appeared in English in the mid-1500s as an alteration of "hammock," another word which can be used for a small hill. This "hammock" is not related to the "hammock" we use to refer to a swinging bed made of netting or canvas. That "hammock" comes from the Spanish "hamaca," and ultimately from Taino, a language spoken by the original inhabitants of the Greater Antilles and the Bahamas. The origins of the other "hammock" and the related "hummock" are still obscure, though they are related to Middle Low German "hummel" ("small height") and "hump" ("bump"). English also borrowed "hump," another word which can refer to a small hill or hummock. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 23, 2010 is: copacetic • \koh-puh-SET-ik\ • adjective : very satisfactory Examples: Although Julie and Emma were barely on speaking terms last week, they now say that they have patched things up and everything is copacetic. Did you know? Theories about the origin of "copacetic" abound. The tap dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson believed he had coined the word as a boy in Richmond, Virginia. When patrons of his shoeshine stand would ask, "How’s everything this morning?" he would reply, "Oh jes’ copacetic, boss; jes’ copacetic." But the word was current in Southern Black English perhaps as early as 1880, so it seems unlikely that Robinson (born in 1878) could have invented the term. Another explanation is that the word is from the Hebrew phrase "kol be sedher," meaning "everything is in order." Possibly it was coined by Harlem blacks working in Jewish businesses. The word’s popularity among Southern blacks, however, points to its originating in one of the Southern cities in which Jewish communities thrived, such as Atlanta. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 22, 2010 is: forte • \FORT\ • noun : something in which one excels : one's strong point Examples: The pitcher's forte is definitely his 100-mph fastball, although his curveball is also strong. Did you know? "Forte" derives from the sport of fencing -- when English speakers borrowed the word from French in the mid-17th century, it referred to the strongest part of a sword blade, between the middle and the hilt. It is therefore unsurprising that "forte" eventually developed an extended metaphorical sense for a person's strong point. (Incidentally, "forte" has its counterpoint in the word "foible," meaning both the weakest part of a sword blade and a person's weak point.) There is some controversy over how to correctly pronounce "forte"; common choices in American English are "FOR-tay" and "for-TAY," but many usage commentators recommend rhyming it with "fort." None of these is technically true to the French, in which "forte" would sound more like "for." You can take your choice, knowing that someone somewhere will dislike whichever variant you choose. All, however, are standard. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 21, 2010 is: obfuscate • \AHB-fuh-skayt\ • verb 1 a : darken b : to make obscure 2 : confuse 3 : to be evasive, unclear, or confusing Examples: After the debate, each of the gubernatorial candidates complained to the press that his opponent had intentionally obfuscated many responses to the questions. Did you know? The last syllable of "obfuscate" may sound like the "skate" in "ice skate," but the two aren't spelled the same way. How can you keep the correct spelling for "obfuscate" clear in your mind? The knowledge that the word traces to the Latin "fuscus," meaning "dark brown," may be of some help. The fact that "obfuscate" looks and sounds a little like "obscure" (although the two are etymologically distinct) might help too; both "obfuscate" and "obscure" can refer to concealing something or making it more difficult to see or understand. Or maybe alliterative devices are more your cup of tea. If that's the case, you can remember the "c" by recalling that "obfuscate" means to confuse, cloud over, or cover up. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 20, 2010 is: verdure • \VER-jer\ • noun 1 : the greenness of growing vegetation; also : such vegetation itself 2 : a condition of health and vigor Examples: "A city of tropical verdure, [Managua is] also one of constant reinvention, an essential quality given the wounds that nature has inflicted." (Regis St. Louis, The Miami Herald, October 19, 2008) Did you know? On this, the Northern Hemisphere's vernal equinox, those of us who've suffered through a long, cold winter welcome the coming verdure. English speakers have had the use of the word "verdure" since the 14th century, when it made its way into Middle English from Anglo-French. Like the more common "verdant," the word traces back to Latin "virēre," meaning "to be green." Since the early 16th century, "verdure" has also been used to refer to a kind of tapestry with a design based on plant forms. The "verdure" that English speakers sometimes encounter on menus is Italian; in that language "verdure" refers to green vegetables or to vegetables in general. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 19, 2010 is: wanderlust • \WAHN-der-lust\ • noun : strong longing for or impulse towards wandering Examples: After years of traveling, Philip accepted a job in Minnesota and announced his intention to settle down, but once the first cold snap hit, it didn’t take long for wanderlust to set in again. Did you know? "For my part," writes Robert Louis Stevenson in Travels with a Donkey, "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel's sake. The great affair is to move." Sounds like a case of wanderlust if we ever heard one. Those with "wanderlust" don't necessarily need to go anywhere in particular; they just don't care to stay in one spot. The etymology of "wanderlust" is a very simple one that you can probably figure out yourself. "Wanderlust" is lust (or "desire") for wandering. The word comes from German, in which "wandern" means "to wander," and "Lust" means "desire." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 18, 2010 is: magniloquent • \mag-NIL-uh-kwunt\ • adjective : speaking in or characterized by a high-flown often bombastic style or manner Examples: The actor delivered a magniloquent monologue, peppered with metaphors and obscure words. Did you know? "Magnus" means "great" in Latin; "loqui" is a Latin verb meaning "to speak." Combine the two and you get "magniloquus," the Latin predecessor of "magniloquent." English speakers started using "magniloquent" in the 1600s -- even though we’d had its synonym "grandiloquent" since the 1500s. ("Grandiloquent" comes from Latin "grandiloquus," which combines "loqui" and "grandis," another word for "great" in Latin.) Today, these synonyms continue to exist side by side and to be used interchangeably, though "grandiloquent" is the more common of the two. 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, 2010 is: glower • \GLOW-er (the OW is as in "cow")\ • verb : to look or stare with sullen annoyance or anger Examples: I could sense Katherine glowering at me after I took her usual parking spot. Did you know? Do words of uncertain origin make you scowl? If so, "glower" may put a frown on your face, because only part of its history can be validated. The well-established part of its story leads us to Scotland, where "glower" (or "glowren," to use the older Scottish form of the word) has been used since the late Middle Ages. Originally, the word meant simply "to look intently" or "to stare in amazement," but by the late 1700s, glowering stares were being associated with anger instead of astonishment. Beyond that, however, the history of the word is murky. The most we can say is that "glower" is a distant relative of Middle Low German "glŪren," which means "to be overcast," and of Middle Dutch "gloeren," meaning "to leer." 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, 2010 is: archetype • \AHR-kih-type\ • noun : the original pattern or model of which all things of the same type are representations or copies : prototype; also : a perfect example Examples: "A redeveloped Tonsley Park will be an archetype of the new economy … an economy that is knowledge-based, environmentally sustainable and responsive to climate change." (Brian Cunningham, The [Australia] Advertiser, February 9, 2010) Did you know? "Archetype" derives via Latin from the Greek adjective "archetypos" ("archetypal"), formed from the verb "archein" ("to begin" or "to rule") and the noun "typos" ("type"). ("Archein" also gave us the prefix "arch-," meaning "principal" or "extreme" and used to form such words as "archenemy," "archduke," and "archconservative.") "Archetype" has specific uses in the fields of philosophy and psychology. The ancient Greek philosopher Plato, for example, believed that all things have ideal forms (aka archetypes) of which real things are merely shadows or copies. And in the psychology of C. G. Jung, "archetype" refers to an inherited idea or mode of thought that is present in the unconscious of the individual. In everyday prose, however, "archetype" is most commonly used to mean "a perfect example of something." 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, 2010 is: haywire • \HAY-wyre\ • adverb or adjective 1 : being out of order or having gone wrong 2 : emotionally or mentally upset or out of control : crazy Examples: The company's e-mailing system went haywire and sent out multiple copies of the advertisement to its subscribers. Did you know? The wire used in baling hay -- haywire -- is often used in makeshift repairs. This hurried and temporary use of haywire gave rise to the adjective "haywire." When the adjective was first used in the early 20th century, it was primarily found in the phrase "haywire outfit," which originally denoted a poorly equipped group of loggers and then anything that was flimsy or patched together. This led to a "hastily patched-up" sense, which, in turn, gave us the more commonly used meaning, "being out of order or having gone wrong." The "crazy" sense of "haywire" may have been suggested by the difficulty of handling the springy wire, its tendency to get tangled around legs, or the disorderly appearance of the temporary repair jobs for which it was used. 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, 2010 is: postulate • \PAHSS-chuh-layt\ • verb 1 : demand, claim 2 a : to assume or claim as true, existent, or necessary b : to assume as an established truth (as in logic or mathematics) Examples: "If we postulate that the doors were all securely guarded," said the detective, "then the perpetrator must have been somebody who was already in the building." Did you know? In 1703, the dedication of the City and County Purchaser and Builders Dictionary included the following words: "These your extraordinary Favours … seem to Postulate from me … a Publick Recognition." That's also how the verb "postulate" was used when English speakers first began using it back in the late 1500s, as a synonym of "require" or "demand." (The word's Latin grandparent, "postulare," has the same meaning.) "Postulate" was also used as a noun in the late 1500s, with the meaning "demand" or "stipulation." That sense is now considered archaic, but we still use the noun "postulate." Today, it usually means "a hypothesis advanced as an essential presupposition, condition, or premise of a train of reasoning." 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, 2010 is: acronym • \AK-ruh-nim\ • noun : a word formed from the beginning letter or letters of each or most of the parts of a compound term; also : an abbreviation formed from initial letters Examples: The new committee spent a fair amount of time choosing a name that would lend itself to an appealing acronym. Did you know? "Acronym" was created by combining "acr-" ("beginning") with "-onym," ("name" or "word"). You may recognize "-onym" in other familiar English words such as "pseudonym" and "synonym." English speakers borrowed "-onym" directly from the Greek (it derives from "onyma," the Greek word for "name"). "Acr-" is also from Greek, but it made a side trip through Middle French on its way to English. When "acronym" first entered English, some usage commentators decreed that it should refer to combinations of initial letters that were pronounced as if they were whole words (such as "radar" or "scuba"), differentiated from an "initialism," which is spoken by pronouncing the component letters (as "FBI" and "CEO"). These days, however, that distinction is largely lost, and "acronym" is a common label for both types of abbreviation. 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, 2010 is: sub rosa • \sub-ROH-zuh\ • adverb : in confidence : secretly Examples: The private investigator met sub rosa with his client to show her photos of her husband rendezvousing at various local establishments with another woman. Did you know? "Sub rosa" literally means "under the rose" in New Latin. Since ancient times, the rose has often been associated with secrecy. In ancient mythology, Cupid gave a rose to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to keep him from telling about the indiscretions of Venus. Ceilings of dining rooms have been decorated with carvings of roses, reportedly to remind guests that what was said at the table should be kept confidential. Roses have also been placed over confessionals as a symbol of the confidentiality of confession. "Sub rosa" entered the English language in the 17th century, and even before then, people were using the English version, "under the rose." Earlier still, "unter der Rose" was apparently used in Germany, where the phrase is thought to have originated. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 11, 2010 is: will-o'-the-wisp • \will-uh-thuh-WISP\ • noun 1 : a light that appears at night over marshy ground 2 : a misleading or elusive goal or hope Examples: Though her friends think she's chasing a will-o'-the-wisp, Alexis is determined to quit her job and follow her dream of becoming a pop music star. Did you know? The will-o'-the-wisp is a flame-like phosphorescence caused by gases from decaying plants in marshy areas. In olden days, it was personified as "Will with the wisp," a sprite who carried a fleeting "wisp" of light. Foolish travelers were said to try to follow the light and were then led astray into the marsh. (An 18th-century fairy tale described Will as one "who bears the wispy fire to trail the swains among the mire.") The light was first known, and still also is, as "Ignis Fatuus," which in Latin means "foolish fire." Eventually, the name "will-o'-the-wisp" was extended to any impractical or unattainable goal. 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, 2010 is: petard • \puh-TAHRD\ • noun 1 : a case containing an explosive to break down a door or gate or breach a wall 2 : a firework that explodes with a loud report Examples: "The blast occurred on Sunday afternoon in a farmer's house in the Anhui Province, destroying six rooms which stored materials for making petards and firecrackers." (RIA Novosti, January 11, 2010) Did you know? Aside from historical references to siege warfare, and occasional contemporary references to fireworks, "petard" is almost always encountered in variations of the phrase "hoist with one's own petard," meaning "victimized or hurt by one's own scheme." The phrase comes from Shakespeare's Hamlet: "For 'tis the sport to have the enginer / Hoist with his own petar." "Hoist" in this case is the past participle of the verb "hoise," meaning "to lift or raise," and "petar(d)" refers to an explosive device used in siege warfare. Hamlet uses the example of the engineer (the person who sets the explosive device) being blown into the air by his own device as a metaphor for those who schemed against Hamlet being undone by their own schemes. The phrase has endured, even if its literal meaning has largely been forgotten. 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, 2010 is: eclectic • \ih-KLEK-tik\ • adjective 1 : selecting what appears to be best in various doctrines, methods, or styles 2 : composed of elements drawn from various sources; also : heterogeneous Examples: The new downtown restaurant offers an eclectic mix of appetizers and entrees at reasonable prices. Did you know? "Eclectic" comes from a Greek verb meaning "to select" and was originally applied to ancient philosophers who were not committed to any single system of philosophy; instead, these philosophers selected whichever doctrines pleased them from every school of thought. Later, the word's use broadened to cover other selective natures. "Hard by, the central slab is thick with books / Diverse, but which the true eclectic mind / Knows how to group, and gather out of each / Their frequent wisdoms...." In this 19th century example from a poem by Arthur Joseph Munby, for example, the word is applied to literature lovers who cull selective works from libraries. 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, 2010 is: lave • \LAYV\ • verb 1 a : wash, bathe b : to flow along or against 2 : pour Examples: "There are few traces of man's hand to be seen. The water laves the shore as it did a thousand years ago." (Henry David Thoreau, Walden) Did you know? "Lave" is a simple, monosyllabic word that magically makes the mundane act of washing poetic. Shakespeare used it in The Taming of the Shrew, when Gremio assured the father of his beloved Bianca that she would have "basins and ewers to lave her dainty hands." And in Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop, Nell "laved her hands and face, and cooled her feet before setting forth to walk again." The poetry of "lave" is also heard when describing water washing against the shore, as in our example sentence, or even the pouring of water: "He … laved a few cool drops upon his brow" (John Lockhart, Reginald Dalton). Before washing our hands of "lave," we'll tell you its etymology: it, as well as "lavatory," comes from Latin "lavare," meaning "to wash." 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, 2010 is: exponent • \ik-SPOH-nunt\ • noun 1 : a symbol written above and to the right of a mathematical expression to indicate the operation of raising to a power 2 a : one that expounds or interprets b : one that champions, practices, or exemplifies Examples: "Pianist [Chick] Corea has played plenty of straight-ahead jazz, but is probably best known as an exponent of '70s jazz-rock fusion." (Curtis Ross, The Tampa Tribune, February 19, 1999) Did you know? You probably won't be surprised to learn that "exponent" shares an ancestor with "proponent" -- and indeed, the Latin "ponere" ("to put") is at the root of both terms. "Exponent" descends from "exponere" ("to explain" or "to set forth"), which joins "ponere" with "ex-" ("out"). "Proponent" traces to "proponere" ("to display" or "to declare"), from "ponere" and "pro-" ("before"). "Proponent" can describe someone who offers a proposal (it's related to "propose," which also ultimately comes from "proponere"), but today it usually means "one who argues in favor of something." "Exponent" can also refer to someone who is an advocate, but it tends to refer especially to someone who stands out as a shining representative of something, and in addition it has retained its earlier meaning of "one who expounds." 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, 2010 is: zaftig • \ZAHF-tig\ • adjective : having a full rounded figure : pleasingly plump Examples: The Flemish painters were masters of the oil medium, rendering zaftig beauties, robust burghers, hunting scenes, and allegorical subjects with subtle interplays of light and color. Did you know? "Real women have curves," as a 2002 movie title proclaimed. They are pleasingly plump, full-figured, shapely, womanly, curvy, curvaceous, voluptuous, statuesque. They are, in a word, zaftig. "Zaftig" has been juicing up our language since the 1930s (the same decade that gave us Yiddish-derived "futz," "hoo-ha," "nosh," and "schmaltz," not to mention "lox"). It comes from the Yiddish "zaftik," which means "juicy" or "succulent" and which in turn derives from "zaft," meaning "juice" or "sap." 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, 2010 is: journeyman • \JER-nee-mun\ • noun 1 : a worker who has learned a trade and works for another person 2 : an experienced reliable worker, athlete, or performer Examples: The team is ready to trade three of its rookie hopefuls for the journeyman pitcher. Did you know? The "journey" in "journeyman" refers to a sense of this familiar word not often used anymore: "a day's labor." This sense of "journey" was first used in the 14th century. When "journeyman" appeared the following century, it originally referred to a person who, having learned a handicraft or trade through an apprenticeship, worked for daily wages. In the 16th century, "journeyman" picked up a figurative (and mainly deprecatory) sense; namely, "one who drudges for another." These days, however, "journeyman" has little to do with drudgery, and lots to do with knowing a trade inside out. 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, 2010 is: licit • \LISS-it\ • adjective : conforming to the requirements of the law : not forbidden by law : permissible Examples: "We are focusing on making government institutions more accountable and effective, promoting the rule of law, [and] stimulating licit economic activity, especially in agriculture." (Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, April 23, 2009) Did you know? "Licit" is far less common than its antonym "illicit," but you probably won’t be surprised to learn that the former is the older of the two. Not by much, though: the first known use of "licit" in print is from 1483, whereas "illicit" shows up in print for the first time in 1506. For some reason "illicit" took off while "licit" just plodded along. When "licit" appears these days it often modifies "drugs" or "crops." Meanwhile, "illicit" shows up before words like "thrill" and "passion" (as well as "gambling," "relationship," "activities," and, of course, "drugs" and "crops.") The Latin word "licitus," meaning "lawful," is the root of the pair; "licitus" itself is from "licēre," meaning "to be permitted." 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, 2010 is: transmogrify • \transs-MAH-gruh-fye\ • verb : to change or alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect Examples: With the help of an interior decorator, Max transmogrified his drab, cluttered apartment into a stylish yet functional bachelor pad. Did you know? We know that the prefix "trans-" means "across" or "beyond" and appears in many words that evoke change, such as "transform" and "transpire," but we don't know the exact origins of "transmogrify." The 17th-century dramatist, novelist, and poet Aphra Behn, who is regarded as England's first female professional writer, was among the first English authors to use the word. In her 1671 comic play The Amorous Prince, Behn wrote, "I wou'd Love would transmogriphy me to a maid now." A century later, Scottish poet Robert Burns plied the word again in verse, aptly capturing the grotesque and sometimes humorous effect of transmogrification: "Social life and Glee sit down, . . . Till, quite transmugrify'd, they're grown Debauchery and Drinking." 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, 2010 is: didactic • \dye-DAK-tik\ • adjective 1 a : designed or intended to teach b : intended to convey instruction and information as well as pleasure and entertainment 2 : making moral observations Examples: Many of the shows on the channel are didactic, teaching children about such things as the importance of recycling, exercise, and honesty through the actions of animated characters. Did you know? "Didaktikos" is a Greek word that means "apt at teaching." It comes from "didaskein," meaning "to teach." Something "didactic" does just that: teaches or instructs. "Didactic" conveyed that neutral meaning when it was first borrowed in the 17th century, and still does; a didactic piece of writing is one that is meant to be instructive as well as artistic. Parables are generally didactic because they aim to teach a moral lesson. "Didactic" now sometimes has negative connotations, too, however. Something "didactic" is often overburdened with instruction to the point of being dull. Or it might be pompously instructive or moralistic. 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, 2010 is: asterisk • \ASS-tuh-risk\ • noun : the character * used in printing or writing as a reference mark, as an indication of the omission of letters or words, to denote a hypothetical or unattested linguistic form, or for various arbitrary meanings Examples: Words in the text that are defined in the glossary are marked with an asterisk for quick reference. Did you know? If someone asked you to associate the word "asterisk" with a heavenly body, you would probably have no problem relating it to a star -- even if you didn't know that the word "asterisk" derives from "asteriskos," a Greek word meaning "little star." "Asterisk" has been a part of the constellation of English since at least the late 1300s, but it is far from the only shining star in our language. The Greek forms "astēr," "astro," and "astrum" (all of which mean "star") still cast their light in English by way of such words as "asteroid," "astral," and "disaster" (which originally meant "an unfavorable aspect of a planet or star"). Even "star" itself is a distant relative of "asterisk." 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, 2010 is: waggish • \WAG-ish\ • adjective 1 : resembling or characteristic of a wag : displaying good-humored mischief 2 : done or made for sport : humorous Examples: Lisa listens to the same waggish DJ every morning, never tiring of his prank phone calls and irreverent impressions of local politicians. Did you know? One who is waggish acts like a wag. What, then, is a wag? Etymologists think "wag" probably came from "waghalter," a word that was once used for a "gallows bird" (that is, a person who was going to be, or deserved to be, hanged). "Waghalter" was apparently shortened to "wag" and used jokingly or affectionately for mischievous pranksters or youths. Hence a wag is a joker, and waggery is merriment or practical joking. "Waggish" can describe the prank itself as well as the prankster type; the class clown might be said to have a "waggish disposition" or might be said to be prone to "waggish antics." 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, 2010 is: apex • \AY-peks\ • noun : the highest point : peak Examples: Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first people to climb to the summit of Mt. Everest, reached the apex of the great mountain at 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953. Did you know? "Apex" entered English from Latin, where it originally meant "a small rod at the top of a flamen's cap." What's a flamen's cap? Flamens were priests who devoted themselves to serving just one of the many ancient Roman gods (for instance, just Jupiter or Mars). Those priests wore distinctive conical caps that English speakers dubbed "flamen's caps." Sixteenth- and seventeenth-century dramatist Ben Jonson was one of the few English writers known to have used "apex" in its flamen's-cap sense: "Upon his head a hat of delicate wool, whose top ended in a cone, and was thence called apex." 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, 2010 is: thew • \THOO\ • noun 1 a : muscular power or development b : strength, vitality 2 : muscle, sinew -- usually used in plural Examples: "Care I for the limb, the thews, the stature, bulk, and big / assemblance of a man! Give me the spirit," retorts Falstaff to Justice Shallow in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, Part 2. Did you know? "Thew" has had a long, difficult past during which it discovered its strengths and weaknesses. In Middle English it carried a number of meanings, referring to a custom, habit, personal quality, or virtue. The word began to tire in the 16th century but was soon revitalized with a new meaning: it began to be used specifically for the quality of physical strength and later for the muscles demonstrating that quality. In time, the word buddied up with "sinew" in both literal and figurative turns of phrase, as in "the thews and sinews of my body ached" and "their love affair was the thew and sinew of the story." 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, 2010 is: proscribe • \proh-SCRYBE\ • verb 1 : outlaw 2 : to condemn or forbid as harmful or unlawful Examples: When grammarians began to proscribe ending a sentence with a preposition in the 1700s, one astute personage noted that it is "an idiom which our language is strongly inclined to." Did you know? "Proscribe" and "prescribe" each have a Latin-derived prefix that means "before" attached to the verb "scribe" (from "scribere," meaning "to write"). Yet the two words have very distinct, often nearly opposite meanings. Why? In a way, you could say it's the law. In the 15th and 16th centuries both words had legal implications. To "proscribe" was to publish the name of a person who had been condemned, outlawed, or banished. To "prescribe" meant "to lay down a rule," including legal rules or orders. 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, 2010 is: abrupt • \uh-BRUPT\ • adjective 1 a : characterized by or involving action or change without preparation or warning : unexpected b : unceremoniously curt c : lacking smoothness or continuity 2 : giving the impression of being cut or broken off; especially : involving a sudden steep rise or drop Examples: Although Kevin liked working at the auto dealership, his abrupt manner of speaking made him a poor match for a job in customer service. Did you know? We’ll break it to you gently: "abrupt" derives from "abruptus," the past participle of the Latin verb "abrumpere," meaning "to break off." "Abrumpere" combines the prefix "ab-" with "rumpere," which means "break" and which forms the basis for several other words in English that suggest a kind of breaking, such as "interrupt," "rupture," and "bankrupt." Whether being used to describe a style of speaking that seems rudely short (as in "gave an abrupt answer"), something with a severe rise or drop ("abrupt climate change"), or something that seems rash and unprecipitated ("made the abrupt decision to quit college"), "abrupt," which first appeared in English in the 16th century, implies a kind of jarring unexpectedness that catches people off guard. 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, 2010 is: logomachy • \loh-GAH-muh-kee\ • noun 1 : a dispute over or about words 2 : a controversy marked by verbiage Examples: The surprising election results have opened the floodgates of logomachy in the political media outlets. Did you know? It doesn't take much to start people arguing about words, but there's no quarrel about the origin of "logomachy." It comes from the Greek roots "logos," meaning "word" or "speech," and "machesthai," meaning "to fight," and it entered English in the mid-1500s. If you're a word enthusiast, you probably know that "logos" is the root of many English words ("monologue," "neologism," "logic," and most words ending in "-logy," for example), but what about other derivatives of "machesthai"? Actually, this is a tough one even for word whizzes. Only a few very rare English words come from "machesthai." Here are two of them: "heresimach" ("an active opponent of heresy and heretics") and "naumachia" ("an ancient Roman spectacle representing a naval battle"). 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, 2010 is: thaumaturgy • \THAW-muh-ter-jee\ • noun : the performance of miracles; specifically : magic Examples: After reading all seven Harry Potter novels in a span of two weeks, Audrey was hungry for more thrilling tales of mysticism and thaumaturgy. Did you know? The magic of "thaumaturgy" is miraculous. The word, from a Greek word meaning "miracle working," is applicable to any performance of miracles, especially by incantation. It can also be used of things that merely seem miraculous and unexplainable, like the thaumaturgy of a motion picture's illusions (aka "movie magic"), or the thaumaturgy at work in an athletic team's "miracle" comeback. In addition to "thaumaturgy," we also have "thaumaturge" and "thaumaturgist," both of which mean "a performer of miracles" or "a magician," and the adjective "thaumaturgic," meaning "performing miracles" or "of, relating to, or dependent on thaumaturgy." 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, 2010 is: chastise • \chass-TYZE\ • verb 1 : to inflict punishment on (as by whipping) 2 : to censure severely : castigate Examples: The boss eventually had to chastise certain employees for being consistently late. Did you know? "Chastise," "castigate," "chasten," "correct," "discipline," and "punish" all imply the infliction of a penalty in return for wrongdoing. "Chastise" often applies to verbal censure or denunciation ("he chastised his son for neglecting his studies"). "Castigate" usually implies a severe, typically public censure ("an editorial castigating the entire city council"), while "chasten" suggests any affliction or trial that leaves someone humbled or subdued ("chastened by a landslide election defeat"). "Correct" implies punishment aimed at reforming an offender ("the function of prison is to correct the wrongdoer"), and "discipline," a punishment or chastisement intended to bring a wrongdoer under control ("parents disciplining their children"). Finally, "punish" implies the imposition of a penalty for a misdeed ("punished for stealing"). 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, 2010 is: saxicolous • \sak-SIK-uh-lus\ • adjective : inhabiting or growing among rocks Examples: As a graduate student, Pam studied saxicolous lichens above the treeline in three different parts of the Canadian Rockies. Did you know? "Saxicolous." It's not a word that exactly rolls off the tongue, but it's a useful designation for botanists. The word is from Latin, naturally. "Saxum" is Latin for "rock," and "colous" (meaning "living or growing in or on") traces back to Latin "-cola" meaning "inhabitant." Other "colous" offspring include "arenicolous" ("living, burrowing, or growing in sand"), "cavernicolous" ("inhabiting caves"), and "nidicolous" ("living in a nest" or "sharing the nest of another kind of animal"). All of these words were coined in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to describe the flora and fauna of our world. 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, 2010 is: inane • \ih-NAYN\ • noun : void or empty space Examples: "And thus likewise we sometimes speak of place, distance, or bulk in the great inane beyond the confines of the world …" (John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human Understanding) Did you know? The adjective "inane" is now most commonly encountered as a synonym of "shallow" or "silly." But when this word first entered the English language in the early 17th century, it was used to mean "empty" or "insubstantial." It was this older sense that gave rise, in the latter half of the 17th century, to the noun "inane," which often serves as a poetic reference to the void of space ("the illimitable inane," "the limitless inane," "the incomprehensible inane"). This noun usage has not always been viewed in a favorable light. Samuel Johnson, in his Dictionary of the English Language (1755), says of "inane" that "it is used licentiously for a substantive," which in current English means that it is used as a noun without regard to the rules. 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, 2010 is: flexuous • \FLEK-shuh-wus\ • adjective 1 : having curves, turns, or windings 2 : lithe or fluid in action or movement Examples: The last leg of the trail is a flexuous path leading up the mountain to a spectacular panoramic view of the valley. Did you know? English author Thomas Hardy was fond of the word "flexuous" and described his dark-haired Tess as "the most flexuous and finely-drawn figure." "Flexuous" may be a synonym of "curvy," but it's not the word most likely to be chosen these days to describe a shapely woman. The botanists' use of "flexuous" to describe plant stems that aren't rigid is a more typical use today. But don't let that tendency deflect you from occasionally employing this ultimately quite flexible word. Stemming straight from Latin "flectere," meaning "to bend," it can also mean "undulating" or "fluid." It might, for example, be used of writing or music, or of something or someone that moves with a fluid sort of grace. 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, 2010 is: tare • \TAIR\ • noun 1 : a deduction from the gross weight of a substance and its container made in allowance for the weight of the container; also : the weight of the container 2 : counterweight Examples: Before charging us for the blueberries we'd picked, the attendant at Annie's Fields deducted the tare from the weight of the filled buckets. Did you know? "Tare" came to English by way of Middle French from the Old Italian term "tara," which is itself from the Arabic word "ṭarḥa," meaning "that which is removed." The first known written record of the word "tare" in English is found in the 1489 naval inventories of Britain's King Henry VII. The records show two barrels of gunpowder weighing, "besides the tare," 500 pounds. When used of vehicles, "tare weight" refers to a vehicle's weight exclusive of any load. The term "tare" is closely tied to "net weight," which is defined as "weight excluding all tare." 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, 2010 is: parlous • \PAR-lus\ • adjective : full of danger or risk : hazardous Examples: "Given the fragile state of the economy, this is a parlous time to be making uncertain investments," said the financial advisor. Did you know? "Parlous" is both a synonym and a derivative of "perilous"; it came to be as an alteration of "perilous" in Middle English. ("Perilous" is derived from the Anglo-French "perilleus," which ultimately comes from the Latin word for "danger": "periculum.") Both words are documented in use from at least the 14th century, but by the 17th century "parlous" had slipped from common use and was considered more or less archaic. It experienced a resurgence in popularity in the 20th century (although some critics still regarded it as an archaic affectation), and today it appears in fairly common use, often modifying "state" or "times." 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, 2010 is: astrolabe • \A-struh-layb\ • noun : a compact instrument used to observe and calculate the position of celestial bodies before the invention of the sextant Examples: With a rotating plate and pointers that marked the positions of stars, the astrolabe could reproduce the daily motions of the stars on the celestial sphere. Did you know? "Thyn Astrolabie hath a ring to putten on the thombe of thi right hond in taking the height of thinges." Thus begins a description of the astrolabe in A Treatise on the Astrolabe, a medieval user's guide penned by the unlikeliest of aspiring astronomers, Geoffrey Chaucer. Chaucer is best known for his Middle English poetic masterpiece The Canterbury Tales, but when his nose wasn't buried in his writing, Chaucer was stargazing, and some of his passion for the heavens rubbed off on his son Lewis, who, according to his father, had displayed a special "abilite to lerne sciences touching nombres and proporciouns." Chaucer dedicated his treatise to the 10-year-old boy, setting his instructions not in the usual Latin, but in "naked wordes in Englissh" so that little Lewis could understand. When he got older, Lewis may have learned that the word "astrolabe" traces to the Greek name for the instrument. 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, 2010 is: dally • \DAL-ee\ • verb 1 a : to act playfully; especially : to play amorously b : to deal lightly : toy 2 a : to waste time b : linger, dawdle Examples: "There's nothing like dallying with your sweetie at an exquisite restaurant on Valentine's Day." (Suzanne Podhaizer, Seven Days [Burlington, Vermont], February 13-20, 2008) Did you know? English speakers have been playing with different uses of "dally" since the 14th century. They first started using the word with the meaning "to chat," which was also the meaning of the Anglo-French word from which it was derived, but that meaning fell into disuse by the end of the 15th century. Next, dalliers were amusing themselves by acting playfully with each other especially in amorous and flirtatious ways. Apparently, some dalliers were also a bit derisive, leading "dally" to mean "to deal with lightly or in a way that is not serious." It didn't take long for the fuddy-duddies to criticize all this play as a waste of time. By the mid-16th century, "dally" was weighted down with its "to waste time" and "dawdle" meanings, which, in time, gave way to the word "dillydally," a humorous reduplication of "dally." 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, 2010 is: prescience • \PRESH-ee-unss\ • noun a : foreknowledge of events: b : divine omniscience c : human anticipation of the course of events : foresight Examples: Stacy had the prescience to know that the stock’s value wasn’t going to remain high forever, so she sold it before it decreased. Did you know? If you know the origin of "science," you already know half the story of "prescience." "Science" comes from the Latin verb "scire," which means "to know" and which is the source of many English words ("conscience," "conscious," and "omniscience," just to name a few). "Prescience" comes from the Latin verb "praescire," which means "to know beforehand." "Praescire" joins the verb "scire" with the prefix "prae-," a predecessor of "pre-." A lesser-known "scire"-derived word is "nescience." "Nescience" means "ignorance" and comes from "scire" plus "ne-," which means "not" in Latin. 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, 2010 is: phony • \FOH-nee\ • adjective a : not genuine or real: as a *(1) : intended to deceive or mislead (2) : intended to defraud : counterfeit b : arousing suspicion : probably dishonest c : having no basis in fact : fictitious d : false, sham e : making a false show: as (1) : hypocritical (2) : specious Examples: "Digital tricksters increasingly place phony footage, facts and press releases on Web sites and video-sharing sites to see how quickly the falsehoods will spread through traditional and new media alike." (Sandy Cohen, The Associated Press State and Local Wire, January 1, 2010) Did you know? It's the backstory of "phony" that deserves our attention. "Phony" (which dates from the early 1900s) is believed to be an alteration of the British "fawney," the word for a gilded brass ring used in a confidence game called the "fawney rig." In this game, the trickster drops a ring (or a purse with some valuables in it) and runs to pick the item up at the same time as the poor sap who notices it on the ground. The trickster asserts that the found treasure should be split between them. The one who's "found" the item, convinced now of its value, chooses instead to give the con artist some money in order to keep the item, which is, of course, phony. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.