Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2009 is: baptism of fire • \BAP-tiz-um-uv-FYRE\ • noun 1 : an introductory or initial experience that is a severe ordeal; especially : a soldier's first exposure to enemy fire 2 : a spiritual baptism by a gift of the Holy Spirit Examples: Sandra got her baptism of fire as a babysitter when she spent the weekend taking care of her sister’s three rambunctious children. Did you know? In the 1981 volume Airmobility in Vietnam, Lt. General John Tolson used the military sense of "baptism of fire," writing, "Major George D. Hardesty, Jr. of the 8th Transportation Company and Major Robert J. Dillard of the 57th could report that their units performed outstandingly under their first baptism of fire." Tolson and other users of the phrase allude (knowingly or unknowingly) to a Biblical passage: "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me . . . will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matthew 3:11, RSV). Since at least 1857, "baptism of fire" has been used metaphorically in English for any initiation, especially a difficult one. 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 December 22, 2009 is: veracity • \vuh-RASS-uh-tee\ • noun 1 : devotion to the truth : truthfulness 2 : conformity with truth or fact : accuracy 3 : something true Examples: English poet Thomas Gray wrote, "Any fool may write a most valuable book by chance, if he will only tell us what he heard and saw with veracity." Did you know? "Veracity" has been a part of English since at least 1623, and we can honestly tell you that it derives from the Latin adjective "verax" ("true" or "truthful"), which in turn comes from the earlier adjective "verus" ("true"). "Verus" also gives us "verity" ("the quality of being true"), "verify" ("to establish the truth of"), and "verisimilitude" ("the appearance of truth"), among other words. In addition, "verax" is the root of the word "veraciousness," a somewhat rarer synonym and cousin of "veracity." 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 December 21, 2009 is: arbitrary • \AHR-buh-trair-ee\ • adjective 1 : autocratic, despotic 2 : determined by whim or caprice : existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance Examples: The 10 p.m. deadline is arbitrary -- we could have easily selected another time for the contest to end -- but we had to pick a cutoff, and now it is set. Did you know? "Arbitrary" is derived from the same source as "arbiter." The Latin word "arbiter" means "judge," and English adopted it, via Anglo-French, with the meaning "one who judges a dispute"; it can now also be used for anyone whose judgment is respected. "Arbitrary" traces back to the Latin adjective "arbitrarius" ("done by way of legal arbitration"), which itself comes from "arbiter." In English "arbitrary" first meant "depending upon choice or discretion" and was specifically used to indicate the sort of decision (as for punishment) left up to the expert determination of a judge rather than defined by law. Today, it can also be used for anything determined by or as if by a personal choice or whim. 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 December 20, 2009 is: groundling • \GROUND-ling\ • noun 1 a : a spectator who stood in the pit of an Elizabethan theater b : a person of unsophisticated taste 2 : one that lives or works on or near the ground Examples: The movie was panned as mindless fodder for the groundlings. Did you know? In Elizabethan times, play-going audiences were a diverse bunch. In the upper gallery, the wealthier patrons fanned themselves and looked with disdain at those who could only afford the penny admission to the pit below. Pit spectators had to sit or stand in close proximity on the bare floor, exposed to the sweltering sun or the dampening rain. At times, they behaved less than decorously, and they reportedly emitted a less than pleasant odor. The pit was also called the "ground"; those in it were "groundlings." Today, we use "groundlings" to refer not only to the less than couth among us, but also (often with some facetiousness) to ordinary Janes or Joes. 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 December 19, 2009 is: quadrennial • \kwah-DREN-ee-ul\ • adjective 1 : consisting of or lasting for four years 2 : occurring or being done every four years Examples: The 1990 U.S. soccer team was the first U.S team in 40 years to qualify for the championship tournament in the quadrennial World Cup. Did you know? Most things "quadrennial" occur every four years (that's the more common use). We can say, for example, that the U.S. presidential election is a quadrennial event. But we can also say that president's term in office is quadrennial, making good use of the "lasting four years" sense. The Latin combining form "quadri-" adds a factor of four to many English words: "quadriceps" (the thigh muscle, which has four parts), "quadrilateral" (a four-sided polygon), "quadragenarian" (a person in his or her 40s), and "quadricentennial" (a 400th anniversary), to name a few. The "-ennial" part of "quadrennial" has the same root as in "biennial" and "centennial"; all trace back to "annus," the Latin word for "year." 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 December 18, 2009 is: finesse • \fuh-NESS\ • verb 1 : to make a finesse in playing cards : to play (a card) in a finesse 2 a : to bring about, direct, or manage by adroit maneuvering b : evade, skirt Examples: "A surer hand behind the camera might've finessed the jokes more effectively, or established a consistent and satisfying tone." (Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune, November 6, 2009) Did you know? "Finesse" was a noun for more than 200 years before it became a verb. In the early 16th century the noun "finesse" was used to refer to refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture. Soon thereafter it developed the "skillful handling of a situation" meaning most common today. The first use of the verb "finesse," however, was not as a corollary of one of these meanings. Instead, its meaning had to do with cards: if you finesse in a game like bridge or whist, you withhold your highest card or trump in the hope that a lower card will take the trick because the only opposing higher card is in the hand of an opponent who has already played. The other verb meanings of "finesse" developed within a few decades of this one. 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 December 17, 2009 is: intransigent • \in-TRAN-suh-junt\ • adjective : characterized by refusal to compromise or to abandon an extreme position or attitude : uncompromising Examples: Ms. Baxter was intransigent about her most famous rule: no gum or candy in her classroom unless you’d brought enough to share with everybody. Did you know? English speakers borrowed "intransigent" in the 19th century from Spanish "intransigente" ("uncompromising"), itself a combination of the familiar prefix "in-" ("not") and "transigente" ("willing to compromise"). "Transigente" comes from the Spanish verb "transigir" ("to compromise"), which in turn comes from Latin "transigere" ("to come to an agreement"). The French have a similar verb, "transiger," which also means "to compromise." You may wonder if the word "transigent" exists in English, and the answer is "not really." It has seen occasional use, but it is not well established. There is, however, one other common English word that traces from Latin "transigere": "transact," meaning "to conduct (business)." 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 December 16, 2009 is: sastruga • \SAS-truh-guh\ • noun : a wavelike ridge of hard snow formed by the wind -- usually used in plural Examples: "Over the sastrugi it is all up and down hill, and the covering of ice crystals prevents the sledge from gliding even on the down-grade." (Robert Falcon Scott, Journals: Captain Scott’s Last Expedition) Did you know? If "sastruga" and its plural "sastrugi" seem like unusual English words, that may be because in some ways they are. Many of the words we use in English can be traced to one of two sources: about one-quarter of our vocabulary can be traced back to English's Germanic origins, and another two-thirds comes from Latinate sources (most such words come by way of French or from Latin directly, but Spanish and Italian have made their contributions as well). "Sastruga" was borrowed from German, but is not Germanic in origin. It’s originally from "zastruga," a word that comes from a dialect of Russian and means "groove," "small ridge," or "furrow." "Sastruga" is not widely used in English, and when it is used, it often takes the plural form, as in our example sentence. 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 December 15, 2009 is: whimsical • \WIM-zih-kul\ • adjective 1 : full of, actuated by, or exhibiting whims 2 a : resulting from or characterized by whim or caprice; especially : lightly fanciful b : subject to erratic behavior or unpredictable change Examples: The whimsical decor of Mary’s home reflects her playful personality. Did you know? As you may have guessed, the words "whimsical," "whim," and "whimsy" are related. All three ultimately derive from the word "whim-wham" ("a whimsical object" or "a whim"), which is of unknown origin and dates to at least 1500. "Whimsy" was the first of the three to spin off from "whim-wham," debuting in print in 1605. English speakers then added the adjective suffix "-ical" to "whimsy" to create "whimsical," dating from 1653. "Whim," which came about as a shortened version of "whim-wham," appeared as early as 1641 in a sense that is now obsolete, but its current sense of "a sudden wish, desire, or change of mind" didn't appear in print until 1686. 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 December 14, 2009 is: depredate • \DEP-ruh-dayt\ • verb 1 : to lay waste : plunder, ravage 2 : to engage in plunder Examples: “[O]ne of our party, after being asked by the owner to help depredate a few of the green, squawky birds at a feedlot, took 4 shots and killed over one hundred.” (The Bakersfield Californian, August 16, 2008) Did you know? "Depredate" derives primarily from the Latin verb "praedari," meaning "to plunder," an ancestor to our words "predator" and "prey." First appearing in English in the 17th century, the word most commonly appears in contexts relating to nature and ecology, where it is often used to describe the methodical, almost automatic destruction of life. That’s how the film critic Stanley Kauffman, for example, summarized the plot of the famous horror movie Jaws (1975): “A killer shark depredates the beach of an island summer resort. Several people are killed. Finally, the shark is killed. That's 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 December 13, 2009 is: indefeasible • \in-dih-FEE-zuh-bul\ • adjective : not capable of being annulled or voided or undone Examples: After his father's untimely demise, which reeked of foul play, Prince Nikolai took to the throne as was his indefeasible right as the king's eldest son. Did you know? We acquired "indefeasible" in the mid-16th century by combining the English prefix "in-" ("not") with "defeasible," a word borrowed a century earlier from Anglo-French. "Defeasible" itself can be traced to an Old French verb meaning "to undo" or "to destroy." It's no surprise, then, that something indefeasible is essentially "un-undoable" or "indestructible." Another member of this family of words is "feasible," meaning "capable of being done or carried out." Ultimately, all three -- "indefeasible," "defeasible," and "feasible" -- can be traced back to the Latin verb "facere," meaning "to do." 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 December 12, 2009 is: receipt • \rih-SEET\ • noun 1 : recipe 2 : the act or process of receiving 3 : something received -- usually used in plural 4 : a writing acknowledging the receiving of goods or money Examples: If you find that the item has been damaged during shipping, please contact us upon receipt to request a return shipping label. Did you know? These days it may seem odd to speak of "grandma's cookie receipt," but at one time the only meaning of "receipt" was "recipe." The first recorded use of "receipt" is a reference to a medicinal preparation in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales (c. 1386). "Recipe" didn't arrive until the 1500s, and it was also first used to describe medicine. Both words began to be applied to cooking only in the 18th century, after which "recipe" slowly became the preferred word. "Receipt" acquired its currently more familiar sense of "a written statement saying that money or goods have been received" in the 17th century. Both "receipt" and "recipe" are thought to be ultimately derived from Latin "recipere" ("to receive"), making them probable relatives as well as synonyms. 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 December 11, 2009 is: namby-pamby • \nam-bee-PAM-bee\ • adjective 1 : lacking in character or substance : insipid 2 : weak, indecisive Examples: The candidate criticized her opponent during the debate, calling him a namby-pamby flip-flopper who could not stand up for what he believed in. Did you know? Eighteenth-century poets Alexander Pope and Henry Carey didn't think much of their contemporary Ambrose Philips. His sentimental, singsong verses were too childish and simple for their palates. In 1726, Carey came up with the rhyming nickname "Namby-Pamby" (playing on "Ambrose") to parody Philips: "Namby-Pamby's doubly mild / Once a man and twice a child . . . / Now he pumps his little wits / All by little tiny bits." In 1733, Pope borrowed the nickname to take his own satirical jab at Philips in the poem "The Dunciad." Before long, "namby-pamby" was being applied to any piece of writing that was insipidly precious, simple, or sentimental, and later to anyone considered pathetically weak or indecisive. 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 December 10, 2009 is: provender • \PRAH-vun-der\ • noun 1 : dry food for domestic animals : feed 2 : food, victuals Examples: "The ambrosial and essential part of the [huckleberry] fruit is lost with the bloom which is rubbed off in the market cart, and they become mere provender." (Henry David Thoreau, Walden) Did you know? When English speakers first chewed on the word "provender" around 1300, it referred to a stipend that a clergyman received from his cathedral or collegiate church, something also known as a "prebend." A mere 25 years later, though, the word’s current meanings had developed. These days you’re most likely to encounter "provender" in articles written by food and travel writers. A few such writers confuse "provender" with "purveyor," meaning "a person or business that sells or provides something," but most of them keep the words straight, as Deidre Schipani does in this quote: "The kitchen remains true to its local roots. Buying from island farmers, fisherman, shrimpers, butchers and small local artisans keeps the provender and purveyors in alignment." (The Post and Courier, September 3, 2009) 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 December 9, 2009 is: ukase • \yoo-KAYSS\ • noun 1 : a proclamation by a Russian emperor or government having the force of law 2 a : a proclamation having the force of law b : order, command Examples: "The professor's first instruction to the [playwriting] class was a ukase: Never begin a play with a telephone ringing." (Bruce McCabe, The Boston Globe, June 23, 2000) Did you know? English speakers adopted "ukase" more or less simultaneously from French ("ukase") and Russian ("ukaz") in the early 18th century. The word can be traced further back to the Russian verb "ukazat'," meaning "to show" or "to order," and its ultimate source is an ancient root that led to similar words in Latin, Sanskrit, and Old Church Slavic. A Russian ukase was a command from the highest levels of government that could not be disobeyed. But by the early 19th century, English speakers were also using "ukase" generally for any command that seemed to come from a higher authority, particularly one that was final or arbitrary. 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 December 8, 2009 is: fiery • \FYE-uh-ree\ • adjective 1 a : consisting of or marked by fire b : using or carried out with fire c: flammable 2 : hot or glowing like a fire 3 : red 4 a : full of emotion or spirit b : easily provoked : irritable Examples: "As the game ended, he gave a fiery pep talk to his linemen, and on a brutally tough day, they appreciated it." (Bob Wojnowski, The Detroit News, November 16, 2009) Did you know? If you find yourself tempted to spell today's word "firey," you're relying on sound logic. "Fiery" was formed by combining the word "fire" and the "-y" suffix, so it is reasonable to expect that the result would be spelled "firey." At the time that the adjective was coined in the 13th century, however, the spelling of the noun had not yet become standardized. One alternate spelling was "fier." Presumably, it was this spelling that eventually led to English speakers settling on "fiery," even as the lone surviving spelling of the noun turned out to be "fire." 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 December 7, 2009 is: Nimrod • \NIM-rahd\ • noun 1 : a descendant of Ham represented in Genesis as a mighty hunter and a king of Shinar 2 : hunter 3 : idiot, jerk Examples: Dad fancied himself a mighty nimrod after he captured the rabbit who had been eating our garden. Did you know? Nimrod is described in Genesis as "the first on earth to be a mighty man" and "a mighty hunter before the Lord." It's easy to see how people made the leap from one mighty hunter in the Bible to calling any hunter a "nimrod." A lesser-known fact is that "nimrod" has seen some use in English as a noun meaning "tyrant" (apparently, the mighty Nimrod was not reputed to be an especially benevolent king), although that sense is now essentially obsolete. The legendary Nimrod is also sometimes associated with the attempt to build the Tower of Babel. Because the tower resulted in the wrath of the Lord and proved a disastrous idea, "nimrod" is sometimes used with yet another meaning: "a stupid person." 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 December 6, 2009 is: lief • \LEEF\ • adverb : soon, gladly Examples: "I thank you for your company; but, good faith, I had as / lief have been myself alone." (William Shakespeare, As You Like It) Did you know? "Lief" began as "lēof" in Old English and has since appeared in many literary classics, first as an adjective and then as an adverb. It got its big break in the epic poem "Beowulf" as an adjective meaning "dear" or "beloved." The adverb first appeared in the 13th century, and in 1390, it was used in John Gower’s collection of love stories, "Confessio Amantis." Since that time, it has graced the pages of works by William Makepeace Thackeray, Alfred Lord Tennyson, and D.H. Lawrence, among others. Today, the adjective is considered to be archaic and the adverb is used much less frequently than in days of yore. It still pops up now and then, however, in the phrases "had as lief," "would as lief," "had liefer," and "would liefer." 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 December 5, 2009 is: chapfallen • \CHAP-faw-lun\ • adjective 1 : having the lower jaw hanging loosely 2 : cast down in spirit : depressed Examples: The team's failure to make it to the playoffs yet again was another disappointment, but hardly a surprise, for its chapfallen and long-suffering fans. Did you know? "Chapfallen" is also commonly written as "chopfallen," a spelling that may help us to better understand this somewhat unusual word. The "chap" in "chapfallen" is a word that dates back to at least the 16th century. It refers to the fleshy covering of the jaw or to the jaw itself and is often used in the plural, as in "the wolf licked its chaps." If that phrase doesn't seem to quite right to you, it is likely because you are more familiar with "chops," an alteration of "chaps" which is also used to refer to the jaw or the mouth. "Fallen" is the past participle of "fall." Thus, to be "chapfallen" or "chopfallen" is, literally, to have one's jaw in a fallen or lower position. 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 December 4, 2009 is: leviathan • \luh-VYE-uh-thun\ • noun 1 : the political state; especially : a totalitarian state having a vast bureaucracy 2 : something large or formidable Examples: Towering leviathans of the forest, these giant sequoias often reach heights of more than 200 feet. Did you know? Old Testament references to a huge sea monster, "Leviathan" (in Hebrew, "Liwyāthān"), are thought to spring from an ancient myth in which the god Baal slays a multiheaded sea monster. Leviathan appears in the book of Psalms, as a sea serpent that is killed by God and then given as food to the Hebrews in the wilderness, and it is referred to in the book of Job as well. We began equating "Leviathan" with the political state after the philosopher Thomas Hobbes used the word in (and as the title of) his 1651 political treatise on government. Today, "Leviathan" often suggests a crushing political bureaucracy. "Leviathan" can also be immensely useful as a general term meaning "something monstrous or of enormous size." 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 December 3, 2009 is: winnow • \WIN-oh\ • verb 1 : to remove (as chaff) by a current of air; also : to free (as grain) from waste in this manner 2 : to remove, separate, or select as if by winnowing 3 : to narrow or reduce 4 : to blow on or fan Examples: The search committee is finding it extremely difficult to winnow the list of job candidates down to five; many of them are highly qualified and very desirable. Did you know? Beginning as "windwian" in Old English, "winnow" first referred to the removal of chaff from grain by a current of air. This use was soon extended to describe the removal of anything undesirable or unwanted (a current example of this sense would be "winnowing out outdated information"). People then began using the word for the selection of the most desirable elements (as in "winnowing out the qualified applicants"). The association of "winnow" with the movement of air led to the meanings "to brandish" and "to beat with or as if with wings," but those uses are now rare. The last meanings blew in at the turn of the 19th century. They are "to blow on" and "to blow in gusts." 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 December 2, 2009 is: pundit • \PUN-dit\ • noun 1 : a learned person : teacher 2 : authority, critic Examples: Grandpa likes watching liberal and conservative pundits spar about the issues of the day on the Sunday morning talk shows. Did you know? The original pundits were highly respected teachers and leaders in India. Their title was taken from the Hindi word "pandit," a term of respect for a wise person that itself derives from the Sanskrit "pandita," meaning "learned." English speakers began using the form "pundit" specifically to refer to those Hindu sages as long ago as the 1600s. By the 1800s, they had also extended the term to refer to other sagacious individuals, and now "pundit" is often used with a hint of sarcasm to refer to informed opinion makers (such as political commentators, financial analysts, and newspaper columnists) who boldly share their views (sometimes at great length) on just about any subject that lies within their areas of expertise. 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 December 1, 2009 is: disputatious • \dis-pyuh-TAY-shus\ • adjective 1 : inclined to dispute b: marked by disputation 2 : provoking debate : controversial Examples: The radio host's disputatious opinions and discussions have drawn legions of listeners, and now he is moving his show to network television. Did you know? "Disputatious" can be used of both people and things. Disputatious people like to provoke arguments or find something to disagree about. In the "things" category, the word can apply to both situations and issues. For example, court trials are disputatious; that is, they are marked by disputation, or verbal controversy. An issue or matter is disputatious if it provokes controversy. However, if a matter, such as an assertion made by someone, is open to question rather than downright controversial, it's merely "disputable." In any case, there's no arguing that both "disputatious" and its synonym "disputative" have changed their connotation somewhat from their Latin source, the verb "disputare." That word means simply "to discuss." 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 November 30, 2009 is: tristful • \TRIST-ful\ • adjective : sad, melancholy Examples: "And, come four o'clock, the Winter Garden is packed with tea parties gobbling cucumber sandwiches …, while a tristful harpist completes recollections of rainy afternoons trapped in British seaside palm courts…." (Simon Schama, The New Yorker, May 31, 2004) Did you know? The Middle English word "trist," from which "tristful" is derived, means "sad." Today, we spell this word "triste" (echoing the spelling of a French ancestor), whereas "tristful" has continued to be spelled without the "e." Is there a connection between "triste" ("sad") and "tryst" ("a secret rendezvous of lovers")? Not exactly. "Tryst" can be traced back to a Middle English "trist," but it is a different word, one that was a synonym of "trust." This word eventually fell into disuse, but before doing so, it may have given rise to a word for a station used by hunters, which is in turn believed to have led to "tryst." 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 November 29, 2009 is: imbroglio • \im-BROHL-yoh\ • noun 1 : a confused mass 2 a : a complicated situation b : a painful or embarrassing misunderstanding c : a violent or bitter altercation : embroilment Examples: The two motorists got into an imbroglio after both tried to make a move for the same parking spot. Did you know? "Imbroglio" and "embroilment" are more than just synonyms; they're also linked through etymology. Both descend from the Middle French verb "embrouiller" (same meaning as "embroil"), from the prefix "em-," meaning "thoroughly," plus "brouiller," meaning "to mix" or "to confuse." ("Brouiller" is itself a descendant of an Old French word for broth.) Early in the 17th century, English speakers began using "embroil," a direct adaptation of "embrouiller." Our noun "embroilment," which also entered the language in the early 17th century, comes from the same source. Meanwhile, the Italians were using their own alteration of "embrouiller" : "imbrogliare," meaning "to entangle." In the mid-18th century, English speakers embraced the Italian noun "imbroglio" 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 November 28, 2009 is: congruous • \KAHNG-groo-us\ • adjective 1 a : being in agreement, harmony, or correspondence b : conforming to the circumstances or requirements of a situation : appropriate 2 : marked or enhanced by harmonious agreement among constituent elements Examples: “I’m not convinced that your ideas are congruous with the client’s expressed desire for simplicity,” wrote my boss at the top of the design plan I’d submitted. Did you know? "Congruous" has been used in English since at least 1599, when it appeared in the following description: "All the parts of his bodie were in good proportion, and congruous as a man could wish." It has remained more or less true to its Latin roots: it is derived from Latin "congruus," an adjective that comes from the verb "congruere," which means "to come together" or “to agree." Another familiar "congruere" descendant in English is "congruent," which first appeared at least a century earlier with the same meaning as "congruous." We also acquired "congrue," a verb meaning "to be in harmony" or "to agree," from "congruere," but it has since become obsolete. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 27, 2009 is: inoculate • \ih-NAHK-yuh-layt\ • verb 1 a : to introduce a microorganism into b : to introduce (as a microorganism) into a suitable situation for growth c : to introduce immunologically active material (as an antibody or antigen) into especially in order to treat or prevent a disease 2 : to introduce something into the mind of 3 : to protect as if by inoculation Examples: In 1796, the English physician Edward Jenner discovered that inoculating people with cowpox could provide immunity against smallpox. Did you know? If you think you see a connection between "inoculate" and "ocular" ("of or relating to the eye"), you are not mistaken -- both words look back to "oculus," the Latin word for "eye." But what does the eye have to do with inoculation? Our answer lies in the original use in English of "inoculate" in Middle English: "to insert a bud in a plant." Latin "oculus" was sometimes applied to things that were seen to resemble eyes, and one such thing was the bud of a plant. "Inoculate" was later applied to other forms of engrafting or implanting, including the introduction of vaccines as a preventative against disease. 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 November 26, 2009 is: scrumptious • \SKRUMP-shus\ • adjective : delightful, excellent; especially : delicious Examples: To celebrate their first Thanksgiving in their new home, Ilene and Paul prepared a scrumptious feast for 12 guests. Did you know? First appearing in English in 1830, "scrumptious" is a mouth-watering word that is used to describe what is delightful and delectable. It probably originated as an alteration of "sumptuous," and it carries the elegant and wonderful connotations of its parent. ("Sumptuous" derives via Middle English from the Latin verb "sumere," meaning "to take or spend.") British author Roald Dahl had some fun with “scrumptious,” and created a delightful coinage, when he inserted the infix “-diddly-” into the word to make “scrumdiddlyumptious,” the word that chocolate magnate Willy Wonka uses to name his best-selling treats in his novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (1964). 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 November 25, 2009 is: temerarious • \tem-uh-RAIR-ee-us\ • adjective : marked by temerity : rashly or presumptuously daring Examples: The brave explorer set off for the unplumbed depths of the dangerous cave with only a few supplies and one temerarious companion. Did you know? If you have guessed that "temerarious" may be related to the somewhat more common word "temerity," you are correct. "Temerarious" was borrowed into English in the early 16th century from Latin "temerarius," which in turn derives from Latin "temere," meaning "blindly" or" recklessly." "Temerity," which arrived in English over a century earlier, also derives from "temere"; another descendant is the rare word "intemerate" (meaning "pure" or "undefiled"). "Temere" itself is akin to Old High German "demar," Latin "tenebrae," and Sanskrit "tamas," all of which have associations with darkness. 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 November 24, 2009 is: macédoine • \mass-uh-DWAHN\ • noun 1 : a confused mixture : medley 2 : a mixture of fruits or vegetables served as a salad or cocktail or in a jellied dessert or used in a sauce or as a garnish Examples: The focal point of the painting is a mesmerizing macédoine of warm colors. Did you know? "Macédoine" is the French name for Macedonia, a region on the Balkan Peninsula that is now part of Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, and Bulgaria. Historically, this area has been home to a richly varied population encompassing many ethnic groups. Etymologists believe that the cultural heterogeneity of the region may have inspired people to use its name as a generic term for any kind of wildly jumbled mixture. English speakers borrowed "macédoine" early in the 19th century. The word took on its more specific "salad" sense later in the century. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 23, 2009 is: pedantic • \pih-DAN-tik\ • adjective 1 : narrowly, stodgily, and often ostentatiously learned 2 : unimaginative, pedestrian Examples: Many students at the lecture were confused about what the pedantic professor was saying because he insisted on using highly elevated diction. Did you know? In Shakespeare's day, a pedant was a male schoolteacher. The word's meaning was close to that of the Italian "pedante," from which the English word was adapted. Someone who was pedantic was simply a tutor or teacher. But some instructional pedants of the day must have been pompous and dull, because by the early 1600s both "pedant" and "pedantic" had gained extended senses referring to anyone who was obnoxiously and tediously devoted to his or her own academic acumen. 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 November 22, 2009 is: mollycoddle • \MAH-lee-kah-dul\ • verb : to treat with an excessive or absurd degree of indulgence or attention Examples: Parents of other players complained that the coach was unfairly mollycoddling the team's star pitcher. Did you know? Coddling eggs is delicate business. You need to cook them slowly and gently, keeping the water just below boiling. Given how carefully you need to treat the eggs, it's not surprising that “coddle,” the name for the cooking process, developed the figurative sense “to pamper.” “Mollycoddle” was formed by combining “coddle” with “molly,” a nickname for Mary. In its earliest known uses in the 1830s, “mollycoddle” was a noun, a synonym of our modern “wimp,” but within 30 years it was being used as the verb you're likely to encounter now. 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 November 21, 2009 is: pittance • \PIT-unss\ • noun : a small portion, amount, or allowance; also : a meager wage or remuneration Examples: The children worked for a pittance at the factory in subhuman conditions. Did you know? It's a pity when you haven't anything but a pittance. And in fact, "pity" and "pittance" share etymological roots. The Middle English word "pittance" came from Anglo-French "pitance," meaning "pity" or "piety." Originally, a "pittance" was a gift or bequest to a religious community, or a small charitable gift. Ultimately, the word comes from the Latin "pietas," meaning "piety" or "compassion." Our words "pity" and "piety" come from "pietas" 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 November 20, 2009 is: galvanize • \GAL-vuh-nyze\ • verb 1 : to stimulate with an electric current 2 : to excite or be excited as if by an electric shock 3 : to coat (iron or steel) with zinc; especially : to immerse in molten zinc to produce a coating of zinc-iron alloy Examples: “The Russians launched a satellite into space, and the sudden realization that we were falling behind galvanized Americans into action.” -- Bill Powell, Newsweek, October 9, 1989 Did you know? Luigi Galvani was an Italian physician and physicist who, in the 1770s, studied the electrical nature of nerve impulses by applying electrical stimulation to frogs’ leg muscles, causing them to contract. Although Galvani’s theory that animal tissue contained an innate electrical impulse was disproven, the Italian word "galvanismo" came to describe a current of electricity especially when produced by chemical action. English speakers borrowed the word as "galvanism" in 1797; the verb "galvanize" was introduced in 1802. Charlotte Brontë, in 1853, used the verb figuratively in her novel Villette: "Her approach always galvanized him to new and spasmodic life." These days, "galvanize" also means to cover metal with zinc or a zinc alloy to protect from rust (as in galvanized carpentry nails). 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 November 19, 2009 is: anachronism • \uh-NAK-ruh-niz-um\ • noun 1 : an error in chronology; especially : a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other 2 : a person or a thing that is chronologically out of place; especially : one from a former age that is incongruous in the present Examples: Manual typewriters and slide rules are often regarded as anachronisms in this age of computers and calculators. Did you know? An anachronism is something that is out of place in terms of time or chronology. The word derives from "chronos," the Greek word for "time," and "ana-," a Greek prefix meaning "up," "back," or "again." When it was first used in English in the 17th century, "anachronism" referred to an error in the dating of something (as, for example, in etymology, when a word or use is mistakenly assumed to have arisen earlier than it did). Anachronisms were sometimes distinguished from parachronisms, chronological errors in which dates are set later than is correct. But "parachronism" did not stand the test of time. It is now a very rare word. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 18, 2009 is: littoral • \LIT-uh-rul\ • adjective : of, relating to, or situated or growing on or near a shore especially of the sea Examples: The report shows dramatic improvement in the condition of the state's littoral waters since the cleanup effort began. Did you know? You're most likely to encounter "littoral" in contexts relating to the military and marine sciences. A "littoral combat ship" is a fast and easily maneuverable combat ship built for use in coastal waters. And in marine ecology, the "littoral zone" is a coastal zone characterized by abundant dissolved oxygen, sunlight, nutrients, and generally high wave energies and water motion. Most of us, however, are more likely to encounter the noun "littoral," which refers to a coastal region (and more technically, to the shore zone between the high tide and low tide points). Although the adjective is older -- dating from the mid 17th century -- the noun, which dates from the early 19th century, is more common. "Littoral" comes to English from Latin "litoralis," itself from "litor-" or "litus," meaning "seashore." 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 November 17, 2009 is: flyting • \FLY-ting\ • noun : a dispute or exchange of personal abuse in verse form Examples: In the first flyting in Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing, Beatrice wittily responds to Benedick's line "What, my dear Lady Disdain! are you yet living?" with "Is it possible Disdain should die while she hath such meet / food to feed it as Signior Benedick?" Did you know? Flyting in 15th- and 16th-century Scotland is analogous to a modern-day rap competition during which rappers improvise clever disses and put-downs against their opponents. Similarly, the makars (a Scottish word for "poets") engaged in verbal duels in which they voiced extravagant invectives in verse against their rivals. The base of "flyting" is the ancient verb "flyte" (also spelled "flite"), meaning "to contend" or "to quarrel." 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 November 16, 2009 is: dissertate • \DISS-er-tayt\ • verb : to speak or write at length : dissert; also : to write a dissertation Examples: Amy shared with her academic advisor her plans to dissertate on the subject of women’s roles in postcolonial India. Did you know? English speakers created the word "dissert" in the mid-17th century, but a single word for the concept was apparently not enough because "dissertate" appeared in the language less than a hundred years later. Both words descend from the Latin noun "dissertus," which shares their meaning. ("Dissert" came directly from "dissertus," whereas "dissertate" came by way of "dissertatus," past participle of "dissertare," meaning "to discuss, argue, or debate.") "Dissertus" itself traces back to the verb "disserere," formed by combining the prefix "dis-" and "serere" ("to place, arrange, or join together"). Other descendants of "serere" in English include "assert," "insert," and even "series." 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 November 15, 2009 is: ennui • \ahn-WEE\ • noun : a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction : boredom Examples: In reaction to the ennui that he was feeling after working for twelve years in an unchallenging position, Darrell began to look for a new career. Did you know? The French loanword "ennui" comes from the very same Late Latin word that gave us "annoy" -- "inodiare" ("to make loathsome"). We borrowed "ennui" several centuries after absorbing "annoy" into the language. "Ennui" deals more with boredom than irritation -- and a somewhat specific sort of boredom at that. It generally refers to the feeling of jadedness that can result from living a life of too much ease. The poet Charles Lloyd described it well in his 1823 "Stanzas to Ennui" when he referred to that world-weary sensation as a "soul-destroying fiend" which visits with its "pale unrest / The chambers of the human breast / Where too much happiness hath fixed its home." 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 November 14, 2009 is: perspicuous • \per-SPIK-yuh-wus\ • adjective : plain to the understanding especially because of clarity and precision of presentation Examples: "His language is very pure, perspicuous, and to the point." (John Kaminski, The Capital Times [Madison, Wisconsin], October 11, 2006) Did you know? "Perspicuous" is based on Latin "perspicere," meaning "to see through," so that which is perspicuous is clear and understandable. "Perspicuous" has a close cousin, "perspicacious," which is used of a person with astute insight. Both words come directly from Latin adjectives that mean the same thing they do: "perspicuous" from "perspicuus," and "perspicacious" from "perspicax." Needless to say, it's possible to confuse the two. One easy way to keep out of trouble is to think of "perspicUous" as the "U" word, and remember that it means "Understandable" -- in contrast to the "A" word, "perspicAcious," which means "Astute." 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 November 13, 2009 is: gust • \GUST\ • noun : keen delight Examples: The hungry children ate every morsel with gust. Did you know? You're no doubt familiar with the simple "gust" that means "a brief burst of wind." But that word, which first appeared in print in 1588, was preceded at least a century and a half earlier by a differently derived homograph. The windy "gust" is probably derived from an Old Norse word, whereas our featured word today (which is now considerably rarer than its look-alike) comes to us through Middle English from "gustus," the Latin word for "taste." "Gustus" gave English another word as well. "Gusto" (which now usually means "zest," but can also mean "an individual or specific taste") comes to us from "gustus" by way of Italian. 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 November 12, 2009 is: douceur • \doo-SER\ • noun : a conciliatory gift Examples: While waiting for Mark’s decision on the company’s contract offer, the CEO sent him two tickets to a Broadway show as a douceur. Did you know? In French, "douceur" means "pleasantness," and it is often used in phrases such as "douceur de vivre" ("the pleasure of life"). The word derives from the Latin adjective "dulcis," meaning "sweet." A douceur is a gift or payment -- sometimes, but not necessarily, considered a bribe -- provided by someone to enhance or "sweeten" a deal. In the United Kingdom, "douceur" specifically refers to a tax benefit given to someone who sells a historical artifact to a public collection. Other sweet treats that "dulcis" has given to our language include "dulcet" (having a "sweet" sound that is pleasing to the ear) and "dulcimer" (a kind of stringed instrument that provides "sweet" music). 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 November 11, 2009 is: exhilarate • \ig-ZIL-uh-rayt\ • verb 1 a : to make cheerful and excited b : enliven, excite 2 : refresh, stimulate Examples: “Whooshing down a snow-covered mountain at high speed exhilarates me,” said Tara, explaining her love of skiing. Did you know? Many people find "exhilarate" a difficult word to spell. It's easy to forget that silent "h" in there, and is it an "er" or "ar" after the "l"? It may be easier to remember the spelling if you know that "exhilarate" is ultimately derived from the Latin adjective "hilarus," meaning "cheerful." (This also explains why the earliest meaning of "exhilarate" is "to make cheerful.") "Exhilarate" comes from "exhilaratus," the past participle of "exhilarare," which is formed by combining "ex-" and "hilarare," a verb that derives from "hilarus" and means "to cheer or gladden." If "hilarus" looks familiar, that may be because it's also the source of "hilarious" and "hilarity" (as well as "hilariously" and "hilariousness," of course). 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 November 10, 2009 is: rectify • \REK-tuh-fye\ • verb 1 : to set right : remedy 2 : to purify (as alcohol) especially by repeated or fractional distillation 3 : to correct by removing errors : adjust Examples: The night before the Web site was to go live, the programmers worked frantically to rectify several unresolved security problems. Did you know? Which of the following words does not share its ancestry with "rectify"? 1) direct 2) regimen 3) obstruct 4) correct 5) resurrection Like "rectify," four of these words ultimately come from Latin "regere," which can mean "to lead straight," "to direct," or "to rule." "Correct" and "direct" come from "regere" via Latin "corrigere" and "dirigere," respectively. "Resurrection" comes from Latin "resurgere," whose stem "surgere," meaning "to rise," is a combination of "sub-" and "regere." "Regimen" is from Latin "regimen" ("position of authority," "direction," "set of rules"), itself from "regere." And "rectify" is from "regere" by way of Latin "rectus" ("right"). "Obstruct" is the only one of the set above that has no relation to "rectify." It traces back to Latin "struere," meaning "to build" or "to heap 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 November 9, 2009 is: docile • \DAH-sul\ • adjective 1 : easily taught 2 : easily led or managed Examples: "Quite docile and harmless was Billy, and it was pitiful to see how hard he tried to learn, as if groping dimly after the lost knowledge which had cost him so much." (Louisa May Alcott, Little Men) Did you know? Docile students can make teaching a lot easier. Nowadays, calling students "docile" indicates they aren't trouble-makers. But there's more than just good behavior connecting docility to teachability. The original meaning of "docile" is more to the point: "readily absorbing something taught." "The docile mind may soon thy precepts know," rendered Ben Jonson, for example, in a 17th-century translation of the Roman poet Horace. "Docile" comes from Latin "docēre," which means "to teach." Other descendants of "docēre" include "doctrine" (which can mean "something that is taught"), "document" (the earliest meaning of which was "instruction"), and "doctor" and "docent" (both of which can refer to college teachers). 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 November 8, 2009 is: sacerdotal • \sass-er-DOH-tul\ • adjective 1 : of or relating to priests or a priesthood : priestly 2 : of, relating to, or suggesting religious belief emphasizing the powers of priests as essential mediators between God and mankind Examples: It surprised Jim whenever Father Thomas would shed his sacerdotal role to take up a secular topic of conversation such as contemporary rock music. Did you know? "Sacerdotal" is one of a host of English words derived from the Latin adjective "sacer," meaning "sacred." Other words derived from "sacer" include "desecrate," "sacrifice," "sacrilege," "consecrate," "sacrament," and even "execrable" (developed from the Latin word "exsecrari," meaning "to put under a curse"). One unlikely "sacer" descendant is "sacrum," referring to the series of five vertebrae in the lower back connected to the pelvis. In Latin this bone was called the "os sacrum," or "holy bone," a translation of the Greek "hieron osteon." 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 November 7, 2009 is: bastion • \BAS-chun\ • noun 1 : a projecting part of a fortification 2 : a fortified area or position 3 a : a place of security or survival b : a place dominated by a particular group or marked by a particular characteristic Examples: The university's economics department was considered the last bastion of political conservatism within an otherwise liberal campus. Did you know? "Bastion" is constructed of etymological building blocks that are very similar to those of "bastille" (a word now used as a general term for a prison, but probably best known as the name of the Parisian fortress-turned-prison stormed by an angry mob at the start of the French Revolution). The history of "bastion" can be traced through Middle French to the Old Italian verb "bastire," which means "to build." "Bastille" descends from the Old Occitan verb "bastir," which also means "to build." "Bastir" and "bastire" are themselves of Germanic origin and akin to the Old High German word "besten," meaning "to patch." 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 November 6, 2009 is: nudnik • \NOOD-nik (the "OO" is as in "good")\ • noun : a person who is a bore or nuisance Examples: James worried that he would never finish his work if the office nudnik didn't quit hanging around his cubicle. Did you know? The suffix "-nik" came to English through Yiddish (and ultimately from Polish and Ukrainian). It means "one connected with or characterized by being." You might be familiar with "beatnik," "computernik," or "neatnik," but what about "no-goodnik" or "allrightnik"? The suffix "-nik" is frequently used in English to create nonce words that are often jocular or slightly derogatory. Some theorize that the popularity of the suffix was enhanced by Russian "Sputnik," as well as Al Capp's frequent use of "-nik" words in his "L'il Abner" cartoons. The "nud-" of the Yiddish borrowing "nudnik" ultimately comes from the Polish word "nuda," meaning "boredom." 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 November 5, 2009 is: maugre • \MAW-gur\ • preposition : in spite of Examples: "I love thee so that, maugre all thy pride, / Nor wit nor reason can my passion hide." (Shakespeare, Twelfth Night, Act III, Scene i) Did you know? "Maugre" is now quite rare, but having served the English language for more than 700 years, it's due whatever rest it's currently enjoying. Although it may not be a word worth incorporating into your expressive vocabulary, being familiar with it will be helpful in reading the works of such authors as Shakespeare, Scott, Milton, and, as in this quote from his Essays, First Series, Emerson: "By virtue of this inevitable nature, private will is overpowered, and, maugre our efforts or our imperfections, your genius will speak from you, and mine from me." The word is Anglo-French in origin, coming from "mal" or "mau," meaning "evil," and "gré," meaning "grace, favor." 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 November 4, 2009 is: invective • \in-VEK-tiv\ • noun 1 : an abusive expression or speech 2 : insulting or abusive language : vituperation Examples: The sonnet is an invective against the poet's wife and the man who cuckolded him. Did you know? "Invective" began life in the 15th century as an adjective meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by insult or abuse." In 1523, it appeared in print as a noun meaning "an example of abusive speech." Eventually, the noun developed a second sense applying to abusive language as a whole. "Invective" comes to us from the Middle French word "invectif," which in turn derives from Latin "invectivus," meaning "reproachful, abusive." ("Invectivus" comes from Latin "invectus," past participle of the verb "invehere," one form of which means "to assail with words.") "Invective" is similar to "abuse," but it tends to suggest not only anger and vehemence, but also verbal and rhetorical skill. It sometimes implies public denunciation, as in "blistering political invective." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.