Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 6, 2009 is: higgledy-piggledy • \hig-ul-dee-PIG-ul-dee\ • adverb : in a confused, disordered, or random manner Examples: Maya and Sandra looked in disbelief at the hundreds of photos of their father and mother scattered higgledy-piggledy across the floor, wondering how they were ever going to find the ideal ones for a photo collage. Did you know? We really have no idea where "higgledy-piggledy" came from, but we do know it's a perfect example of English speakers' fondness for reduplication; that is, for forming new words by repetition of a base word with just a slight change of sound. In this case, the "base" word might actually be the second term, which is loosely reminiscent of "pig" and calls to mind the possible association of pigs with disorderliness. (Nathaniel Hawthorne, at least, noted a connection: "pigs, on a march, do not subject themselves to any leader among themselves, but pass on, higgledy-piggledy, without regard to age or sex.") We also know that the word has been around since before 1600; it appeared as a translation of an Italian word in a 1598 Italian-English dictionary. According to that dictionary, the Italian term could also be translated as "pell-mell" or "helter-skelter" -- two other examples of reduplication. 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 June 5, 2009 is: kibitzer • \KIB-it-ser\ • noun : one who looks on and often offers unwanted advice or comment; broadly : one who offers opinions Examples: Sybil warned Jack not to take any advice from Carl, a notorious kibitzer whose suggestions often did more harm than good. Did you know? The Yiddish language has given English some particularly piquant terms over the years, and "kibitzer" (or "kibbitzer") is one such term. "Kibitzer," spelled "kibitser" in Yiddish, came to that language from the German word "kiebitzen," meaning "to look on (at cards)." "Kiebitzen" may or may not be derived from a German word for "lapwing," a type of bird noted for its shrill and raucous cry. (We can speculate that the bird’s cry reminded people of the shrill commentary of onlookers at card games.) The word became more popular and widespread after the 1929 play The Kibitzer came out. Although "kibitzer" usually implies the imparting of unwanted advice, there is a respectable body of evidence for a kibitzer as a person simply making comments. 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 June 4, 2009 is: deterge • \dih-TURJ\ • verb : to wash off : to cleanse Examples: In order to prevent infection, it is necessary to properly deterge and disinfect the wound. Did you know? "Deterge" is not a particularly common word in the English language. However, it is related to a word with which most of us are likely familiar: "detergent." Like "detergent," "deterge" comes (possibly by way of French "déterger") from the Latin verb "detergēre," itself from "de-" and "tergēre" ("to wipe"). "Deterge" entered the English language in the early 1600s and has primarily been used in medical contexts, such as Ambrose Cooper's 1757 recipe for Vulnerary Water: "This Water is of excellent Service in Contusions, Tumors attending Dislocation, Fractures and Mortifications, the Part affected being bathed with it. Some also use it to deterge foul Ulcers, and incarn Wounds…." 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 June 3, 2009 is: pompadour • \PAHM-puh-dor\ • noun 1 a : a man's style of hairdressing in which the hair is combed into a high mound in front b : a woman's style of hairdressing in which the hair is brushed into a loose full roll around the face 2 : hair dressed in a pompadour Examples: The actress Katharine Hepburn is nearly as well known for her pompadour as she is for her portrayals of independent, feisty women. Did you know? The Marquise de Pompadour, mistress of the French King Louis XV, exerted much influence over French tastes in the mid-18th century. The Marquise continues to exert linguistic influence on English, and not only through the hairdos styled after her. "Pompadour" is also used (though now rarely) for a pink or crimson fabric and for a textile design of small printed or woven floral effects. It's also the name of a small South American bird that is bright reddish-purple with white wings. 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 June 2, 2009 is: melee • \MAY-lay\ • noun : a confused struggle; especially : a hand-to-hand fight among several people Examples: The shoppers' voices grew tense as they argued over the last Cool Sally doll, and for a moment I feared that a melee might erupt. Did you know? "Fray," "donnybrook," "brawl," "fracas": there are many English words for confused and noisy fights, and in the 17th century "melee" was thrown into the mix. It comes from the French "melee," which in turn comes from the Old French "meslee," meaning "mixture." "Meslee" comes from the Old French verb "mesler," or "medler," which means "to mix." This verb is also the source of "medley" ("a mixture or hodgepodge") and "meddle" ("to mix oneself in others' affairs" or "to interfere"). 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 June 1, 2009 is: tenebrous • \TEN-uh-brus\ • adjective 1 : shut off from the light : dark, murky 2 : hard to understand : obscure 3 : causing gloom Examples: "A zigzag line of windows … cuts up from the base of the building, bringing light into its once-tenebrous interior." (Philip Kennicott, The Washington Post, September 28, 2008) Did you know? "Tenebrous" means "obscure" or "murky," but there's nothing unclear about its history. Etymologists know that the word derives from the Latin noun "tenebrae," which means "darkness." "Tenebrous" has been used in English since the 15th century, and in the 20th century it was joined by some interesting relations. "Tenebrionid" is the name of a nocturnal beetle that is usually dark-colored and is also called a "darkling beetle." "Tenebrism" refers to a style of painting -- associated with the Italian painter Caravaggio -- in which most of the figures are engulfed in shadow but some are dramatically illuminated by concentrated light. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 31, 2009 is: spurious • \SPYUR-ee-us\ • adjective 1 : of illegitimate birth 2 : not genuine : false Examples: Reid’s claim that his grandfather was friends with Mickey Mantle sounded spurious to me, and I didn't believe it until he showed me a photo of his grandfather alongside the legendary slugger. Did you know? The classical Latin adjective "spurius" started out as a word meaning "illegitimate." In the days of ancient Rome, it was sometimes even used as a first name for illegitimate offspring (apparently with no dire effects). There was a certain Spurius Lucretius, for example, who was made temporary magistrate of Rome. In less tolerant times, 18th-century English writer Horace Walpole noted that Henry VII "came of the spurious stock of John of Gaunt." Today, we still use "spurious" to mean "illegitimate," but the more common meaning is "false" (a sense introduced to "spurious" in Late Latin). Originally our "false" sense emphasized improper origin, and it still often does ("a spurious signature"), but it can also simply mean "fake" or "not real." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 30, 2009 is: subvention • \sub-VEN-shun\ • noun a : the provision of assistance or financial support: as b : endowment c : a subsidy from a government or foundation Examples: The earliest documented subvention for the museum was a grant from the federal government in 1853. Did you know? A subvention is a form of assistance, so it should come as no surprise to learn that the term "subvention" can be traced back to the Late Latin noun "subventio," meaning "assistance." "Subventio" in turn derives from Latin "subvenire," meaning "to come up" or "to come to the rescue." (Another descendant of "subvenire" in English is the more common word "souvenir.") "Subvention" also functions as a verb meaning "to provide with a subvention." The verb "subvention" is a very uncommon word, and it has an equally uncommon synonym, "subvent." The latter was likely coined by speakers unaware that the verb "subvention" already existed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 29, 2009 is: malinger • \muh-LING-gur\ • verb : to pretend or exaggerate incapacity or illness (as to avoid duty or work) Examples: The beautiful spring weather put Lynn in a mood to malinger, so she called in sick to work and headed to the park. Did you know? Do you know someone who always seems to develop an ailment when there's work to be done? Someone who merits an Academy Award for his or her superb simulation of symptoms? Then you know a malingerer. The verb "malinger" comes from the French word "malingre," meaning "sickly," and one who malingers feigns illness. In its earliest uses in the 19th century, "malinger" usually referred to a soldier or sailor pretending to be sick or insane to shirk duty. Later, psychologists began using "malingering" as a clinical term to describe the feigning of illness in avoidance of a duty or for personal gain. Today, "malinger" is used in just about any context in which someone fakes sickness or injury to get out of an undesirable task. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 28, 2009 is: eclogue • \ECK-log\ • noun : a poem in which shepherds converse Examples: "Be it in the appropriation of the goatherd or shepherd in the pastoral eclogue, or the neatly controlled terraces of the Georgics, the pastoral has always been an idyllicised representation of the rural world...." (John Kinsella, The Literary Review, January 2005) Did you know? Although the eclogue first appeared in the Idylls of the Greek poet Theocritus, it was the 10 Eclogues (or Bucolics) of the Roman poet Virgil that gave us the word "eclogue." (The Latin title "Eclogae" literally meant "selections.") The eclogue was popular in the Renaissance and through the 17th century, when less formal eclogues were written. As our example sentence suggests, the eclogue traditionally depicted rural life as free from the complexity and corruption of more citified realms. The poets of the Romantic period rebelled against the artificiality of the older pastoral, and the eclogue fell out of favor. In more modern times, though, the term "eclogue" has been applied to pastoral poems involving the conversations of people other than shepherds, often with heavy doses of irony. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 27, 2009 is: jocund • \JAH-kund\ • adjective : marked by or suggestive of high spirits and lively mirthfulness Examples: I had heard that Perry had been in a sour mood lately, so I was surprised and relieved to discover that he was his usual jocund self when he met me for coffee. Did you know? Don't let the etymology of "jocund" play tricks on you. The word comes from "jucundus," a Latin word meaning "agreeable" or "delightful," and ultimately from the Latin verb "juvare," meaning "to help." But "jucundus" looks and sounds a bit like "jocus," the Latin word for "joke." These two roots took a lively romp through many centuries together and along the way the lighthearted "jocus" influenced the spelling and meaning of "jucundus," an interaction that eventually produced our Modern English word "jocund" in the 14th 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 May 26, 2009 is: Philadelphia lawyer • \fill-uh-DELL-fee-uh-LAW-yer\ • noun : a lawyer knowledgeable in the most minute aspects of the law Examples: When they realized that their broker had cozened them to gain fatter commissions, Brad and Julia quickly hired a team of Philadelphia lawyers to comb through their financial contracts and file a lawsuit. Did you know? The reputation of the Philadelphia lawyer dates back to the colonial period, when our legal system was in its infancy and lawyers had to be especially astute. Many noted attorneys seem to have hailed from early Philadelphia, and probably no single lawyer is the source of the term, but several have been suggested. Although not strictly a lawyer, Benjamin Franklin is sometimes claimed to have inspired the expression through his cunning in diplomatic negotiations with the British and French. Another possible source is the Scottish-American Philadelphia attorney Andrew Hamilton, who famously got newspaper publisher John Peter Zenger acquitted of libel charges in 1735, paving the way for the principle of freedom of the press in the process. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 25, 2009 is: obnubilate • \ahb-NOO-buh-layt\ • verb : becloud, obscure Examples: The essays include a significant amount of digression and extra commentary, all of which tends to obnubilate the author's main point. Did you know? The meaning of "obnubilate" becomes clearer when you know that its ancestors are the Latin terms "ob-" (meaning "in the way") and "nubes" ("cloud"). It's a high-flown sounding word, which may be why it often turns up in texts by and about politicians. In fact, when the U.S. Constitution was up for ratification, 18th-century Pennsylvania statesman James Wilson used it to calm fears that the president would have too much power: "Our first executive magistrate is not obnubilated behind the mysterious obscurity of counsellors. . . . He is the dignified, but accountable magistrate of a free and great people." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 24, 2009 is: destitute • \DESS-tuh-toot\ • adjective 1 : lacking something needed or desirable 2 : lacking possessions and resources; especially : suffering extreme poverty Examples: "He gave thanks for our food and comfort, and prayed for the poor and destitute in great cities, where the struggle for life was harder than it was here with us." (Willa Cather, My Antonia) Did you know? You may be surprised to learn that "destitute" is related to words like "statue," "statute," and even "statistics." The Latin word "status," meaning "position" or "state," is the source of these and other English words. Some terms of this family are directly related to "status," while others come to English through "statuere," a Latin derivative of "status" that means "to set up." "Destitute" came from "destituere" ("to abandon" or "to deprive"), a joining of "statuere" and the prefix "de-" ("from, down, away"). "Statuere" also gave us "constitute," "institute," and "restitution," among other similar-sounding words. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 23, 2009 is: manumit • \man-yuh-MIT\ • verb : to release from slavery Examples: After they were manumitted by the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment in 1865, millions of former slaves celebrated their newfound freedom. Did you know? To set someone free from captivity is in effect to release that person from the hand, or control, of the captor. You can use this analogy to remember that "manumit" derives ultimately from the Latin noun "manus," meaning "hand," plus the Latin verb "mittere," meaning "to let go" or "send." The two roots joined hands in Latin to form the verb "manumittere" (meaning "to free from slavery"), which in turn passed into Anglo-French as "manumettre" and eventually into Middle English as "manumitten." "Manus" has handed down other words to English as well. One of them is "emancipate," which is both a relative and synonym of "manumit." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 22, 2009 is: carrefour • \kair-uh-FOOR\ • noun 1 : crossroads 2 : square, plaza Examples: “The farmers as a rule preferred the open carrefour for their transactions, despite its inconvenient jostlings and the danger from crossing vehicles….” (Thomas Hardy, The Mayor of Casterbridge) Did you know? An interesting thing about "carrefour" is that even though the second half of the word contains the number "four," it is actually the first half of the word that derives from the Latin word for "four." "Carrefour" derives via Middle French from Late Latin "quadrifurcus," an adjective meaning "having four forks," formed by combining Latin "quadri-" ("four") and "furca" ("fork"). "Carrefour" has been a part of the English language since the 15th century. It once referred to an intersection of four roads at a single point, but later came to refer to any public square or plaza. "Carfax," a similar word that also derives from "quadrifurcus," can be found in some British place names, such as the primary intersection in the city of Oxford, England. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 21, 2009 is: plenary • \PLEE-nuh-ree\ • adjective 1 : complete in every respect : absolute, unqualified 2 : fully attended or constituted by all entitled to be present Examples: The U.S. Congress has plenary power to pass laws regulating immigration and naturalization. Did you know? In the 14th century, the monk Robert of Brunne described a situation in which all the knights of King Arthur's Round Table were present at court by writing, "When Arthures court was plener, and alle were comen, fer and ner. . . ." For 200 years, "plener" (also spelled "plenar") served English well for both senses that we reserve for "plenary" today. But we'd borrowed "plener" from Anglo-French, and, although the French had relied on Latin "plenus" ("full") for their word, the revival of interest in the Classics during the English Renaissance led scholars to prefer purer Latin origins. In the 15th century, English speakers turned to Late Latin "plenarius" and came up with "plenary." ("Plenarius" also comes from "plenus," which is the source of our "plenty" and "replenish" 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 May 20, 2009 is: deasil • \DEE-zil\ • adv : clockwise Examples: One pictograph shows a group of warriors dancing deasil around what appears to be a gigantic wild boar speared numerous times. Did you know? According to an old custom, you can bring someone good fortune by walking around the person clockwise three times while carrying a torch or candle. In Scottish Gaelic, the word "deiseil" is used for the direction one walks in such a luck-bringing ritual. English speakers modified the spelling to "deasil," and have used the word to describe clockwise motion in a variety of rituals. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 19, 2009 is: posture • \PAHSS-cher\ • verb 1 : to strike a pose for effect 2 : to assume an artificial or pretended attitude : attitudinize Examples: Posturing as pro-worker, he won the support of the trade unions, only to cave in to big business almost the minute he got elected. Did you know? Can you guess which of the following come from the same Latin ancestor as "posture"? A. positive B. impose C. posit D. expose E. oppose F. component G. dispose H. position I. postpone We won't put off the answer to our quiz : they all do. The Latin verb "ponere," meaning "to put" or "to place," is the ancestor of numerous English terms, including "posture" and our nine quiz words. The past participle of "ponere" -- "positus" -- gave Latin the noun "positura" (same meaning as the English noun "posture"). That noun passed through Italian and Middle French and was finally adopted by English speakers as "posture" around 1586. The verb "posture" followed later from the noun, finding its place in English around 1645. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 18, 2009 is: cupidity • \kyoo-PID-uh-tee\ • noun 1 : inordinate desire for wealth : avarice, greed 2 : strong desire : lust Examples: "This time, developing-world economies far from the pinstriped epicentres of mass cupidity are suffering massive collateral damage as the global downturn cuts heavily into demand for their agricultural and resource commodities." (David Olive, The Toronto Star, March 29, 2009) Did you know? From its verb "cupere" ("to desire") Latin derived three nouns which have passed with minimal modification into English. "Cupiditas" meant "yearning" and "desire"; English borrowed this as "cupidity," which originally in the 15th century was synonymous with "lust." (The "greed" meaning of "cupidity" developed very soon after this other now-archaic meaning.) Latin "cupido" started out as a near synonym of "cupiditas," but it came to stand for the personification of specifically carnal desire, the counterpart of Greek "eros"; this is the source of our familiar (and rather domesticated) Cupid. A strengthened form of "cupere" -- "concupiscere," meaning "to desire ardently" -- yielded the noun "concupiscentia" in the Late Latin of the Christian church. "Concupiscentia" came specially to denote sexual desire, a meaning reflected in the English version "concupiscence," meaning "sexual 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 May 17, 2009 is: domiciliary • \dah-muh-SILL-ee-air-ee\ • adjective a : of, relating to, or constituting a domicile: as b : provided or taking place in the home c : providing care and living space (as for disabled veterans) Examples: Citing the need to provide more assistance to the state's homeless veterans, the veterans home has asked the legislature to increase funding for the home's domiciliary unit. Did you know? "Domiciliary" can be traced back through French "domiciliaire" and Medieval Latin "domiciliarius" to the earlier Latin word "domicilium" ("domicile"). "Domicilium" comes from the Latin "domus" ("home"), which is at the heart of a number of other English words, including "domestic" and "domicile." It is even the source of the English word "dome." In Medieval Latin, "domus" came to mean "church," and was borrowed by French for the word "dôme" ("dome" or "cathedral") and by Italian for "duomo" ("cathedral"). In the 1500s, English drew on these words for "dome," a word which originally referred not to a vaulted roof or ceiling but to a mansion or a stately building. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 16, 2009 is: repudiate • \rih-PYOO-dee-ayt\ • verb 1 : to refuse to have anything to do with : disown 2 : to refuse to acknowledge, accept, or pay Examples: The nation's president has unequivocally repudiated the arms treaty, and it is very probable that he has green-lighted the manufacturing of strategic nuclear weapons. Did you know? In Latin, the noun "repudium" refers to the rejection of a spouse or prospective spouse, and the related verb "repudiare" means "to divorce" or "to reject." In the 16th century, English writers used the derivative "repudiate" to mean "to divorce," when in reference to a wife, or "to disown," when in reference to a member of one's family, or just generally "to reject or cast off." By the 19th century the word had also come to be used for the rejection of things that one does not accept as true or just, ranging from opinions and accusations to contracts and debts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 15, 2009 is: scrupulous • \SKROO-pyuh-lus\ • adjective 1 : having moral integrity : acting in strict regard for what is considered right or proper 2 : punctiliously exact : painstaking Examples: In The House of Seven Gables, Nathaniel Hawthorne writes that it would be unseemly for Judge Pyncheon, a man "generally so scrupulous in his attire," to wear a stained shirt to dinner. Did you know? "Scrupulous" and its close relative "scruple" ("an ethical consideration") come from the Latin noun "scrupulus," the diminutive of "scrupus." "Scrupus" refers to a sharp stone, so "scrupulus" means "small sharp stone." "Scrupus" retained its literal meaning but eventually also came to be used with the metaphorical meaning "a source of anxiety or uneasiness," the way a sharp pebble in one's shoe would be a source of pain. When the adjective "scrupulous" entered the language in the 15th century, it meant "principled." Now it also commonly means "painstaking" or "careful." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 14, 2009 is: bludge • \BLUJ\ • verb, chiefly Australia & New Zealand 1 : to avoid work or responsibility 2 : to get something from or live on another by imposing on hospitality or good nature : sponge Examples: "If I want to go to Rotto, I’ll catch the ferry or bludge a ride on the new boat of one of my commodity-boomed nouveau riche friends." (Phil Haberland, The [Perth, Australia] Guardian Express, March 6, 2007) Did you know? Though they can be annoying, people who bludge -- bludgers -- are relatively harmless. On the other hand, a bully armed with a bludgeon -- a "bludgeoner" -- can cause serious harm. In the 19th century, "bludgeoner" was shortened to "bludger" and used as a slang word for "pimp." That "bludger" was certainly a kind of bully, one apparently willing to wield a bludgeon now and then to insure his livelihood. In the early 20th century, "bludge" became the verb for what a bludger does. By then, a somewhat softened "bludger" had appeared in Australia and New Zealand: the pimping and the bullying were eliminated, and the parasitical tendencies reduced to mere cadging or sponging. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 13, 2009 is: calamari • \kah-luh-MAHR-ee\ • noun : squid used as food Examples: Ophelia tried fried calamari for the first time from a small seafood shack near the beach. Did you know? The word "calamari" was borrowed into English from 17th-century Italian, where it functioned as the plural of "calamaro" or "calamaio." The Italian word, in turn, comes from the Medieval Latin noun "calamarium," meaning "ink pot" or "pen case," and can be ultimately traced back to Latin "calamus," meaning "reed pen." The transition from pens and ink to squid is not surprising, given the inky substance that a squid ejects and the long tapered shape of the squid's body. English speakers have also adopted "calamus" itself as a word referring to both a reed pen and to a number of plants. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 12, 2009 is: ulterior • \ul-TEER-ee-er\ • adjective 1 a : further, future b : more distant : remoter c : situated on the farther side : thither 2 : going beyond what is openly said or shown and especially what is proper Examples: "The poet, by an ulterior intellectual perception, gives [symbols] a power which makes their old use forgotten, and puts eyes, and a tongue, into every dumb and inanimate object." (Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: Second Series) Did you know? Although now usually hitched to the front of the noun "motive" to refer to a hidden need or desire that inspires action, "ulterior" began its career as an adjective in the mid-17th century describing something occurring at a subsequent time. By the early 18th century it was being used to mean both "more distant" (literally and figuratively) and "situated on the farther side." The "hidden" sense with which we're most familiar today followed quickly after those, with the word modifying nouns like "purpose," "design," and "consequence." "Ulterior" comes directly from the Latin word for "farther" or "further," itself assumed to be the comparative form of "ulter," meaning "situated beyond." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 11, 2009 is: whinge • \WINJ\ • verb : to complain fretfully : whine Examples: She urged her fellow workers to stop whinging about how they were victims of "the system" and to do something to change that system. Did you know? "Whinge" isn't just a spelling variant of "whine." "Whinge" and "whine" are actually entirely different words with separate histories. "Whine" traces to an Old English verb, "hwinan," which means "to make a humming or whirring sound." When "hwinan" became "whinen" in Middle English, it meant "to wail distressfully"; "whine" didn't acquire its "complain" sense until the 16th century. "Whinge," on the other hand, comes from a different Old English verb, "hwinsian," which means "to wail or moan discontentedly." "Whinge" retains that original sense today, though nowadays it puts less emphasis on the sound of the complaining and more on the discontentment behind the complaint. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 10, 2009 is: fidelity • \fuh-DELL-uh-tee\ • noun 1 : the quality or state of being faithful 2 : accuracy Examples: Jake's fidelity to his employer was severely tested when he received a tempting offer from another company. Did you know? You can have faith in "fidelity," which has existed in English since the 15th century; its etymological path winds back through Middle English and Middle French, eventually arriving at the Latin verb "fidere," meaning "to trust." "Fidere" is also an ancestor of other English words associated with trust or faith, such as "fiduciary" (which means "of, relating to, or involving a confidence or trust" and is often used in the context of a monetary trust) and "confide" (meaning "to trust" or "to show trust by imparting secrets"). Nowadays "fidelity" is often used in reference to recording and broadcast devices, conveying the idea that a broadcast or recording is "faithful" to the live sound or picture that it reproduces. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 9, 2009 is: otiose • \OH-shee-ohss\ • adjective 1 : producing no useful result : futile 2 : being at leisure : idle 3 : lacking use or effect : functionless Examples: "Half the streets are cobbled and half wide, empty, modern highways at whose pretentious crossings an occasional rickshaw waits for the otiose traffic lights to change to green." (Ian Fleming, Thrilling Cities) Did you know? "Otiose" was first used in English in the late-18th century to describe things producing no useful result. By mid-19th century, it was being used in keeping with its Latin source "otiosus," meaning "at leisure." There is also the noun form "otiosity," which predates "otiose" by approximately three centuries. That noun is rarely found in writing today, but it makes an appearance on the occasional spelling bee word list. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 8, 2009 is: aggrandize • \uh-GRAN-dyze\ • verb 1 : to increase or enlarge 2 : to praise highly 3 : to enhance the power, wealth, position, or reputation of Examples: The organization’s spokesperson seemed to be more interested in aggrandizing herself than in raising money for charity. Did you know? "Aggrandize" has enhanced the English vocabulary since the early 17th century. English speakers adapted "agrandiss-," the stem of the French verb "agrandir," to form "aggrandize," and later used the French form "agrandissement" as the basis of the noun "aggrandizement." (The root of "agrandiss-" is Latin; it comes from "grandis," meaning "great.") Nowadays, both noun and verb are regularly paired (somewhat disparagingly) with the prefix "self-" to refer to individuals bent on glorifying themselves, as in the following sentence by Barbara Buchholz which appeared in the Chicago Tribune in 1995: "Celebrity authors eager to reveal all, self-aggrandize and wear their royalties in expensive attire. . . ." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 7, 2009 is: oneiric • \oh-NYE-rik\ • adjective : of or relating to dreams : dreamy Examples: "Héberlé gives the film a wonderfully dreamlike patina, combining bright pastels and hard primary colors that mesh quite nicely with the directors' vaguely oneiric staging." (George Robinson, The New York Jewish Week, March 21, 2008) Did you know? The notion of using the Greek noun "oneiros" (meaning "dream") to form the English adjective "oneiric" wasn't dreamed up until the mid-19th century. But back in the early 1600s, linguistic dreamers came up with a few "oneiros" spin-offs, giving English "oneirocriticism," "oneirocritical," and "oneirocritic" (each referring to dream interpreters or interpretation). The surge in "oneiros" derivatives at that time may have been fueled by the interest then among English-speaking scholars in Oneirocritica, a book about dream interpretation by 2nd-century Greek soothsayer Artemidorus Daldianus. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 6, 2009 is: embonpoint • \ahng-bohng-PWANG (the "ng" is never pronounced, but the vowels a\ • noun : plumpness of person : stoutness Examples: The judge was a man of stately embonpoint who walked with a heavy step as he entered the courtroom. Did you know? "Embonpoint" is most often used to describe people of heavy, but not unattractive, girth. It derives from "en bon point," a phrase from Middle French that means "in good condition." The word was first used as a noun in English in the 17th century. It has subsequently appeared in works by Charlotte Brontë ("a form decidedly inclined to embonpoint" -- Shirley), James Fenimore Cooper ("an embonpoint that was just sufficient to distinguish her from most of her companions" -- Home as Found), and George Eliot ("as erect in her comely embonpoint as a statue of Ceres" -- Adam Bede), 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 May 5, 2009 is: brandish • \BRAN-dish\ • verb 1 : to shake or wave (as a weapon) menacingly 2 : to exhibit in an ostentatious or aggressive manner Examples: Protestors showed up on the steps of City Hall, brandishing a petition signed by 500 people demanding that the city not close the public skate park. Did you know? Most of the time when we encounter the word “brandish” in print, it is followed by a word for a weapon, such as "knife" or "handgun." That’s appropriate given the word’s etymology: it derives via Middle English “braundisshen” from “brant, braund,” the Anglo-French word for “sword.” Nowadays you can brandish things other than weapons, however. The figurative usage of “brandish” rose alongside its earliest literal usage in the 14th century. When you brandish something that isn’t a weapon (such as a sign), you are in effect waving it in someone’s face so that it cannot be overlooked. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 4, 2009 is: bombast • \BAHM-bast\ • noun : pretentious inflated speech or writing Examples: Laura complained that the editorial columns in her local newspaper were full of bombast and offered little in the way of intelligent opinion. Did you know? The original meaning of "bombast" (now obsolete) is "cotton or any soft fibrous material used as padding or stuffing." It is derived through Middle French "bombace," from Medieval Latin "bombax," which means "cotton." "Bombax" in turn comes from "bombyx," a Latin and ultimately Greek word that means "silkworm" or "silk." Etymologists aren't certain why the shift from silk to cotton occurred, though one source attributes it to an error going back to the Roman scholar Pliny, who had reported that cotton was produced by an insect analogous to the silkworm. "Bombast" has been retained in modern English because it took on a figurative sense used in reference to speech or writing. Thus the basic sense of "stuffing or padding" has survived, but now the stuffing consists of words rather than cotton. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 3, 2009 is: hoary • \HOR-ee\ • adjective 1 : gray or white with or as if with age 2 : extremely old : ancient Examples: "In those days a multitude of delicate flowers and sprays of wild herbage had found a friendly soil in the hoary crevices...." (Henry James, Roderick Hudson) Did you know? "How to save the old that's worth saving ... is one of our greatest problems." British novelist John Galsworthy knew the value of preserving the past -- and he would likely have counted "hoary" among those old things worth saving. The word is old indeed; it traces to an Old English adjective that appeared in Beowulf. That "hoary" ancestor evolved into "hoar," a synonym of "ancient" that has been part of our language since before the 12th century. "Hoary" developed from "hoar" more than 475 years ago, and since then it has been used for anything that is old or that has the whitened look of age (from the hoary bat to the hoary willow). Venerable "hoar" also remains as a synonym of "hoary" and as a component of compounds such as "hoarfrost." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 2, 2009 is: gadzookery • \gad-ZOO-kuh-ree\ • noun : the use of archaisms (as in a historical novel) Examples: Bridget’s novel, set in colonial Virginia, features an engaging and cohesive plot, but the dialogue contains so much gadzookery that it doesn’t sound realistic. Did you know? "Gadzooks . . . you astonish me!" cries Mr. Lenville in Charles Dickens' Nicholas Nickleby. We won't accuse Dickens of gadzookery ("the bane of historical fiction," as historical novelist John Vernon called it in Newsday), because we assume people actually said "gadzooks" back in the 1830s. That mild oath is an old-fashioned euphemism, so it is thought, for "God's hooks" (a reference, supposedly, to the nails of the Crucifixion). Today's historical novelists must toe a fine line, avoiding expressions like "zounds" and "pshaw" and "tush" ("tushery" is a synonym of the newer "gadzookery," which first cropped up in the 1950s), as well as "gadzooks," while at the same time rejecting modern expressions such as "okay" and "nice." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 1, 2009 is: sandbag • \SAND-bag\ • verb 1 : to bank, stop up, or weight with sandbags 2 a : to hit or stun with or as if with a sandbag b : to treat unfairly or harshly 3 : to conceal or misrepresent one's true position, potential, or intent especially in order to take advantage of Examples: Shortly after agreeing to place a wager on the match, I realized I had been sandbagged and was clearly outmatched by my opponent. Did you know? In the 19th century, the verb "sandbag" began to be used to describe the act of bludgeoning someone with a small, sand-filled bag -- a tactic employed by ruffians, usually as a prelude to robbing their victims. The verb went on to develop metaphorical extensions, such as "to coerce by crude means." By the 1940s, it was being used of a strategy in which a poker player with a good hand bets weakly, in order to draw other players into holding on to their hands and raising the bet. The use of "sandbag" has since evolved to refer to a general strategy of playing down one's position in order to gain some sort of advantage. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 30, 2009 is: dilatory • \DILL-uh-tor-ee\ • adjective 1 : tending or intended to cause delay 2 : characterized by procrastination : tardy Examples: The Senator's seemingly endless motions to adjourn were clearly dilatory. Did you know? Slow down. Set a leisurely pace. What's the hurry? If procrastination is your style, "dilatory" is the word for you. That term has been used in English to describe things that cause delay since at least the 15th century, and its ancestors were hanging around with similar meanings long before that. If you take the time to trace the roots of "dilatory," you will discover that it derives from "dilatus," the past participle of the Latin verb "differre," which meant either "to postpone" or "to differ." If you think "differre" looks like several English words, you have a discerning eye. That verb is also an ancestor of the words "different" and "defer." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 29, 2009 is: apathy • \AP-uh-thee\ • noun 1 : lack of feeling or emotion : impassiveness 2 : lack of interest or concern : indifference Examples: Every electoral season, editorials in the local newspaper complain about voter apathy and cynicism. Did you know? There's no reason to be uncaring about the origins of "apathy" -- though there is a clue to the word's beginnings in that sentence. "Apathy" was borrowed into English in the late 16th century from Greek "apatheia," which itself comes from the adjective "apathēs," meaning "without feeling." "Apathēs," in turn, was formed by combining the negating prefix "a-" with "pathos," meaning "emotion." Incidentally, if you've guessed that "pathos" is the source of the identically spelled noun in English (meaning either "an element in experience or in artistic representation evoking pity or compassion" or "an emotion of sympathetic pity"), you are correct. "Pathos" also gave us such words as "antipathy," "empathy," "sympathy," "pathetic," and even the archaic word "pathematic" ("emotional"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 28, 2009 is: chirography • \kye-RAH-gruh-fee\ • noun 1 : handwriting, penmanship 2 : calligraphy Examples: As she leafed through her father's old book, Sheila noted that its margins were filled with annotations made in his distinct chirography. Did you know? Some might argue that handwriting is a dying art in this age of electronic communication. Nevertheless, we have a fancy word for it. The root "graph" means "writing" and appears in many common English words such as "autograph" and "graphite." The lesser-known root "chir," or "chiro-," comes from a Greek word meaning "hand" and occurs in words such as "chiromancy" ("the art of palm reading") and "enchiridion" ("a handbook or manual"), as well as "chiropractic." "Chirography" first appeared in English in the 17th century and probably derived from "chirograph," a now rare word referring to a legal document or indenture. "Chirography" should not be confused with "choreography," which refers to the composition and arrangement of dances. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 27, 2009 is: inveterate • \in-VET-uh-rut\ • adjective 1 : firmly established by long persistence 2 : confirmed in a habit : habitual Examples: Since Ernie is an inveterate liar, we naturally didn’t believe him when he told us he’d met the movie star. Did you know? Like "veteran," "inveterate" ultimately comes from Latin "vetus," which means "old," and which led to the Latin verb "inveterare" ("to age"). That verb in turn gave rise eventually to the adjective "inveteratus," the direct source of our adjective "inveterate" (in use since the 14th century). In the past, "inveterate" has meant "long-standing" or simply "old." For example, one 16th-century writer warned of "Those great Flyes which in the springe time of the yeare creepe out of inveterate walls." Today, "inveterate" most often applies to a habit, attitude, or feeling of such long existence that it is practically ineradicable or unalterable. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 26, 2009 is: case-harden • \KAYS-hahr-dun\ • verb 1 : to harden (a ferrous alloy) so that the surface layer is harder than the interior 2 : to make callous or insensible Examples: All locks at the warehouse will be checked to ensure that they are case-hardened and in good working condition. Did you know? Although humans had learned how to case-harden wrought iron by about 1200 B.C.E., the word "case-harden" didn't forge its way into the English language until the late 17th century. The term comes from the hard surface layer, or case, that is created on some metals when they are exposed to carbon, ammonia, or other substances at very high temperatures. By the early 18th century, the term was being used figuratively. The participial "case-hardened" is also used as an adjective (as in "case-hardened steel" and "case-hardened hearts") and is now more common than the verb in both technical and nontechnical contexts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 25, 2009 is: sententious • \sen-TEN-shus\ • adjective 1 : given to or abounding in aphoristic expression or excessive moralizing 2 : terse, aphoristic, or moralistic in expression Examples: The paper that Jed handed in to his teacher was not so much a research paper as a sententious manifesto denouncing globalization. Did you know? Nowadays, "sententious" is usually uncomplimentary, implying banality, oversimplification, and excessive moralizing. But that hasn't always been the case, nor is it universally so even now. The original Middle English sense of "sententious" was "full of meaning," a meaning adopted from Latin "sententiosus" (from "sententia," meaning "sentence" or "maxim"). In Modern English, too, "sententious" has sometimes referred to what is full of significance and expressed tersely. Or sometimes "sententious" simply suggests an affinity for aphorisms, as when it refers to the likes of Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard (of almanac fame), the homespun philosopher given to such statements as "early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 24, 2009 is: argosy • \AHR-guh-see\ • noun 1 : a large ship; especially : a large merchant ship 2 : a rich supply Examples: Uncle Ken is always armed with an argosy of jokes, and he keeps the family entertained for hours. Did you know? Looking at the first sense of "argosy," you might assume that this word is a close relative of "argonaut," but that isn't the case. Although both words have a nautical sense, they have different etymologies. The original argonauts sailed on a ship called the Argo to seek the Golden Fleece; their moniker combines the name of their ship and the Greek word "nautēs," meaning "sailor." "Argosy" comes from "Ragusa," the Italian name for the city that is now Dubrovnik, Croatia. Over time, "Ragusa" was modified into "ragusea," a noun for the laden merchant ships that sailed from that port in medieval days. A broadening of meaning and another shift in spelling gave us "argosy," denoting any merchant vessel or rich store. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 23, 2009 is: eidetic • \eye-DET-ik\ • adjective : marked by or involving extraordinarily accurate and vivid recall especially of visual images Examples: Thanks to her eidetic memory, Kirsten was able to recall every last detail of what happened that night, including what color dress she was wearing. Did you know? "Eidetic" is the technical adjective used to describe what we more commonly call a photographic memory. The word ultimately derives from the Greek noun "eidos," meaning "form." The ability of certain individuals to recall images, sounds, or events with uncanny accuracy is a subject of fascination for researchers in the field of psychology. Among notable people who were reputed to have eidetic memories is the late television comic Jackie Gleason, who reportedly was able to memorize an entire half-hour script in a single read-through. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 22, 2009 is: boilerplate • \BOY-ler-playt\ • noun 1 : syndicated material supplied especially to weekly newspapers in matrix or plate form 2 a : standardized text b : formulaic or hackneyed language 3 : tightly packed icy snow Examples: Most of the real estate contract was legal boilerplate. Did you know? In the days before computers, small, local newspapers around the U.S. relied heavily on feature stories, editorials, and other printed material supplied by large publishing syndicates. The syndicates delivered that copy on metal plates with the type already in place so the local papers wouldn't have to set it. Printers apparently dubbed those syndicated plates "boiler plates" because of their resemblance to the plating used in making steam boilers. Soon "boilerplate" came to refer to the printed material on the plates as well as to the plates themselves. Because boilerplate stories were more often filler than hard news, the word acquired negative connotations and gained another sense widely used today: "hackneyed or unoriginal writing." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 21, 2009 is: besot • \bih-SAHT\ • verb 1 : infatuate 2 : to make dull or stupid; especially : to muddle with drunkenness Examples: Long besotted with the pretty file clerk who worked in his office, Keith finally worked up the nerve to ask her out to lunch. Did you know? "Besot" developed from a combination of the prefix "be-" ("to cause to be") and "sot," a now-archaic verb meaning "to cause to appear foolish or stupid." "Sot" in turn comes from the Middle English noun "sott," meaning "fool." The first known use of "besot" is found in a poem by George Turberville, published in 1567. In the poem the narrator describes how he gazed at a beautiful stranger "till use of sense was fled." He then proceeds to compare himself to Aegisthus of Greek legend, the lover of Clytemnestra while Agamemnon was away at war, writing: "What forced the Fool to love / his beastly idle life / Was cause that he besotted was / of Agamemnon’s Wife." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 20, 2009 is: vicinity • \vuh-SIN-uh-tee\ • noun 1 : the quality or state of being near : proximity 2 : a surrounding area or district : neighborhood 3 : an approximate amount, extent, or degree Examples: There are several wonderful little stores in the vicinity of our new house. Did you know? "Vicinity" has its origins in the idea of neighborliness -- it was borrowed into English in the 16th century from Middle French "vicinité," which in turn derives from the Latin adjective "vicinus," meaning "neighboring." "Vicinus" itself can be traced back to the noun "vicus," meaning "row of houses" or "village," and ultimately all the way back to the same ancient word that gave Gothic, Old Church Slavic, and Greek words for "house." Other descendants of "vicinus" in English include "vicinal" ("local" or "of, relating to, or substituted in adjacent sites in a molecule") and "vicinage," a synonym of "vicinity" in the sense of "a neighboring or surrounding district." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 19, 2009 is: piebald • \PYE-bawld\ • adjective 1 : of different colors; especially : spotted or blotched with black and white 2 : composed of incongruous parts Examples: "From the waist down they affect a piebald, garage-sale look: old sweatpants, one-piece Cooperalls, hockey shorts and stockings of assorted colors and vintages." (Charles McGrath, New England Monthly, February 1989) Did you know? To many people, the noisy black and white birds that go by the scientific name Pica pica -- better known as magpies -- are nothing but pests. But the Latin root that was adopted for their name isn't a linguistic nuisance; it played an important role in the development of "piebald." The "pie" of "piebald" ("pie" is another name for a magpie) derives from "pica," which is Latin for "magpie." The other part of "piebald" comes from the word "bald," which can mean "marked with white"; it can also be found in "skewbald," an adjective used to describe animals marked with patches of white and any other color but black. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 18, 2009 is: hoick • \HOIK\ • verb : to move or pull abruptly : yank Examples: When she noticed that her toddler's nose was running, Stacy quickly hoicked out a tissue from her purse. Did you know? Etymologists suspect that "hoick" is an alteration of the verb "hike," which is itself akin to "hitch." "Hike" entered the language during the first decade of the 19th century, whereas "hoick" appeared near that century's close. The word "hoick" can be used for any type of abrupt pulling movement but is commonly used for the sudden pulling back on the joystick of an airplane; a rough, jerky movement when rowing; and a jerky, elevated shot in cricket. In fox hunting, the word "hoicks" is used to call attention to a hound that has picked up the scent and to bring the pack together. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.