Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 27, 2009 is: revanche • \ruh-VAHNSH (the N is not pronounced, but the vowel is nasalized)\ • noun : revenge; especially : a usually political policy designed to recover lost territory or status Examples: Soon after losing the northern territory to the invading army, the king began drafting a plan of revanche to get it back. Did you know? "Revanche" first appeared in English in the mid-19th century, deriving, along with our noun "revenge," from the Middle French verb "revenchier" ("to revenge"). The word developed its specific political application in the years following the Franco-German War (1870-71), which resulted in France losing the territory known as Alsace-Lorraine to Germany. (The territory was returned to France following World War I and then twice switched hands again during World War II.) Although "revanche" appears occasionally in English today, you are more likely to encounter its relatives "revanchism," which refers to a government's policy of revanche, and "revanchist," referring to a follower of such a policy. These words did not appear in English until the 20th 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 February 26, 2009 is: basilisk • \BASS-uh-lisk\ • adjective : suggesting a legendary reptile with fatal breath and glance : baleful, spellbinding Examples: Trina leveled a basilisk glare at me after I told her what had happened to her car. Did you know? In Hellenic and Roman legend, a basilisk (also called a cockatrice) was a serpent-like creature capable of destroying other creatures by way of its deadly stare. The modern basilisk is a lizard that belongs to the family Iguanidae and supposedly resembles this fabled monster; it has a large, inflatable crest atop its head and is sometimes called a “Jesus Christ lizard” for its ability to run quickly across the surface of water. The use of “basilisk” as an adjective occurs most frequently in phrases such as “basilisk stare”; recalling the notorious gaze of the legendary basilisk, it describes the deep and piercing look of someone who is frightening or seductive. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 25, 2009 is: imbibition • \im-buh-BISH-un\ • noun : the act or action of imbibing : the act or action of drinking or taking in liquid Examples: The sign at the entrance to the building stated that the imbibition of alcoholic beverages on the premises was prohibited. Did you know? Joseph Thomas James Hewlett was a 19th-century English curate and schoolmaster who supplemented his insufficient income by writing novels. In Parsons and Widows, in which the author disguises himself as "the Curate of Mosbury," Hewlett provided us with the first known use of "imbibition" to refer to a person’s drinking, in the phrase "imbibition of a little strong beer." Until then, "imbibition" had been used scientifically to refer to various processes of soaking and absorption, or figuratively, to the taking in of knowledge. (The word is still used scientifically today to refer to the taking up of fluid.) "Imbibition" traces back to Latin "imbibere," a verb whose meaning "to drink in" includes absorption of liquids, consuming drink, and appropriating ideas. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 24, 2009 is: onerous • \AH-nuh-rus\ • adjective 1 : involving, imposing, or constituting a burden : troublesome 2 : having legal obligations that outweigh the advantages Examples: Christy considered driving her sister to ballet practice to be an onerous task. Did you know? "Onerous," which traces back to the Latin "onus," meaning "burden," has several synonyms. Like "onerous," "burdensome," "oppressive," and "exacting" all refer to something which imposes a hardship of some kind. "Onerous" stresses a sense of laboriousness and heaviness, especially because something is distasteful ("the onerous task of cleaning up the mess"). "Burdensome" suggests something which causes mental as well as physical strain ("the burdensome responsibilities of being a supervisor"). "Oppressive" implies extreme harshness or severity in what is imposed ("the oppressive tyranny of a police state"). "Exacting" suggests rigor or sternness rather than tyranny or injustice in the demands made or in the one demanding ("an exacting employer who requires great attention to detail"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 23, 2009 is: pleonasm • \PLEE-uh-naz-um\ • noun 1 : the use of more words than those necessary to denote mere sense : redundancy 2 : an instance or example of pleonasm Examples: "One pleonasm that bugs me is 'free gift,'" said Donna. "After all, how can anything be a gift if it isn't free?" Did you know? "Pleonasm," which stems via Late Latin from the Greek verb "pleonazein" ("to be excessive"), is a fancy word for "redundancy." It's related to our words "plus" and "plenty," and ultimately it goes back to the Greek word for "more," which is "pleōn." Pleonasm is commonly considered a fault of style, but it can also serve a useful function. "Extra" words can sometimes be helpful to a speaker or writer in getting a message across, adding emphasis, or simply adding an appealing sound and rhythm to a phrase -- as, for example, with the pleonasm "I saw it with my own eyes!" See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 22, 2009 is: exorbitant • \ig-ZOR-buh-tunt\ • adjective 1 : not coming within the scope of the law 2 : exceeding the customary or appropriate limits in intensity, quality, amount, or size Examples: I asked what the rent was for the apartment, and my jaw dropped open when they quoted me an exorbitant sum. Did you know? The first use of "exorbitant" in English was "wandering or deviating from the normal or ordinary course." That sense is now archaic, but it provides a hint as to the origins of "exorbitant": the word derives from Late Latin "exorbitans," the present participle of the verb "exorbitare," meaning "to deviate." "Exorbitare" in turn was formed by combining the prefix "ex-," meaning "out of," with the noun "orbita," meaning "track of a wheel" or "rut." ("Orbita" itself traces back to "orbis," the Latin word for "disk" or "hoop.") In the 15th century "exorbitant" came to refer to something which fell outside of the normal or intended scope of the law. Eventually, it developed an extended sense as a synonym of "excessive." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 21, 2009 is: fugleman • \FYOO-gul-mun\ • noun : one at the head or forefront of a group or movement Examples: Yemelyan Pugachov emerged in 18th-century Russia as fugleman of a mass rebellion among his fellow Cossacks, serfs, factory workers, and religious dissidents. Did you know? A fugleman (adapted from the German "Flügelmann," literally "wing man" but commonly meaning "file leader") was originally a soldier posted in front of a line of soldiers to serve as a model in their drill exercises. Today, with its more figurative meaning, the word is often used pejoratively as a synonym of "mouthpiece" or "ringleader." "Fugleman" is by no means a common word, but it does appear in the occasional newspaper article. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 20, 2009 is: spume • \SPYOOM\ • noun : frothy matter on liquids : foam, scum Examples: The spume and sea spray from the rising tide made the rocks along the beach slick and treacherous. Did you know? "Spume" is a word for froth or foam that has been a part of the English lexicon for more than 600 years. An early example is found in a 14th-century quotation from the English poet John Gower: "She set a cauldron on the fire … and let it boil in such a plight, till that she saw the spume [was] white." "Spume" was borrowed from Anglo-French "espume" or "spume," and can be traced further back to Latin "spuma." "Spuma" is also akin to Old English "fām," a word that is the ancestor of the modern English "foam," a synonym of "spume." Another relative of "spuma" is "pumex," the Latin word for pumice, a volcanic rock with a somewhat foamy appearance that is formed from a rapidly cooling, frothy lava. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 19, 2009 is: whipsaw • \WIP-saw\ • verb 1 : to saw with a whipsaw 2 : to beset or victimize in two opposite ways at once, by a two-phase operation, or by the collusive action of two opponents Examples: "Wage earners have been whipsawed by inflation and high taxes for too long," proclaimed the Senator. Did you know? A whipsaw is a type of handsaw worked by two people, one of whom stands on or above the log being sawed and the other below it, usually in a pit. The tool dates back to the 15th century, but it was not until the 1870s that anyone thought to use the saw's name figuratively to describe situations in which someone or something is doubly "cut," or hurt. Today, the word is commonly used when discussing financial crises or losses. For example, just recently a chief executive explained in a press statement that his company was "whipsawed in the fourth quarter as key industries were hit by a rapidly deteriorating economy and plunging commodity prices." (The New York Times, January 27, 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 February 18, 2009 is: diminution • \dim-uh-NOO-shun\ • noun : the act, process, or an instance of diminishing : decrease Examples: After seeing a diminution in his restaurant’s profits for the third quarter in a row, George reluctantly set about revising his business model. Did you know? We find "diminution" in print for the first time in Geoffrey Chaucer's poetical work "Troilus and Criseyde." Chaucer used "make diminution" in contrast to the verb "increase" (he could have used the verb "decrease," but he needed to create a weak rhyme with "discretion"). "Diminution" came to English by way of Anglo-French from Latin. Its Latin ancestor "deminuere" ("to diminish") is also an ancestor of "diminishment," a synonym of "diminution" that English speakers have been using since the 16th 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 February 17, 2009 is: hackle • \HACK-ul\ • noun 1 : one of the long feathers on the neck or back of a bird 2 : hairs (as on a dog's neck) that can be erected 3 : temper, dander Examples: The Senator's aggressive stance toward illegal immigration has raised some hackles. Did you know? In its earliest uses in the 15th century, "hackle" denoted either a bird's neck plumage or an instrument used to comb out long fibers of flax, hemp, or jute. Apparently, some folks saw a resemblance between the neck feathers of domestic birds -- which, on a male, become erect when the bird is defensive -- and the prongs of the comb-like tool. In the 19th century, English speakers extended the word's use to both dogs and people. Like the bird's feathers, the erectile hairs on the back of a dog's neck stand up when the animal is agitated. With humans, use of the word "hackles" is usually figurative. When you raise someone's hackles, you make them angry or put them on the defensive. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 16, 2009 is: gadarene • \GAD-uh-reen\ • adjective : headlong, precipitate Examples: Ross has criticized his company for joining the gadarene rush into the global market. Did you know? Gadara, in Biblical times, was a steep hill town just southeast of the Sea of Galilee. In the account given in the book of Matthew (8:28), Jesus, on a visit there, exorcised the demons from two possessed people and sent the demons into some nearby swine. The possessed swine ran in a mad dash down a steep bank into the Sea and drowned. “Gadarene,” an adjective used to describe a headlong rush (and often capitalized in recognition of its origin), made its first known plunge into our lexicon in the 1920s. The swine sometimes make an appearance as well, as when an imprudently hasty act is compared to “the rush of the Gadarene swine.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 15, 2009 is: myriad • \MEER-ee-ud\ • noun 1 : ten thousand 2 : a great number Examples: The newspaper office received a myriad of e-mails telling them about the three incorrect clues in Sunday's crossword puzzle. Did you know? In English, the "ten thousand" sense of "myriad" mostly appears in references to Ancient Greece, such as the following from Thirwall's History of Greece: "4000 men from Peloponnesus had fought at Thermopylae with 300 myriads." More often, however, English speakers use "myriad" in the broad sense -- both as a singular noun ("a myriad of tiny particles") and a plural noun ("myriads of tiny particles"). "Myriad" can also serve as an adjective meaning "innumerable" ("myriad particles"). "Myriad" comes from Greek "myrias," which in turn comes from "myrioi" ("countless" or "ten thousand"). A relative of "myriad" is "myriapod," which descends in part from the Greek word for "foot." A myriapod is a creature with many feet -- a centipede or millipede, that is. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 14, 2009 is: spoony • \SPOO-nee\ • adjective 1 : silly, foolish; especially : unduly sentimental 2 : being sentimentally in love Examples: It was Valentine's Day and spoony couples were enjoying romantic candlelit dinners at the city's many fine restaurants. Did you know? In 19th-century British slang, "spoon" meant "simpleton" (a meaning that may have been influenced by the "shallowness" of some spoons). That use of "spoon" brought about the adjective "spoony" to describe a silly or foolish person. In time, the foolish manner implied by "spoony" began to take on sentimental and amorous overtones, and it soon became the perfect word for those foolishly head over heels in love. Another "spoon" is a verb referring to love-making or necking. That use of "spoon" may stem from a Welsh custom in which an engaged man presented his fiancé with an elaborately carved wooden spoon. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 13, 2009 is: keelhaul • \KEEL-hawl\ • verb 1 : to haul under the keel of a ship as punishment or torture 2 : to rebuke severely Examples: "The movie gives voice to the growing number of people who are concerned with corporate abuses but do not want to keelhaul Wall Street." (Alan Saracevic, The San Francisco Chronicle, May 30, 2004) Did you know? In the mid-1600s, British monarchs were intent on using their powerful navy to expand their empire. Insubordination was not tolerated, and mutinous sailors were disciplined severely to discourage others from similar rebellion. "Keelhauling" was one of the worst penalties that could befall a renegade mariner. Although they definitely practiced the gruesome punishment, the British did not invent it -- the Dutch did. "Keelhaul" is a translation of the Dutch word "kielhalen," which means "to haul under the keel of a ship." Even after the practice was banned on European naval vessels in the mid-1800s, the word "keelhaul" remained in English as a term for a severe scolding. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 12, 2009 is: slumgullion • \SLUM-gull-yun\ • noun : a meat stew Examples: On Monday nights at the mess hall, the enlisted men and women could expect a meal of slumgullion made from the previous week’s leftovers. Did you know? "Slumgullion" may not sound like the most appetizing name for a dish, but that’s part of its charm. The word’s etymology doesn’t do it any favors: "slumgullion" is believed to be derived from "slum," an old word for "slime," and "gullion," an English dialectical term for "mud" or "cesspool." The earliest recorded usage of "slumgullion," in Mark Twain’s Roughing It (1872), refers not to a stew but a beverage. The sense referring to the stew debuted about two decades later, and while there is no consensus on exactly what kinds of ingredients are found in it, that’s the "slumgullion" that lives on today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 11, 2009 is: lexical • \LEK-sih-kul\ • adjective 1 : of or relating to words or the vocabulary of a language as distinguished from its grammar and construction 2 : of or relating to a lexicon or to lexicography Examples: As stated in the catalog, the university’s second-year language courses were designed to emphasize lexical skills. Did you know? The word "lexicon" can be used as a synonym of "dictionary," and the word "lexicography" refers to the practice of dictionary making. Both of these words, as well as "lexical," derive from the Greek word "lexis," meaning "word" or "speech." A fourth descendant of "lexis" is "lexiphanic," an adjective describing one who uses pretentious words for effect. "Lexis" should not be confused with the Latin "lex," or "law," which is used in legal phrases such as "lex non scripta," meaning "unwritten law." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 10, 2009 is: anecdote • \AN-ik-doht\ • noun : a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident Examples: Pastor Andrews often included light-hearted anecdotes from his personal experience in his Sunday sermons. Did you know? The Byzantine official Procopius wrote three historical works in Greek. In the first two, he dealt with wars and public works projects, but the third was something of a departure from this kind of history. Referred to as "Anekdota," from the Greek "a-" meaning "not," and "ekdidonai," meaning "to publish," it contained bitter attacks on the emperor Justinian, his wife, and other notables of contemporary Constantinople. Understandably, it was not published until after its writer's death. English speakers originally used an anglicized version of the book's name for similar secret or unpublished histories or biographies, and by the 17th century, the meaning of "anecdote" had been broadened to cover any interesting or amusing personal tale. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 9, 2009 is: metathesis • \muh-TATH-uh-sis\ • noun a : a change of place or condition: as b : transposition of two phonemes in a word c : a chemical reaction in which different kinds of molecules exchange parts to form other kinds of molecules Examples: When I listened to the recording of the child's speech, I noticed several instances of metathesis. Did you know? One familiar example of metathesis is our word "thrill," which was "thyrlian" in Old English and "thirlen" in Middle English. By the late 16th century, native English speakers had switched the placement of the "r" to form "thrill." Another example is the alteration of "curd" into "crud" (the earliest sense of which was, unsurprisingly, "curd"). It probably won't surprise you to learn that the origin of "metathesis" lies in the idea of transposition -- the word was borrowed into English in the mid-16th century and derives, via Late Latin, from the Greek verb "metatithenai," meaning "to transpose." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 8, 2009 is: kinesics • \kuh-NEE-siks\ • noun : a systematic study of the relationship between nonlinguistic body motions (as blushes, shrugs, or eye movement) and communication Examples: Marianne has enrolled in a class in kinesics this semester to fulfill a requirement for her theater major. Did you know? Anthropologists began to take serious interest in nonverbal communication through gestures, postures, and facial expressions in the 1940s. It is believed, however, that the publication of Ray Birdwhistell’s 1952 book Introduction to Kinesics marked the beginning of formal research into what we know familiarly as "body language." Over 50 years later, the results of kinesics are deeply entrenched in our culture, giving us a whole new language with which to interpret everyday encounters and interaction. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 7, 2009 is: quantal • \KWAHN-tul\ • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or having only two experimental alternatives (as dead or alive, all or none) 2 : of or relating to a quantum Examples: The experiment with the herbicide will generate a quantal response -- either the plant to which it is applied will survive, or it will die. Did you know? In Latin, "quantum" is the neuter form of "quantus," meaning "how much?" Both of these forms played a role in the development of "quantal." The first sense of "quantal," used in scientific experimentation to refer to cases in which only one of two possible results occurs, derived from "quanti," the plural of "quantus." ("Quantus" is also an ancestor of our noun "quantity.") The second sense of "quantal" is more directly related to Latin "quantum" and the English noun "quantum," which refers to the smallest possible unit of a form of energy (such as 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 February 6, 2009 is: clepe • \KLEP\ • verb : to name or to call Examples: The Maxwells' boat was a beautiful old wooden sloop, yclept "True Love." Did you know? "Clepe" itself is a word that is considered archaic and nearly obsolete, but its past participle "yclept" (pronounced ih-KLEPT) continues to be used, albeit rarely. In Old English, the prefix "ge-" denoted the completion or result of an action; in Middle English, the prefix shifted to "y-" and appeared in words such as "ybaptised" and "yoccupied." Eventually, all the "y-" words except "yclept" fell into disuse. One reason that "yclept" persists may be that it provides a touch of playfulness that appeals to some writers. Another may be that although "yclept" is an unfamiliar term to most people, its meaning can usually be inferred from context. Whatever the reason, "yclept" continues to turn up occasionally in current publications despite its strange and antiquated look. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 5, 2009 is: girandole • \JEER-un-dohl\ • noun 1 : a radiating and showy composition (as a cluster of skyrockets fired together) 2 : an ornamental branched candlestick 3 : a pendant earring usually with three ornaments hanging from a central piece Examples: "I sat in my usual nook, and looked at him with the light of the girandoles on the mantelpiece beaming full over him…." (Charlotte Brontë, Jane Eyre) Did you know? The earliest uses of "girandole" in English, in the 17th century, referred to a kind of firework or to something, such as a fountain, with a radiating pattern like that of a firework. Such a pattern is reflected in the word’s etymology: "girandole" can be traced back, by way of French and Italian, to the Latin word "gyrus," meaning "gyre" or "a circular or spiral motion or form." By the 18th century "girandole" was being used for a branched candlestick, perhaps due to its resemblance to the firework. The word’s third sense, referring to a kind of earring, did not appear in English until the 19th century. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 4, 2009 is: cognate • \KAHG-nayt\ • adjective 1 : of the same or similar nature 2 : related; especially : related by descent from the same ancestral language Examples: Sean is a professor of astronomy whose background includes extensive work in the cognate fields of mathematics and physics. Did you know? The story of "cognate" is all relative: that is, it's all about relatives. Cognate words share an ancestor, like "allude" and "prelude" (which both trace to the Latin root "ludere") and the English "brother" and the German "Bruder" (which are both related to the Greek "phrater"). Cognate languages, like French, Spanish, and Italian, descend from the same ancestral language. People related through a common ancestor are cognate, and groups of people, such as tribes, can be cognate to one another. "Cognate" also describes things related in a more figurative way, as in "cognate developments," "cognate disciplines," or "cognate problems." "Cognate" itself comes from the Latin "cognatus" which traces to Latin "nasci" meaning "to be born." Some words cognate to "cognate" include "innate," "nascent," "native," and "Renaissance." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 3, 2009 is: unreconstructed • \un-ree-kun-STRUK-tud\ • adjective : not reconciled to some political, economic, or social change; also : holding stubbornly to a particular belief, view, place, or style Examples: My uncle, a self-designated unreconstructed liberal who wrote frequent letters to the editor, was never one to keep his opinions to himself. Did you know? The reorganization and reestablishment of the seceded states in the Union after the American Civil War is referred to as the Reconstruction. In 1867 a writer for Harper's Weekly came up with the word "unreconstructed" for political candidates not reconciled to the outcome of the War and the changes enacted during the Reconstruction. The word immediately caught on with readers and has been used to refer to intransigent or dyed-in-the-wool partisans ever since. The word has also been used outside of political and social contexts. For instance, a person might be "an unreconstructed rocker" or "an unreconstructed romantic." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 2, 2009 is: cyberpunk • \SY-ber-punk\ • noun 1 : science fiction dealing with future urban societies dominated by computer technology 2 : an opportunistic computer hacker Examples: Cyberpunk -- with its androids and cyborgs and human-electronic networks -- almost turns reading into a computer game. Did you know? In science fiction circles, "cyberpunk" is a genre that often features countercultural antiheroes trapped in a dehumanizing high-tech future. Its roots extend back to the technical fiction of the 1940s and '50s, but it was years before it matured. The word "cyberpunk" was coined by writer Bruce Bethke, who wrote a story with that title in 1980. He created the term by combining "cybernetics," the science of replacing human functions with computerized ones, and "punk," the raucous music and nihilistic sensibility that became a youth culture in the 1970s and '80s. Not until the 1984 publication of William Gibson's novel, Neuromancer, however, did "cyberpunk" really take off as a term or a genre. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 1, 2009 is: preternatural • \pree-ter-NATCH-uh-rul\ • adjective 1 : existing outside of nature 2 : exceeding what is natural or regular : extraordinary 3 : inexplicable by ordinary means; especially : psychic Examples: Louis Armstrong's preternatural talent set him apart from the other musicians of his day, and his style and compositions have influenced generations of performers. Did you know? "Preternatural" derives from the Latin "praeter naturam," which means "beyond nature." In the 1200s, Medieval Latin scholars rendered the term as "praeternaturalis," and that form inspired the modern English version. Unusual things are sometimes considered positive and sometimes negative, and throughout its history "preternatural" has been used to refer to both exceptionally good things and unnaturally evil ones. In its earliest documented uses in the 1500s, it tended to emphasize the strange, ominous, or foreboding, but by the 1700s, people were using it more benignly to refer to fascinating supernatural (or even heavenly) phenomena. Nowadays, people even use it to describe the remarkable abilities of exceptional humans. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 31, 2009 is: cryptic • \KRIP-tik\ • adjective 1 : secret, occult 2 : meant to be puzzling or mysterious Examples: The note that Mrs. Drake confiscated from her students contained a cryptic message that she could not decipher. Did you know? The history of "cryptic" starts with "kryptein," a Greek word meaning "to hide." Can you uncover other "kryptein" relatives in English? Not surprisingly, "crypt," meaning "underground chamber," is one. The element "krypton" would be another correct guess, and so would "apocrypha," which can mean "writings of dubious authenticity." "Kryptein" also gave us several words having to do with secret codes, such as "cryptogram" ("a communication in cipher or code") and "cryptography" ("the coding and decoding of secret messages"). And, in fact, something "cryptic" can sometimes seem as if written in code. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 30, 2009 is: garble • \GAR-bul\ • verb 1 : to sift impurities from 2 a : to so alter or distort as to create a wrong impression or change the meaning b : to introduce textual error into (a message) by inaccurate encipherment, transmission, or decipherment Examples: Jim's stage debut was a success, for the most part, though he did garble a few of his lines in the opening scene. Did you know? “Garble” developed from Late Latin "cribellare," a verb meaning “to sift.” Arabic speakers borrowed "cribellare" as "gharbala," and the Arabic word passed into Old Italian as "garbellare"; both of these words also meant “to sift.” When the word first entered Middle English as "garbelen," its meaning stayed close to the original; it meant “to sort out the best.” But that sort of sifting can cause a distortion, and in early Modern English “garble” came to mean “to distort the meaning or sound of.” See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 29, 2009 is: indubitable • \in-DOO-buh-tuh-bul\ • adjective : too evident to be doubted : unquestionable Examples: He was regarded as a film director of indubitable insight and talent, and his movies were among the most beloved in the history of cinema. Did you know? There's no reason to question the fairly straightforward etymology of "indubitable" -- a word that has remained true to its Latin roots. It arrived in Middle English in the 15th century from Latin "indubitabilis," itself a combination of "in-" ("not") and "dubitabilis" ("open to doubt or question"). "Dubitabilis" is from the verb "dubitare," meaning "to doubt," which also gave us our "doubt." The word "dubitable" also exists in English, and of course means "questionable or doubtable," but it is fairly rare. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 28, 2009 is: primogeniture • \prye-moh-JENN-uh-chur\ • noun 1 : the state of being the firstborn of the children of the same parents 2 : an exclusive right of inheritance belonging to the eldest son Examples: Brian argued that primogeniture gave him the right to the first piece of cake among his siblings. Did you know? In many civilizations, past and present, the state of being the oldest among siblings is a key component of inheritance law. “Primogeniture,” which first appeared in English in the early 17th century, derives from the Late Latin “primogenitura,” a combination of the Latin “primus” (“first”) and “genitura” (“birth”), from the past participle of “gignere” (“to beget”). For those who are youngest in birth order, a similar word applies -- “ultimogeniture” -- but this word is newer (first appearing in English in 1882) and much less common. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 27, 2009 is: obtuse • \ahb-TOOS\ • adjective 1 a : not pointed or acute b : exceeding 90 but less than 180 degrees 2 : lacking sharpness or quickness of sensibility or intellect 3 : difficult to comprehend : not clear or precise in thought or expression Examples: The child was so stubborn in her refusal to understand that I began to suspect she was being deliberately obtuse. Did you know? "Obtuse," which comes to us from the Latin word "obtusus," meaning "dull" or "blunt," can describe an angle that is not acute or a person who has a "dull" or insensitive mind. The word has also developed a somewhat controversial third sense of "hard to comprehend," probably as a result of confusion with "abstruse." It is now possible to speak of "obtuse language" and "obtuse explanations," as well as "obtuse angles" and "obtuse readers." This sense of "obtuse" is well established, but it may attract some criticism. If you're hesitant about using new meanings of words, you should probably stick with "abstruse" when you want a word meaning "difficult to understand." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 26, 2009 is: implacable • \im-PLAK-uh-bul\ • adjective : not placable : not capable of being appeased, significantly changed, or mitigated Examples: The convict made his plea for an early release to the implacable members of the parole board, who remained skeptical that he felt remorse for his crimes. Did you know? "Implacable" comes from the Latin word "implacabilis," with which it shares the meaning "not easily placated." Ultimately, it comes from the verb "placare," meaning "to calm" or "to soothe." "Implacable" adds the negative "im-" to the root to describe something that cannot be calmed or soothed or altered. The root "placare" also gave us "placate." You may ask, what about similar-looking words "placid" and "placebo"? These words are related to "implacable" and "placate," but not as closely as you might suspect. They come from the Latin verb "placēre," a relative of "placare" that means "to please." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 25, 2009 is: engender • \in-JEN-der\ • verb 1 : beget, procreate 2 : to cause to exist or to develop : produce 3 : to assume form : originate Examples: The mayor hopes that the development of the new urban park will help to engender a sense of community among those who live downtown. Did you know? When "engender" was first used in the 14th century, it meant "propagate" or "procreate," but extended meanings soon developed. "Engender" comes from the Latin verb "generare," which means "to generate" or "to beget." "Generate," "regenerate," "degenerate," and "generation" are of course related to the Latin verb as well. As you might suspect, the list of "engender" relatives does not end there. "Generare" comes from the Latin noun "genus," meaning "birth," "race," or "kind." From this source we have our own word "genus," plus "gender," "general," and "generic," among other 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 January 24, 2009 is: cynosure • \SYE-nuh-shur\ • noun 1 : the northern constellation Ursa Minor; also : North Star 2 : one that serves to direct or guide 3 : a center of attraction or attention Examples: The young actress's natural beauty and graceful charm made her a cynosure wherever she went. Did you know? Ancient mariners noted that all the stars in the heavens seem to revolve around a particular star, and they relied on it to guide their navigation. The constellation that this bright star appears in is known to English speakers today as Ursa Minor, or the Little Dipper, but the Ancient Greeks called it Kynosoura, a term that comes from a phrase meaning "dog's tail." "Kynosoura" passed into Latin and Middle French, becoming "cynosure." When English speakers adopted the term in the mid-16th century, they used it as a name for the constellation and the star (which is also known as the North Star) and also to identify a guide of any kind. By the early 17th century, "cynosure" was also being used figuratively for anything or anyone that, like the North Star, was the focus of attention or observation. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 23, 2009 is: espiègle • \es-PYEGL\ • adjective : frolicsome, roguish Examples: "Her mother appeared, -- a handsome young country-woman, to whose features, originally sly and espiègle in expression, matrimony had given that decent matronly air…." (Sir Walter Scott, Old Mortality) Did you know? "Espiègle" is a corruption of "Ulespiegle," the French name for Till Eulenspiegel, a peasant prankster of German folklore. Tales of Eulenspiegel's merry pranks against well-to-do townsmen, clergy, and nobility were first translated into French in 1532 and into English around 1560. In the 19th century, Sir Walter Scott introduced his readers to the adjective "espiègle" and the related noun "espièglerie" (a word for "roguishness" or "playfulness") in his Waverley novels. Other 19th century authors followed suit, and even today these words are most likely to be encountered in literature. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 22, 2009 is: reconcile • \REK-un-syle\ • verb 1 a : to restore to friendship or harmony b : settle, resolve 2 : to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant 3 a : to check (a financial account) against another for accuracy b : to account for Examples: I have reconciled myself to the fact that my two best friends may never be fond of each other. Did you know? "Adapt," "adjust," "accommodate," "conform," and "reconcile" all mean to bring one thing into agreement with another. "Adapt" implies a modification according to changing circumstances ("they adapted to the warmer climate"). "Adjust" suggests bringing something into a close and exact correspondence or harmony ("we adjusted the budget to allow for inflation"). "Accommodate" may suggest yielding or compromising to form an agreement ("he accommodated his political beliefs in order to win"). "Conform" suggests coming into accordance with a pattern, example, or principle ("she refused to conform to society's values"). "Reconcile" implies the demonstration of the underlying compatibility of things that seem to be incompatible ("I tried to reconcile what he said with what I knew"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 21, 2009 is: palatable • \PAL-uh-tuh-bul\ • adjective 1 : agreeable to the palate or taste 2 : agreeable or acceptable to the mind Examples: When I asked Griffin for his opinion of the restaurant he said, "The food was bland and unimaginative, but at least the wine was palatable." Did you know? "Palatable" comes from "palate," a Latin-derived word for the roof of the mouth. The palate was once thought of as the seat of the sense of taste, so the word eventually came to mean "sense of taste," or broadly, "liking." "Palatable" has been used in English to refer to palate-pleasing foods since 1664, but it isn't our only -- or our oldest -- adjective for agreeable tastes. "Savory" dates from the 13th century. "Toothsome" has been around since 1551. "Tasty" was first used back in 1603. And "appetizing" has been gracing culinary reviews since 1653. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 20, 2009 is: flocculate • \FLAH-kyuh-layt\ • verb : to aggregate or coalesce into small lumps or loose clusters Examples: During fermentation, yeast cells flocculate and either rise to the top or sink to the bottom of the vat. Did you know? In the late 16th century, scientists noticed that the loose masses separated from a solution or suspension through precipitation often resembled tufts of wool, and they began to refer to them as "flocks," using another word for "tufts." (This "flock" is not related to the word "flock" that refers to a group of animals, which comes from Old English "flocc," meaning "crowd" or "band.") About two centuries later, the Late Latin term "flocculus" found its way into English and was also used with the meaning "a small loosely aggregated mass." By the end of the 19th century, a whole word family had been formed, including the adjective "flocculent," the noun "floccule," and the verb "flocculate." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 19, 2009 is: maudlin • \MAUD-lin\ • adjective 1 : drunk enough to be emotionally silly 2 : weakly and effusively sentimental Examples: "Oh, please don't be maudlin," cried Monica when Mills dropped to his knees, held her hand to his tear-soaked cheek, and begged her for forgiveness. Did you know? The history of "maudlin" owes as much to the Bible as to the barroom. The biblical Mary Magdalene is often (though some say mistakenly) identified with the weeping sinner who washed Jesus' feet with her tears to repent for her sins. This association led to the frequent depiction of Mary Magdalene as a weeping penitent, and by the 16th century even the name "Magdalene" suggested teary emotion to many English speakers. It was then that "maudlin," an alteration of "Magdalene," appeared in the English phrase "maudlin drunk," which, as one Englishman explained in 1592, described a tearful drunken state whereby "a fellow will weepe for kindnes in the midst of his Ale and kisse you." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 18, 2009 is: barbican • \BAR-bih-kun\ • noun : an outer defensive work; especially : a tower at a gate or bridge Examples: The enemy stormed the castle, but the barbicans kept them at bay long enough for the defenders inside to assemble and prepare a defense. Did you know? You’ve heard of moats and drawbridges, but "barbicans" may be unfamiliar. Those stone outerworks stood in front of the gate of a castle or bridge and helped prevent invaders from gaining access to the main entryway. Up to a point, the case for the history of the word "barbican" is well fortified. It is clear that English speakers seized the term from the Anglo-French "barbecane," which in turn had been taken from the Medieval Latin "barbacana" (both of those words had the same meaning as the modern word). The etymological path crumbles from there, however. Some speculate that the ultimate ancestor of "barbican" might lie in a Persian phrase meaning "house on the wall," but that speculation has never been proven. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 17, 2009 is: stellar • \STEL-er\ • adjective 1 a : of or relating to the stars : astral b : composed of stars 2 a : principal, leading b : outstanding Examples: Margie's clothing company is a stellar example of a business that successfully models civic responsibility without sacrificing the bottom line. Did you know? "Stella," the Latin word for "star," shines brightly in the word "constellation," but "stella" words have been favored by scientists to describe earthly things as much as heavenly bodies. "Stellar" was once used to mean "star-shaped." That use is no longer current, but today biologists and geologists might use one of thesesynonyms: "stellular," "stellate," and "stelliform." Poets, too, have looked to "stella." John Milton used "stellar" in its infancy when he wrote in Paradise Lost: "these soft fires … shed down their stellar virtue." "Stellar" shot into its leading role as a synonym of "star" (as when we say "stellar pupil") in the late 1800s. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 16, 2009 is: foible • \FOY-bul\ • noun 1 : the part of a sword or foil blade between the middle and point 2 : a minor flaw or shortcoming in character or behavior : weakness Examples: The students admired their teacher despite his foibles and eccentricities. Did you know? The weakest part of a sword blade is the portion between the middle and the pointed tip. Back in the mid-1600s, English speakers borrowed the French word "foible" to refer to that most easily broken part of the sword or foil. Despite the superficial resemblance, "foible" does not come from "foil." The French "foible" was an adjective meaning "weak." (That French word, which is now obsolete, is derived from the same Old French term, "feble," that gives us "feeble.") The English "foible" soon came to be applied not only to weaknesses in blades, but also to minor failings in character. It appeared in print with that use in 1673, and now the "character flaw" sense is considerably more popular than the original sword application. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 15, 2009 is: trattoria • \trah-tuh-REE-uh\ • noun : restaurant; specifically : a usually small Italian restaurant Examples: Asked by his brother to recommend a restaurant, Marco suggested his favorite trattoria, which has the best linguini Bolognese in the city. Did you know? In Italian, "trattore" is the word for an innkeeper or restaurant owner. That word derives from the Old French verb "traitier," which means "to treat" and is related to the Latin "tractare," meaning "to drag about, handle, or deal with." "Trattoria," which first appeared in English in 1832, is one of several words that have entered our language to refer to a kind of specialized eatery -- in this case, one that specializes in Italian cuisine. Others that have come later include "bistro" (from French, 1921), "brasserie" (from French, 1864), and "taqueria" (from Mexican Spanish, 1982). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 14, 2009 is: audacious • \aw-DAY-shus\ • adjective 1 : daring, bold 2 : insolent 3 : marked by originality and verve Examples: The band has been making original and creative music for well over ten years, but their latest album is by far their most audacious to date. Did you know? Shakespeare used "audacious" seven times in his plays. That in itself wasn't exactly an act of bold originality. The word, which comes from the Latin root "audac-" ("bold"), had been around for decades. But the Bard was the first to use "audacious" in its "insolent" sense ("Obey, audacious traitor; kneel for grace," Henry VI Part 2), and he may have been the first to use the adverb "audaciously." "Audacious" itself was something of an innovation in the 16th century: it was one of the earliest "-acious" words in English. Subsequently, we've added lots of "-acious" adjectives to our lexicon, including "pugnacious," "loquacious," "voracious," and even, in the 19th century, "bodacious" (which is most likely a combination of "bold" and "audacious"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 13, 2009 is: epoch • \EP-uk\ • noun 1 a : an event or a time that begins a new period or development b : a memorable event or date 2 a : an extended period of time usually characterized by a distinctive development or by a memorable series of events b : a division of geologic time less than a period and greater than an age Examples: The Victorian epoch is often seen as a time of great formality. Did you know? "Epoch" comes to us, via Medieval Latin, from Greek "epochē," meaning "cessation" or "fixed point." "Epochē," in turn, comes from the Greek verb "epechein," meaning "to pause" or "to hold back." When "epoch" was first borrowed into English, it referred to the fixed point used to mark the beginning of a system of chronology. That sense is now obsolete, but today "epoch" is used in some fields (such as astronomy) with the meaning "an instant of time or a date selected as a point of reference." The "an event or a time that begins a new period or development" sense first appeared in print in the early 17th century, and "epoch" has been applied to defining moments or periods of time ever since. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 12, 2009 is: impresario • \im-pruh-SAHR-ee-oh\ • noun 1 : the promoter, manager, or conductor of an opera or concert company 2 : a person who puts on or sponsors an entertainment (as a television show or sports event) 3 : manager, director Examples: The former heavyweight retired from fighting to become a boxing impresario. Did you know? English borrowed "impresario" directly from Italian, whose noun "impresa" means "undertaking." A close relative is the English word "emprise" ("an adventurous, daring, or chivalric enterprise"), which, like "impresario," traces back to the Latin verb "prehendere," meaning "to seize." (That verb is also the source of our "apprehend," "comprehend," and "prehensile.") English speakers were impressed enough with "impresario" to borrow it in the 1740s, at first using it, as the Italians did, especially of opera company managers. (By the way, despite their apparent similarities, "impress" and "impresario" are not related. "Impress" is a descendant of a Latin verb that means "to press.") See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 11, 2009 is: debonair • \deb-uh-NAIR\ • adjective 1 : suave, urbane 2 : lighthearted, nonchalant Examples: David, a handsome and debonair bachelor, is a much sought-after guest for dinner parties. Did you know? In Anglo-French, someone who was genteel and well-brought-up was described as "deboneire" -- literally "of good family or nature" (from three words: "de bon aire"). When the word was borrowed into English in the 13th century, it basically meant "courteous," a narrow sense now pretty much obsolete. Today's "debonair" incorporates charm, polish, and worldliness, often combined with a carefree attitude (think James Bond). And yes, we tend to use this sense mostly, though not exclusively, of men. In the 19th century, we took the "carefree" part and made it a sense all its own. "The crowd that throngs the wharf as the steamer draws alongside is gay and debonair; it is a noisy, cheerful, gesticulating crowd," wrote Somerset Maugham in 1919 in his novel The Moon and Sixpence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 10, 2009 is: confabulation • \kun-fab-yuh-LAY-shun\ • noun 1 : familiar talk or conversation 2 : a filling in of gaps in memory by fabrication Examples: Grandma’s stories of when she was a child were always amusing, especially when she added a hint of confabulation or exaggeration to them. Did you know? "Confabulation" is a fabulous word for fantastic fabrication. Given the similarities in spelling and sound, you might guess that "confabulation" and "fabulous" come from the same root, and they do -- the Latin "fabula," which means "conversation" or "story." Another "fabula" descendant that continues to tell tales in English is "fable." "Fabrication," however, comes from a different Latin source: the word "fabrica," meaning "workshop" or "structure." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 9, 2009 is: berserk • \ber-SERK\ • adjective : frenzied, crazed -- usually used in the phrase go berserk Examples: Fans went berserk as they watched the running back dive in for the winning touchdown in the final seconds of the game. Did you know? "Berserk" comes from Old Norse "berserkr," which combines "ber-" ("bear") and "serkr" ("shirt"). According to Norse legend, "berserkrs" were warriors who wore bearskin coverings and worked themselves into such frenzies during combat that they became immune to the effects of steel and fire. "Berserk" was borrowed into English (first as a noun and later as an adjective) in the early 19th century, when interest in Scandinavian myth and history was high. It was considered a slang term at first, but it has since gained broader acceptance. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.