Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 27, 2007 is: objet trouvé • \AWB-zhay-troo-VAY\ • noun : a natural or discarded object found by chance and held to have aesthetic value Examples: The museum's latest show, which features objets trouvés, is a dramatic change from last year's exhibition of medieval religious art. Did you know? "Objet trouvé" comes from French, where it literally means "found object." The term entered English during the early 20th century, a time when many artists challenged traditional ideas about the nature of true art. Surrealists and other artists, for instance, held that any object could be a work of art if a person recognized its aesthetic merit. "Objet trouvé" can refer to naturally formed objects whose beauty is the result of natural forces as well as to man-made artifacts (such as bathtubs, wrecked cars, or scrap metal) that were not originally created as art but are displayed as such. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 26, 2007 is: auriferous • \aw-RIF-uh-russ\ • adjective : containing gold Examples: The discovery of an auriferous region in California sparked the famous gold rush of 1849. Did you know? Students in chemistry class learn that the chemical symbol for gold is "Au." That symbol is based on "aurum," the Latin word for the element. In the 17th century, English speakers coined "auriferous" by appending the "-ous" ending to the Latin adjective "aurifer," an offspring of "aurum" that means "containing gold" or "producing gold." (The "-fer" is from "ferre," a Latin verb meaning "to produce" or "to bear.") Not surprisingly, "auriferous" is a term that shows up in geological contexts. Some other descendants of "aurum" include "aureate" ("of a golden color" or "marked by grandiloquent style"), "auric" ("of, relating to, or derived from gold"), and the noun "or" ("the heraldic color gold or yellow"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 25, 2007 is: parabolic • \pair-uh-BAH-lik\ • adjective 1 : expressed by or being a parable : allegorical 2 : of, having the form of, or relating to a parabola : of, having the form of, or relating to a curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to a straight line in its surface Examples: Astronomers have determined that the comet follows a parabolic orbit. Did you know? The two distinct meanings of "parabolic" trace back to the development of Late Latin and New Latin. Late Latin is the Latin language used by writers in the third to sixth centuries. In that language, the word for "parable" was "parabola" -- hence, the "parable" sense of "parabolic." New Latin refers to the Latin used since the end of the medieval period, especially in regard to scientific description and classification. In New Latin, "parabola" names the same geometrical curve as it does in English. Both meanings of "parabola" were drawn from the Greek word for "comparison": "parabolē." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 24, 2007 is: crambo • \KRAM-boh\ • noun : a game in which one player gives a word or line of verse to be matched in rhyme by other players Examples: According to his early letters, James Boswell, friend and biographer of English lexicographer Samuel Johnson, was a keen crambo player. Did you know? We've called the game "crambo" since at least 1660, but it was originally dubbed "crambe." The now-obsolete word "crambe" literally meant "cabbage," but it was rarely used for the leafy plant. Instead, it was used figuratively (in reference to a Latin phrase meaning "cabbage repeated or served up again") for things that were overused or repeated. The game, which was popular in the 17th and 18th centuries, began with one player picking a word. A second player then tried to guess it by asking questions. For example: "I know a word that rhymes with 'bird.'" "Is it ridiculous?" "No, it is not absurd." "Is it a part of speech?" "No, it is not a word." And so on, until the word was guessed. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 23, 2007 is: assail • \uh-SAIL\ • verb : to attack violently with blows or words Examples: When Harriet came home and found her son riding his tricycle in the road, she tore into the house and assailed the babysitter for her irresponsibility. Did you know? "Assail" comes from an Anglo-French verb, "assaillir," which itself traces back to the Latin verb "assilire" ("to leap upon"). "Assilire" combines the prefix "ad-" ("to, toward") with the Latin verb "salire," meaning "to leap." When "assail" was first used in the 13th century, it meant "to make a violent physical attack upon." By the 1500s, English speakers were using the term to mean "to attack with words or arguments." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 22, 2007 is: quiescent • \kwy-ESS-unt\ • adjective 1 : marked by inactivity or repose : tranquilly at rest 2 : causing no trouble or symptoms Examples: The storm was over, and the quiescent waters betrayed no sign of yesterday's turbulence. Did you know? "Quiescent" won't cause you any pain, and neither will its synonyms "latent," "dormant," and "potential," at least not immediately. All four words mean "not now showing signs of activity or existence." "Latent" usually applies to something that has not yet come forth but may emerge and develop, as in "a latent desire for success." "Dormant" implies a state of inactivity similar to sleep, as in "their passions lay dormant." "Potential" applies to what may or may not come to be. "A potential disaster" is a typical example. "Quiescent," which traces to the Latin "quiescere" (meaning "to become quiet" or "to rest"), often suggests a temporary cessation of activity, as in "a quiescent disease" or "a summer resort quiescent in wintertime." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 21, 2007 is: plenitude • \PLEN-uh-tood\ • noun 1 : the quality or state of being full : completeness 2 : a great sufficiency : abundance Examples: The resort offers a plenitude of entertainment options for families traveling with children. Did you know? "Plenitude" was first recorded in English during the 15th century and ultimately comes to us from "plenus," the Latin word for "full." "Plenus" has also given us "plenty," which in turn influenced a variation on "plenitude": "plentitude." Some usage commentators have objected to "plentitude," but it has been in use since the early 1600s and has appeared in the works of such writers as Henry James and Sir Walter Scott. Both words are used in the same sorts of contexts, but "plentitude" is not used as frequently as "plenitude." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 20, 2007 is: chiliad • \KILL-ee-ad\ • noun 1 : a group of 1000 2 : millennium Examples: Many people feared that widespread technical glitches would create chaos at the start of the new chiliad. Did you know? What's the difference between a chiliad and a millennium? Not much: both words refer to a period of 1000 years. While "millennium" is more widely used, "chiliad" is actually older. It first appeared in 1598 and was originally used to mean "a group of 1000," as in "a chiliad of errors." "Millennium" didn't make its way into written English until the 1630s. Not surprisingly, both words trace back to roots that mean "thousand." "Millennium" comes from the Latin "mille," and "chiliad" is a descendent of the Greek "chilioi." *Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 19, 2007 is: virescent • \vuh-RESS-unt\ • adjective 1 : beginning to be green : greenish 2 : developing or displaying the condition of becoming green due to the development of chloroplasts in plant organs (as petals) normally white or colored Examples: Buds formed on the bare trees, infusing the stark branches with a slight virescent tint. Did you know? "Virescent" first appeared in English in 1826. It derives from the present participle of "virescere," a Latin verb meaning "to become green" and a form of another verb, "virēre," meaning "to be green." "Virēre" also gave us another adjective meaning green, "verdant," only the route to that adjective takes a stop at the Old French "verdoier" ("to be green"). "Virescent" has seen occasional general use, as when Thomas Hardy wrote, in his 1881 novel A Laodicean, of "[t]he summer . . . tipping every twig with a virescent yellow." But it is nowadays found most frequently in scientific contexts, especially those pertaining to botany. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 18, 2007 is: benison • \BEN-uh-sun\ • noun : blessing, benediction Examples: The travelers stopped at the tiny country church and sought the benison of the priest before continuing their arduous journey. Did you know? "Benison" and its synonym "benediction" share more than a common meaning; the two words come from the same root, the Latin "benedicere," meaning "to bless." ("Benedicere" comes from the Latin "bene dicere" -- "to speak well of" -- a combination of the Latin "bene," meaning "well," and "dicere," to say.) Of the two words, "benediction" is more common today, but "benison" has a longer history in English. Records show that "benison" has been used in our language since the 14th century. "Benediction" didn't appear in print until nearly a century later. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 17, 2007 is: phishing • \FISH-ing\ • noun : a scam by which an e-mail user is duped into revealing personal or confidential information which the scammer can use illicitly Examples: The widespread use of electronic banking and financial transactions has prompted the FTC to crack down on cyber crimes, such as phishing. Did you know? "Phishing" is one of the many new computer-related terms that have found their way into the general lexicon over the past decade or so. Its "ph" spelling is influenced by an earlier word for an illicit act: "phreaking." Phreaking involves fraudulently using an electronic device to avoid paying for telephone calls, and its name is suspected of being a shortening of "phone freak." A common phishing scam involves sending e-mails that appear to come from banks requesting recipients to verify their accounts by typing personal details, such as credit card information, into a Web site that has been disguised to look like the real thing. Such scams can be thought of as "fishing" for naive recipients. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 16, 2007 is: rankle • \RANK-ul\ • verb : to cause irritation or bitterness in Examples: Rae Ann's snooty attitude and rude behavior rankled me, but I smiled to hide my irritation. Did you know? The history of today's word is something of a sore subject. When "rankle" was first used in English, it meant "to fester," and that meaning is linked to the word's Old French ancestor, a noun that was spelled "raoncle" or "draoncle" and meant "festering sore." Etymologists think the Old French noun derived from "dracunculus," a diminutive form of "draco," which is the Latin word for "serpent" and the source of the English word "dragon." The transition from serpents to sores apparently occurred because people thought certain ulcers or tumors looked like small serpents. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 15, 2007 is: peripatetic • \pair-uh-puh-TET-ik\ • adjective 1 : Aristotelian 2 a : of, relating to, or given to walking b : moving or traveling from place to place : itinerant Examples: Rodney was a peripatetic journalist for several years until he bought a house and started writing for the local paper. Did you know? Are you someone who likes to think on your feet? If so, you've got something in common with the followers of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Not only a thinker and teacher, Aristotle was also a walker, and his students were required to walk along beside him as he lectured while pacing to and fro. Thus it was that the Greek word "peripatētikos" (from "peripatein," meaning "to walk up and down") came to be associated with Aristotle and his followers. By the way, the covered walk in the Lyceum where Aristotle taught was known as the "peripatos" (which can either refer to the act of walking or a place for walking). *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 14, 2007 is: refluent • \REH-floo-unt\ • adjective : flowing back Examples: There are some lakes in Louisiana that appear to be formed by the refluent waters of the Mississippi River. Did you know? "Refluent" was first documented in English during the 15th century, and it can be traced back to the Latin verb "refluere," meaning "to flow back." "Refluere," in turn, was formed from the prefix "re-" and the verb "fluere" ("to flow"). Other "fluere" descendants in English include "confluent" ("flowing together"), "fluent" and "fluid" (both of which share the earliest sense of "flowing easily"), "circumfluent" ("flowing around"), and even "affluent" (which first meant "flowing abundantly"). "Refluent" even has an antonym derived from "fluere" -- "effluent," meaning "flowing out." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 13, 2007 is: phalanx • \FAY-lanks\ • noun 1 : a body of heavily armed infantry in ancient Greece formed in close deep ranks and files; broadly : a body of troops in close array 2 : one of the digital bones of the hand or foot of a vertebrate 3 a : a massed arrangement of persons, animals, or things b : an organized body of persons Examples: The police commissioner had to maneuver through a phalanx of reporters before he could make his way into the building Did you know? The original sense of "phalanx" refers to a military formation that was used in ancient warfare and consisted of a tight block of soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder, several rows deep, often with shields joined. The word "phalanx" comes from the Greeks, though they were not the only ones who used this formation. The Greek term literally means "log" and was used for both this line of battle and for a bone in a finger or toe. The word and its senses passed into Latin and then were adopted into English in the 16th century. These days, a "phalanx" can be any arranged mass, whether of persons, animals, or things, or a body of people organized in a particular effort. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 12, 2007 is: erudite • \AIR-uh-dyte\ • adjective : possessing or displaying extensive knowledge acquired chiefly from books : learned Examples: The university hosted an informative lecture given by an erudite scholar of Cold War history. Did you know? "Erudite" derives via Middle English "erudite" from Latin "eruditus," the past participle of the verb "erudire," meaning "to instruct." A closer look at that verb shows that it is formed by combining the prefix "e-," meaning "missing" or "absent," with the adjective "rudis," which means "rude" or "ignorant" and is also the source of our word "rude." We typically use the word "rude" to mean "discourteous" or "uncouth" but it can also mean "lacking refinement" or "uncivilized"; someone who is erudite, therefore, has been transformed from a roughened or uninformed state to a polished and knowledgeable one through a devotion to learning. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 11, 2007 is: inspissate • \in-SPISS-ayt\ • verb : to make thick or thicker Examples: "Letting citizens sue polluters ... would only inspissate the logjam of litigation." (The New York Times, August 5, 1985) Did you know? "Inspissate" is ultimately derived from Latin "spissus" ("slow, dense") and is related to Greek "spidnos" ("compact") and Lithuanian "spisti" ("to form a swarm"). When it appeared in English in the 17th century, "inspissate" suggested a literal thickening. Francis Bacon, for example, wrote in 1626 that "Sugar doth inspissate the Spirits of the Wine, and maketh them not so easie to resolue into Vapour." Eventually "inspissate" was also used metaphorically. Clive Bell once wrote of "parties of school children and factory girls inspissating the gloom of the museum atmosphere." There is also an adjective "inspissate," meaning "thickened in consistency" or "made thick, heavy, or intense," but that word is used even less frequently than the somewhat rare verb. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 10, 2007 is: maître d' or maitre d' • \may-truh-DEE\ • noun : maître d'hôtel, headwaiter Examples: The maître d' ushered the couple to a private table at the back of the restaurant. Did you know? "Maître d'" is short for "maître d'hôtel," which comes from French and literally means "master of the house." "Maître d'hôtel" was first used in English in the 16th century for a head butler or steward of a household, before it was adapted to refer to the head of a dining-room staff around the middle of the 19th century. (For the record, the plural of "maître d'hôtel" is "maîtres d'hôtel," whereas the plural of "maître d'" is "maître d's.") We began dropping the "hôtel" of "maître d'hôtel" about 50 years ago. At first, the abbreviated form was considered slang, but today "maître d'" is widely used in American English and is accepted as a standard American use. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 9, 2007 is: transpontine • \trans-PAHN-tyne\ • adjective 1 : situated on the farther side of a bridge 2 : situated on the south side of the Thames Examples: Bella recommended a transpontine restaurant for our evening rendezvous, so we took a cab across the East River from our hotel in Manhattan and met her in Queens. Did you know? Usually the prefix "trans-," meaning "across," allows for a reciprocal perspective. Whether you're in Europe or America, for example, transoceanic countries are countries across the ocean from where you are. But that's not the way it originally worked with "transpontine." The "pont-" in "transpontine" is from the Latin "pons," meaning "bridge," and the bridge in this case was, at first, any bridge that crossed the River Thames in the city of London. "Across the bridge" meant on one side of the river only -- the south side. That's where the theaters that featured popular melodramas were located, and Victorian Londoners first used "transpontine" to distinguish them from their more respectable "cispontine" ("situated on the nearer side of a bridge") counterparts north of the Thames. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 8, 2007 is: aught • \AWT\ • pronoun 1 : anything 2 : all, everything Examples: "Xury said it was a lion, and it might be so for aught I know." (Daniel Defoe, Robinson Crusoe) Did you know? "If you know aught which does behove my knowledge / Thereof to be inform'd, imprison't not / In ignorant concealment," Polixenes begs Camillo in Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale, employing the "anything" sense of "aught." Shakespeare didn't coin the pronoun "aught," which has been a part of the English language since before the 12th century, but he did put it to frequent use. Writers today may be less likely to use "aught" than were their literary predecessors, but the pronoun does continue to turn up occasionally. "Aught" can also be a noun meaning "zero," and for a while the phrase "the aughts" was bandied about as a proposed label for the decade that began in the year 2000. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 7, 2007 is: scaramouch • \skair-uh-MOOSH\ • noun 1 : a stock character in the Italian commedia dell'arte that burlesques the Spanish don and is characterized by boastfulness and cowardliness 2 a : a cowardly buffoon b : rascal, scamp Examples: My great uncle was an untrustworthy old scaramouch. Did you know? In the commedia dell'arte, Scaramouch was a stock character who was constantly being cudgeled by Harlequin, which may explain why his name is based on an Italian word meaning "skirmish," or "a minor fight." The character was made popular in England during the late 1600s by the clever acting of Tiberio Fiurelli. During that time, the name "Scaramouch" also gained notoriety as a derogatory word for "a cowardly buffoon" or "rascal." Today not many people use the word (which can also be spelled "scaramouche"), but you will encounter it while listening to Queen's ubiquitous rock song "Bohemian Rhapsody," in the lyric "I see a little silhouetto of a man / Scaramouche, Scaramouche, will you do the fandango?" *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 6, 2007 is: turbid • \TER-bid\ • adjective 1 a : thick or opaque with or as if with roiled sediment b : heavy with smoke or mist 2 a : deficient in clarity or purity : foul, muddy b : characterized by or producing obscurity (as of mind or emotions) Examples: With alarm and dismay, Evelyn saw that the turbid floodwaters had started seeping into her kitchen. Did you know? "Turbid" and "turgid" (which means "swollen or distended" or "overblown, pompous, or bombastic") are frequently mistaken for one another, and it's no wonder. Not only do the two words differ by only a letter, they are often used in contexts where either word could fit. For example, a flooded stream can be simultaneously cloudy and swollen, and badly written prose might be both unclear and grandiloquent. Nevertheless, the distinction between these two words, however fine, is an important one for conveying exact shades of meaning, so it's a good idea to keep them straight. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 5, 2007 is: peruse • \puh-ROOZ\ • verb 1 a : to examine or consider with attention and in detail : study b : to look over or through in a casual or cursory manner 2 : read; especially : to read over in an attentive or leisurely manner Examples: Dmitri perused the menu while we waited for a table. Did you know? "Peruse" has long been a literary word, used by such famous authors as Shakespeare, Tennyson, and Thomas Hardy, and it tends to have a literary flavor even in our time. "Peruse" can suggest paying close attention to something, but it can also simply mean "to read." The "read" sense, which is not especially new and was in fact included in Samuel Johnson's 1755 dictionary, has drawn some criticism over the years for being too broad. Some commentators have recommended that "peruse" be reserved for reading with great care and attention to detail. But the fact remains that "peruse" is often used in situations where a simple "read" definition could be easily substituted. It may suggest either an attentive read or a quick scan. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 4, 2007 is: nomenclator • \NOH-mun-klay-ter\ • noun 1 : a book containing collections or lists of words 2 : one who gives names to or invents names for things Examples: Within days of her promotion, Jenna found herself in the role of nomenclator, trying to name the company's newest product. Did you know? "Nomenclator" means "name caller" in Latin (from "nomen," meaning "name," and the verb "calare," meaning "to call"). In ancient Rome, the nomenclator's job was to call out or whisper the names of people as they approached a candidate during a political rally. Whether the idea was to make the politician look good, as though he himself remembered everyone personally, or simply to apprise him of more names than he was ever expected to remember himself is open to question. What's quite certain is that in modern times the job title names one who creates new names for things. "Nomenclator" is applied especially to those who help create a "nomenclature" -- a system of terms for a particular discipline. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 3, 2007 is: Walter Mitty • \wawl-ter-MITT-ee\ • noun : a commonplace unadventurous person who seeks escape from reality through daydreaming Examples: "Many readers seem to be Walter Mittys, content to experience danger vicariously." (James Kelly, Time Magazine, August 19, 1985) Did you know? The original "Walter Mitty" was created by humorist James Thurber, who wrote the famous story "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty." In Walter's real life, he is a reticent, henpecked proofreader befuddled by everyday life. But in his fantasies, Walter imagines himself as various daring and heroic characters. Thurber's popular story, which was first published in The New Yorker in 1939, was later made into a movie. Walter Mitty has since become the eponym for dreamers who imagine themselves in dramatic or heroic situations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 2, 2007 is: deliquesce • \del-ih-KWESS\ • verb 1 : to dissolve or melt away 2 : to become soft or liquid with age or maturity -- used of some fungal structures (as the gills of a mushroom) Examples: Someone forgot to put the butter back in the refrigerator, instead leaving it to deliquesce on the kitchen counter. Did you know? "Deliquesce" derives from the prefix "de-" ("completely, away") and a form of the Latin verb "liquēre," meaning "to be fluid." Things that deliquesce, it could be said, turn to mush in more ways than one. In scientific contexts, a substance that deliquesces absorbs moisture from the atmosphere until it dissolves in the absorbed water and forms a solution. When plants and fungi deliquesce, they lose rigidity as they age. When "deliquesce" is used in non-scientific contexts, it is often in a figurative or humorous way to suggest the act of "melting away" under exhaustion, heat, or idleness, as in "teenagers deliquescing in 90-degree temperatures." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 1, 2007 is: august • \aw-GUST\ • adjective : marked by majestic dignity or grandeur Examples: Mr. Lee's bearing was always august and stately, and he drew respectful glances wherever he went. Did you know? "August" comes from the Latin word "augustus," meaning "consecrated" or "venerable," which in turn is related to the Latin "augur," meaning "consecrated by augury" or "auspicious." In 8 B.C. the Roman Senate honored Augustus Caesar, the first Roman emperor, by changing the name of their month "Sextilis" to "Augustus." Middle English speakers inherited the name of the month of August, but it wasn't until the mid-1600s that "august" came to be used generically in English, more or less as "augustus" was in Latin, to refer to someone with imperial qualities. 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 July 31, 2007 is: obtain • \ub-TAYN\ • verb 1 : to gain or attain usually by planned action or effort 2 : to be generally recognized or established : prevail Examples: The experiment was designed to obtain more accurate data about weather patterns. Did you know? "Obtain," which was adopted into English in the 15th century, comes to us via Anglo-French from the Latin "obtinēre," meaning "to take hold of." "Obtinēre" was itself formed by combination of "ob-," meaning "in the way," and the verb "tenēre," meaning "to hold." If you have the kind of memory that holds on to etymological sources, you will likely remember that we featured another descendent of "tenere" just days ago. For those whose memories have a less tenacious grip, we'll remind you now that the featured word was "untenable" (and that "tenacious" was also mentioned as a relative). *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 30, 2007 is: verdigris • \VER-duh-greess\ • noun : a green or bluish deposit especially of copper carbonates formed on copper, brass, or bronze surfaces Examples: It seems like every building on campus features some combination of brick, ivy, and verdigris. Did you know? "Green of Greece" -- that is the literal translation of "vert de Grece," the Anglo-French phrase from which the modern word "verdigris" descends. A coating of verdigris forms naturally on copper and copper alloys such as brass and bronze when those metals are exposed to air. (It can also be produced artificially.) The word "verdigris" has been associated with statuary and architecture, ancient and modern, since it was first used in the 14th century. Some American English speakers may find that they know it best from the greenish blue coating that covers the copper of the Statue of Liberty. 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 July 29, 2007 is: null • \NULL\ • adjective 1 : having no legal or binding force : invalid 2 : having no value : insignificant 3 : of, being, or relating to zero Examples: The entertainer's contract will be rendered null and void if he should miss more than five appearances during the year. Did you know? English borrowed "null" from the Anglo-French "nul," meaning "not any." That word, in turn, traces to the Latin word "nullus," from "ne-," meaning "not," and "ullus," meaning "any." "Null" often pops up in legal and scientific contexts. It was originally used in Scottish law and still carries the meaning "having no legal or binding force." In math, it is sometimes used to mean "containing nothing"; for example, the set of all whole numbers that are divisible by zero is the "null set" (that is, there are no numbers that fit that description). But "null" also has some more general uses. We often use it with the meaning "lacking meaning or value" (as in "by the time I heard it, the news was null"). *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2007 is: quisling • \KWIZ-ling\ • noun : one who commits treason : collaborator Examples: The country is ruled by a puppet government composed of quislings. Did you know? Vidkun Quisling was a Norwegian army officer who in 1933 founded Norway's fascist party. In December 1939, he met with Adolf Hitler and urged him to occupy Norway. Following the German invasion of April 1940, Quisling served as a figurehead in the puppet government set up by the German occupation forces, and his linguistic fate was sealed. Before the end of 1940, "quisling" was being used generically in English to refer to any traitor. Winston Churchill, George Orwell, and H. G. Wells used it in their wartime writings. Quisling lived to see his name thus immortalized, but not much longer. He was executed for treason soon after the liberation of Norway in 1945. 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 July 27, 2007 is: untenable • \un-TEN-uh-bul\ • adjective 1 : not able to be defended 2 : not able to be occupied Examples: The contractor made the untenable demand that all work be paid for up front, at which point we decided to take our business elsewhere. Did you know? "Untenable" and its opposite "tenable" come to us from Old French "tenir" and ultimately from Latin "tenēre," both of which mean "to hold." We tend to use "untenable" in situations where an idea or position is so off base that holding on to it is unjustified or inexcusable. One way to hold on to the meaning of "untenable" is to associate it with other "tenēre" descendants whose meanings are associated with "holding" or "holding on to." "Tenacious" ("holding fast") is one example. Others are "contain," "detain," "sustain," "maintain," and "retain." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 26, 2007 is: zydeco • \ZYE-duh-koh\ • noun : popular music of southern Louisiana that combines tunes of French origin with elements of Caribbean music and the blues and that features guitar, washboard, and accordion Examples: Thanks to delicious food and live zydeco every night, the new restaurant is a big success. Did you know? You might say that the lively form of music known as zydeco is full of beans, etymologically speaking. Legend has it that the word "zydeco" originated in the lyrics of Les Haricots Sont Pas Salés, a popular Cajun dance tune. Loosely translated, the song's title means "the beans are not salty," and when spoken in French Creole, "les haricots" (French for "beans") sounds something like "zydeco." "Zydeco" first appeared in print in 1960 and has been used to describe this kind of music 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 July 25, 2007 is: caducity • \kuh-DOO-suh-tee\ • noun 1 : senility 2 : the quality of being transitory or perishable Examples: "Awareness of death -- a vivid realization of the caducity of life and its joys and miseries -- provides the strongest motive for metaphysics." (F. Gonzalez-Crussi, The New Yorker, November 1, 1993) Did you know? "Caducity" derives by way of the French "caduc," meaning "transitory," from the Latin "caducus," meaning "tending to fall," a product of the verb "cadere," meaning "to fall." Words that share the "cadere" root with "caducity" include "accident," "coincide," "cadaver," and "chance." "Caducity" usually refers to the fleeting or perishable nature of something. More specifically, it can refer to the perishable nature of cognitive abilities and can be used as a synonym of senility. Both senses of the word first appeared in English in the second half of the 18th century. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2007 is: monocracy • \muh-NAH-kruh-see\ • noun : government by a single person Examples: After years of subjugation, the citizens of the country rose up against the oppressive monocracy. Did you know? In society's search for the best kind of government, the suffix "-cracy" (which means "form of government" and traces to the Greek "kratos," meaning "strength" or "power") has worn many hats. "Monocracy" pairs "-cracy" with a descendant of "monos," meaning "alone" or "single." The suffix also underlies other governmental terms including "democracy" ("government by the people"), "aristocracy" ("government by a small privileged class"), "theocracy" ("government by divine guidance"), "ochlocracy" ("government by the mob"), and "gerontocracy" ("rule by elders"). 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 July 23, 2007 is: extirpate • \EK-ster-payt\ • verb 1 a : to destroy completely : wipe out b : to pull up by the root 2 : to cut out by surgery Examples: By insisting that he has a plan to extirpate crime and corruption in our cities, the governor might have bitten off more than he can chew. Did you know? If we do a little digging, we discover that "extirpate" finds its roots in, well, roots (and stumps). Early English uses of the word in the 16th century carried the meaning of "to clear of stumps" or "to pull something up by the root." "Extirpate" grew out of a combination of the Latin prefix "ex-" and the Latin noun "stirps," meaning "trunk" or "root." The word "stirp" itself remains rooted in our own language as a term meaning "a line descending from a common ancestor." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2007 is: panoptic • \pan-OP-tik\ • adjective : being or presenting a comprehensive or panoramic view Examples: At the top of the mountain is a sightseeing point that provides climbers with a panoptic view of the surrounding valleys. Did you know? The establishment of "panoptic" in the English language can be attributed to two inventions known as panopticons. The more well-known panopticon was conceived by the English philosopher Jeremy Bentham in 1787. Bentham's panopticon was a circular prison with cells arranged around a central tower from which guards could see the inmates at all times. The other panopticon, also created in the 18th century, was a device containing pictures of attractions, such as European capitals, that people viewed through an opening. Considering the views that both inventions gave, it is not hard to see why "panoptic" (a word derived from Greek "panoptēs," meaning "all-seeing") was being used by the early 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 July 21, 2007 is: moot • \MOOT\ • adjective 1 a : open to question : debatable b : subjected to discussion : disputed 2 : deprived of practical significance : made abstract or purely academic Examples: Since the team would have lost anyway, it's a moot point whether the umpire's call was right or not. Did you know? "Moot" derives from "gemōt," an Old English name for a judicial court. Originally, "moot" named either the court itself or an argument that might be debated by one. By the 16th century, the legal role of judicial moots had diminished, and the only remnant of them were "moot courts," academic mock courts in which law students could try hypothetical cases for practice. Back then, "moot" was used as a synonym of "debatable," but because the cases students tried in moot courts were simply academic exercises, the word gained the second sense, "deprived of practical significance." Some commentators still frown on using "moot" to mean "purely academic," but most editors now accept both senses as standard. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 20, 2007 is: disinformation • \dis-in-fer-MAY-shun\ • noun : false information deliberately and often covertly spread (as by the planting of rumors) in order to influence public opinion or obscure the truth Examples: The writer's latest book examines the effects of propaganda and disinformation during the Cold War. Did you know? In 1939, a writer describing Nazi intelligence activities noted, "The mood of national suspicion prevalent during the last decade ... is well illustrated by General Krivitsky's account of the German 'Disinformation Service,' engaged in manufacturing fake military plans for the express purpose of having them stolen by foreign governments." Although the Nazis were accused of using disinformation back in the 1930s, the noun and the practice are most often associated with the Soviet KGB. Many people think "disinformation" is a literal translation of the Russian "dezinformatsiya," which means "misinformation," a term the KGB allegedly used in the 1950s to name a department created to dispense propaganda. 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 July 19, 2007 is: indomitable • \in-DAH-muh-tuh-bul\ • adjective : incapable of being subdued : unconquerable Examples: Molly has always admired the indomitable spirit of her great-grandparents, who endured many hardships when they emigrated from Ireland. Did you know? The prefix "in-" means "not" in numerous English words (think of "indecent," "indecisive," "inconvenient," and "infallible"). When "in-" teamed up with the Latin "domitare" ("to tame"), the result was a word meaning "unable to be tamed." "Indomitable" was first used in English in the 1600s as a synonym of "wild," but over time its sense of untamability turned from a problem to a virtue. By the 1800s, "indomitable" was being used for people whose courage and persistence helped them to succeed in difficult situations. 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 July 18, 2007 is: garderobe • \GAR-drohb\ • noun 1 : a wardrobe or its contents 2 : a private room : bedroom 3 : privy, toilet Examples: "On our tour of Castle Rushen, begun in 1200 and enhanced over the years, [caretaker Ian] McKinlay made sure to point out the garderobe -- because nature calls, even in a castle. . .." (Gemma Tarlach, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 25, 2004) Did you know? "Garderobe" entered the English language in the 15th century and continues in use to this day, though its frequency has diminished significantly since the 19th century. Originally, its primary duty was to provide English speakers with a word for a room or closet in which to store clothing. Later, by extension, it was used for private bedrooms and bathrooms. Today you are most likely to encounter the word in a description of an old castle, such as our example sentence. "Garder," the French word for "guard" on which "garderobe" is based, has also served English well by directly contributing to the formation of such words as "award," "guard," "regard," and, yes, "wardrobe." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2007 is: binary • \BYE-nuh-ree\ • adjective 1 : compounded or consisting of or marked by two things or parts 2 a : relating to, being, or belonging to a system of numbers having 2 as its base b : involving a choice or condition of two alternatives (as on-off or yes-no) Examples: Brass is a binary alloy, having the two metallic elements copper and zinc. Did you know? "The animals went in two by two, the elephant and the kangaroo. . .." It was a binary parade of sorts that went into Noah's ark "for to get out of the rain" -- the critters were represented in pairs. If you recall those partnered beasts, you'll remember the etymology of "binary," because it traces to the Latin "bini," which translates as "two by two." Although "binary" can be used for anything with two parts, it is now used especially in relation to computers and information processing. Digital computers use the binary number system, which includes only the digits 0 and 1, to process even complex data. In binary form, for instance, the word "HELLO" looks like this: 1001000 1000101 1001100 1001100 1001111. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2007 is: onomastics • \ah-nuh-MAS-tiks\ • noun 1 a : the science or study of the origins and forms of words especially as used in a specialized field b : the science or study of the origin and forms of proper names of persons or places 2 : the system underlying the formation and use of words especially for proper names or of words used in a specialized field Examples: Dr. Donn will be presenting a paper at the conference on the onomastics used in naming towns during the early Republic. Did you know? The original word for the science of naming was "onomatology," which was adopted from French in the mid-19th century. About a century later, however, people began referring to the science as "onomastics," a term based on the Greek verb "onomazein" ("to name"). Like many sciences, onomastics is itself composed of special divisions. An onomastician might, for example, study personal names or place names, names of a specific region or historical period, or even the character names of a particular author, like Charles Dickens. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2007 is: distrait • \dih-STRAY\ • adjective : apprehensively divided or withdrawn in attention : distracted Examples: Professor Aguilar noticed that Sheldon was often distrait during her lectures, so she pulled him aside one day after class to ask if anything was wrong. Did you know? "Distrait" is a somewhat literary word with an unusual history. Borrowed from Anglo-French, it was used in the 15th century in a sense very close to that of "distraught," which means "deeply agitated or troubled." (Both words are ultimately from the Latin adjective "distractus.") Later, during the 18th century, "distrait" appears to have been borrowed again from French in a milder sense closer to "preoccupied" or "distracted." Another peculiarity of the word is that it tends to be treated in English as if it were still a French word: it has a feminine variant, "distraite," like a French adjective, and it is pronounced as if French. It can still suggest agitation, but not as strongly as "distraught"; more often it means simply "mentally remote." 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 July 14, 2007 is: pilgarlic • \pil-GAR-lik\ • noun 1 a : a bald head b : a bald-headed man 2 : a man looked upon with humorous contempt or mock pity Examples: "Ever since I became a pilgarlic," Dale explained, "I've believed that bald is beautiful!" Did you know? The Latin word for "hair" -- "pilus" -- has given us a number of words: "depilation" ("the removal of hair by chemical or mechanical means"), "pilose" ("covered with soft hair"), and "pelage" ("the hairy covering of a mammal"). "Pilgarlic" also has ties to "pilus," although the person who first used the word in the 16th century was probably thinking about cloves, not Latin roots. "Pilgarlic" comes from the supposed resemblance between a bald head and peeled garlic -- "pilled garlic," in British dialect. The verb "pill" comes in part from the Old English "pilian" ("to peel"), which is thought to trace back to "pilus." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 13, 2007 is: libertine • \LIB-er-teen\ • noun 1 : a freethinker especially in religious matters 2 : a person who is unrestrained by convention or morality; specifically : one leading a dissolute life Examples: The writer was portrayed in the film as a libertine who relied heavily on the vices of drinking and gambling. Did you know? The word "libertine," which originally meant "freedman" when it appeared in 14th-century English, traces to the Latin "libertus," a term that in Roman antiquity identified a slave who had been set free. By the late 1500s, "libertine" had been extended to religious and secular freethinkers; Shakespeare used it to refer to anyone who follows his or her own inclinations. By 1600, though, the term had come to imply that an individual was a little too unrestrained, especially in moral situations. And yes, the Latin root of "libertine" is "liber," the ultimate source of our word "liberty." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 12, 2007 is: herald • \HAIR-uld\ • verb 1 : to give notice of : announce 2 a : to greet especially with enthusiasm : hail b : publicize 3 : to signal the approach of : foreshadow Examples: The first robin heralded the arrival of spring. Did you know? The exact origin of "herald" is uncertain, but it is thought to derive from Germanic roots. Specifically, etymologists believe that "herald" developed from an assumed Frankish compound whose first component is akin to the Old High German "heri-," meaning "army," and whose second component is akin to the Old High German word "waltan," meaning "to rule." When "herald" first appeared on the scene in the 14th century, it referred to an official at a tournament of arms whose duties included the making of announcements. The verb forms, extending the "announcement" idea, soon followed. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 11, 2007 is: reprise • \rih-PREEZ\ • noun 1 : a recurrence, renewal, or resumption of an action 2 a : a musical repetition b : a repeated performance : repetition Examples: The argument was a reprise of a long-standing disagreement. Did you know? When "reprise" was first adopted into English in the 15th century, it referred to a deduction or charge made yearly out of a manor or estate (and was usually used in the plural form "reprises"). It probably won't surprise you, then, to learn that "reprise" comes from an Anglo-French word meaning "seizure, repossession, or expense." Eventually, "reprise" came to refer to any action that was repeated or resumed. A later sense, borrowed from modern French, applies to specific types of repetition in musical compositions and was eventually generalized to describe any subsequent and identical performance. It's possible, for example, to have a reprise of a television program or a book. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 10, 2007 is: fraught • \FRAWT\ • adjective 1 : full of or accompanied by something specified -- used with with 2 : causing or characterized by emotional distress or tension : uneasy Examples: The doctor warned her patient that the experimental procedure was fraught with problems. Did you know? "The drowmound was so hevy fraught / That unethe myght it saylen aught." That verse, from the 14th-century poem "Richard Coer de Lion," says that a large ship (a dromond) was so heavily loaded that it could barely sail. That's the first instance we have on record of the adjective "fraught." The word came to Middle English from the Middle Dutch or Middle Low German noun "vracht," which meant "load" and which is also the source of the word "freight." Middle English also possessed a noun "fraught" that meant "load" and a verb "fraughten" that meant "to load" (meanings still retained in Scottish English by "fraught," the verb and noun). For centuries, "fraught" continued to be used only of loaded ships, but its use was eventually broadened. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 9, 2007 is: tincture • \TINK-cher\ • noun 1 : color, tint 2 a : a characteristic quality : cast b : a slight admixture : trace 3 : a solution of a medicinal substance in an alcoholic solvent Examples: Mabel's stories contain just the right tincture of macabre humor to be enjoyed by readers young and old alike. Did you know? "Tincture" derives from the same root as "tint" and "tinge" -- the Latin verb "tingere," meaning "to moisten or dip." "Tincture" specifically derives via Middle English from the Latin "tinctus," the past participle of "tingere." When the word first appeared in English in the 14th century, "tincture" referred to a coloring matter or dye, but by the 17th century the word had acquired a number of additional meanings, including "a slight infusion or trace of something." "Tinge" and "shade" are two other words referring to color that can be used the same way. "Tincture" can also refer, among other things, to the colors used in a coat of arms or an herbal or medicinal solution. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.