Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2006 is: Parthian • \PAR-thee-un ("th" as in "think")\ • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or characteristic of ancient Parthia or its people 2 : relating to, being, or having the effect of a shot fired while in real or feigned retreat Examples: As a Parthian shot, she said that the other candidate simply did not understand the needs of the city's citizens. Did you know? The adjective "Parthian," which often shows up in the phrase "Parthian shot," has its roots in the military strategies of the ancient Parthians. One of the fighting maneuvers of Parthian horsemen was to discharge arrows while in real or feigned retreat. The maneuver must have been memorable, because "Parthian shot" continues to be used for a "parting shot," or a cutting remark made by a person who is leaving, many centuries after the dissolution of the Parthian empire. *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 December 20, 2006 is: peradventure • \PER-ud-ven-cher\ • noun 1 : doubt 2 : chance Examples: The evidence establishes beyond peradventure that the Grinch masterminded a highly organized and intricate plot to steal Christmas. Did you know? When Middle English speakers borrowed "par aventure" from Anglo-French (in which language it means, literally, "by chance"), it was as an adverb meaning "perhaps" or "possibly." Before long, the word was anglicized to "peradventure," and turned into a noun as well. The adverb is now archaic, though Washington Irving and other writers were still using it in the 19th century ("If peradventure some straggling merchant ... should stop at his door with his cart load of tin ware...." -- "A History of New York"). The noun senses we use today tend to show up in the phrase "beyond peradventure" in contexts relating to proving or demonstrating something. The "chance" sense is usually used in the phrase "beyond peradventure of doubt." *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 December 19, 2006 is: unabashed • \un-uh-BASHT\ • adjective : not disconcerted : undisguised, unapologetic Examples: Mary marveled at Sean's unabashed rudeness, astonished that he could be so obnoxious without a trace of remorse. Did you know? When you are "unabashed," you make no apologies for your behavior, but when you are "abashed," your confidence has been shaken and you may feel rather inferior or ashamed of yourself. English speakers have been using "abashed" to describe feelings of embarrassment since the 14th century, but they have only used "unabashed" (brazenly or otherwise) since the late 1500s. Both words can be traced back to the Anglo-French word "abair," meaning "to astonish." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 18, 2006 is: bailiwick • \BAY-lih-wik\ • noun 1 : the office or jurisdiction of a bailiff 2 : a special domain Examples: Since the organization of the annual holiday party is Rhonda's bailiwick, you'll have to let her know if you plan to bring something to the festivities this year. Did you know? The first half of the word "bailiwick" comes from the Middle English word for "bailiff," in this case a term referring to a sheriff or chief officer of a town in medieval England, not the officer who assists today in U.S. courtrooms. "Bailiff" derives via Anglo-French from the Latin "bajulare," meaning "to carry a burden." The second half of "bailiwick" comes from "wik," a Middle English word for "dwelling place" or "village," which ultimately derived from the Latin "vicus," meaning "village." (This root also gave us "-wich" and "-wick," suffixes used in place names like Norwich and Warwick.) Although "bailiwick" dates from the 15th century, the "special domain" sense did not begin to appear in English until the middle of the 19th 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 December 17, 2006 is: capitulate • \kuh-PIH-chuh-layt\ • verb 1 : to surrender often after negotiation of terms 2 : to cease resisting : acquiesce Examples: During negotiations for her comic strip, Sally let it be known that she was willing to forgo the large advance, but creative control was one area where she refused to capitulate. Did you know? "Capitulate" and its synonyms "yield," "submit," and "succumb" all mean to give way to someone or something, with a few slight differences in emphasis. "Yield" may apply to any sort or degree of bowing to force, debate, or pleading ("yields too easily in any argument"). "Submit" suggests surrender, after resistance, to the will or control of another ("a sinner submitting to the will of God"). "Succumb" imputes weakness and helplessness to the person giving in, or an overwhelming power to the opposition ("succumbing to temptation"). "Capitulate" stresses the termination of all resistance and may imply either a coming to terms, as with an adversary, or hopelessness before an irresistible opposing force ("officials capitulated to the demands"). *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 December 16, 2006 is: cajole • \kuh-JOHL\ • verb 1 a : to persuade with flattery or gentle urging especially in the face of reluctance : coax b : to obtain from someone by gentle persuasion 2 : to deceive with soothing words or false promises Examples: Peter's friends cajoled him into coming to the party even though he wasn't in the mood to go. Did you know? "Cajole" comes from a French verb, "cajoler," which is all about cajoling, coaxing, and chattering. You might not think to associate "cajole" with "cage," but some etymologists theorize that "cajoler" is connected to not one but two words for "cage." One of them is the Anglo-French "cage," from which we borrowed our own word "cage." It comes from Latin "cavea," meaning "cage." The other is the Anglo-French word for "birdcage," which is "gaiole." It's an ancestor of our word "jail," and it derives from Late Latin "caveola," which means "little cage." Anglo-French speakers had a related verb, "gaioler," which meant "to chatter like a jay in a cage." It's possible that "cajoler" is a combination of "gaioler" and "cage." *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 December 15, 2006 is: heterodox • \HET-uh-ruh-dahks\ • adjective 1 : contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard, a traditional form, or an established religion : unorthodox, unconventional 2 : holding unorthodox opinions or doctrines Examples: In the 16th century, Nicolaus Copernicus presented the then-heterodox theory that the sun is the center of our solar system. Did you know? "Orthodoxy ... is my doxy -- heterodoxy is another man's doxy," quipped 18th-century bishop William Warburton. He was only punning, but it is true that individuals often see other people's ideas as unconventional while regarding their own as beyond reproach. The antonyms "orthodox" and "heterodox" developed from the same root, the Greek "doxa," which means "opinion." "Heterodox" derives from "doxa" plus "heter-," a combining form meaning "other" or "different"; "orthodoxy" pairs "doxa" with "orth-," meaning "correct" or "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 December 14, 2006 is: pelagic • \puh-LAJ-ik\ • adjective : of, relating to, or living or occurring in the open sea : oceanic Examples: "Pelagic birds, seldom seen on land, soar offshore for the eager birder." (William Longgood, The New York Times, April 1984) Did you know? "Pelagic" comes to us from Greek, via Latin. The Greek word "pelagikos" became "pelagicus" in Latin and then "pelagic" in English. ("Pelagikos" is derived from "pelagos," the Greek word for "sea," plus the adjectival suffix "-ikos.") "Pelagic" first showed up in dictionaries in 1656; a definition from that time says that "Pelagick" meant "of the Sea, or that liveth in the Sea." A full 350 years later, writers are still using "pelagic" with the same meaning, albeit less frequently than its more familiar synonym "oceanic." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 13, 2006 is: euphoria • \yoo-FOR-ee-uh\ • noun : a feeling of well-being or elation Examples: The whole college was swept up in the euphoria of winning the national basketball title, and dozens of spontaneous celebrations erupted across the campus and spilled out into the town. Did you know? Health and happiness are often linked, sometimes even in etymologies. Nowadays "euphoria" generally refers to happiness, but it derives from "euphoros," a Greek word that means "healthy." Given that root, it's not surprising that in its original English uses, it was a medical term. A 1706 quotation shows how doctors used it then: "'Euphoria,' the well bearing of the Operation of a Medicine, i.e. when the Patient finds himself eas'd or reliev'd by it." Modern physicians still use the term, but they aren't likely to prescribe something that will cause it. In contemporary medicine, "euphoria" describes abnormal or inappropriate feelings such as those caused by an illegal drug or an illness. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 12, 2006 is: aerie • \AIR-ee\ • noun 1 : the nest of a bird on a cliff or a mountaintop 2 : an elevated often secluded dwelling, structure, or position Examples: Joe lives in a sleek, 20th-floor aerie with a spectacular view of the city. Did you know? English poet John Milton put a variant of "aerie" to good use in Paradise Lost (1667), writing "...there the eagle and the stork / On cliffs and cedar tops their eyries build." But Milton wasn't the first to use the term, which comes to us via Medieval Latin and Old French and probably traces to an earlier Latin word for "nest" or "lair." English speakers had been employing "aerie" as a word for "bird's nest" for more than a century when Milton penned those words. Eventually, "aerie" was applied to human dwellings as well as birds' nests. At first, this sense referred to dwellings nestled high up in mountains or hills. These days, you're also likely to hear high-rise city apartments or offices referred to as "aeries." *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 December 11, 2006 is: centenarian • \sen-tuh-NAIR-ee-un\ • noun : one that is 100 years old or older Examples: "A government census reported 20,561 Japanese over the age of 100, a doubling of the ranks of centenarians in just five years." (Maclean's, June 2004) Did you know? We can't say there are exactly 100 English words based on the Latin root "centum," meaning "hundred," but there are certainly dozens. "Centenarian" isn't the oldest one; it only dates from the late 1700s. Far older is "centurion" (an ancient Roman military officer), which has been around since the 13th century. A younger "centum" offspring is "centisecond," a rare term for 1/100 of a second that dates from the 1950s. From colorful words such as "centicipitous" (which means "100-headed") to practical ones like "centgener" ("a device for planting 100 seeds"), "centum" descendants have enlivened our language for centuries. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 10, 2006 is: Pecksniffian • \pek-SNIFF-ee-un\ • adjective : unctuously hypocritical : sanctimonious Examples: "His book suffers from excessively long harangues against Pecksniffian prigs and temperance types who, he claims, are still trying to ruin our fun." (Mark D. Fefer, Seattle Weekly, January 22, 2003) Did you know? Seth Pecksniff, a character with a holier-than-thou attitude in Charles Dickens's 1844 novel Martin Chuzzlewit, was no angel, though he certainly tried to pass himself off as one. Pecksniff liked to preach morality and brag about his own virtue, but in reality he was a deceptive rascal who would use any means to advance his own selfish interests. It didn't take long for Pecksniff's reputation for canting sanctimoniousness to leave its mark on English; "Pecksniffian" has been used as a synonym of "hypocritical" since 1849. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 9, 2006 is: nonpareil • \nahn-puh-RELL\ • adjective : having no equal Examples: Matilda is known as an all-around excellent cook, but her blueberry pie, in particular, is nonpareil. Did you know? Trace "nonpareil" back to its Middle French origins and you'll find that it comes from a term meaning "not equal." "Pareil" itself comes from a Vulgar Latin form of "par," which means "equal." "Nonpareil" has served as an English adjective since the 15th century, and since the late 16th century it has also functioned as a noun describing an individual of unequaled excellence. In 1612, Captain John Smith used the term in that noun sense (but with a now-archaic spelling): "Pocahontas, Powhatan's daughter ... was the very Nomparell of his kingdome, and at most not past 13 or 14 years of age." And as you may know, "nonpareil" is also the name of a chocolate candy covered with white sugar pellets. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 8, 2006 is: retronym • \REH-troh-nim\ • noun : a term consisting of a noun and a modifier which specifies the original meaning of the noun Examples: When Bob asked Donna what a retronym was, she looked around the room for an example and said "rotary phone." Did you know? If you're planning to buy a TV anytime soon, be sure to do plenty of research. Nowadays, there are so many options using state-of-the-art technology -- from projection sets to LCD and plasma ones -- that the box television with the convex screen you might be replacing with a flat-screen television is. . .well, retro. And if you still have a console television set, a trip to a big-box store might be in your very near future. The names of such out-of-date technology, like "console television set," are examples of retronyms. The oldest print usage that we know of for the word "retronym" itself is from William Safire's column "On Language" in a 1980 issue of The New York Times. There, he discusses how then-president of National Public Radio, Frank Mankiewicz, collects what he calls "retronyms." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 7, 2006 is: parse • \PARSS\ • verb 1 : to analyze a sentence by naming its parts and their functions 2 : to examine in a minute way : analyze critically Examples: Prosecutors parsed every word of the defendant's testimony, looking for a slip that might reveal the truth. Did you know? If "parse" brings up images of elementary school and learning the parts of speech, you've done your homework regarding this word. "Parse" comes from the first element of the Latin term for "part of speech" -- "pars orationis." It's an old word that has been used in the schoolroom since the 16th century, but it did not graduate to its extended, non-grammar-related sense until the late 18th century. Remember this extended sense, and you're really at the head of the class. *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 December 6, 2006 is: cybrarian • \sye-BRAIR-ee-un\ • noun : a person whose job is to find, collect, and manage information that is available on the World Wide Web Examples: The library provided an e-mail address to submit inquiries to the cybrarian. Did you know? We've been using "librarian" for the people who manage libraries since at least the beginning of the 18th century, and the word was used for scribes and copyists even earlier than that. "Cybrarian," on the other hand, is much newer; its earliest documented use is from 1992. "Librarian" combines "library" (itself from "liber," the Latin word for book) and the noun suffix "-an," meaning "one specializing in." When people wanted a word for a person who performed duties similar to those of a librarian by using information from the Internet, they went a step further and combined "cyber-," meaning "of, relating to, or involving computers or a computer network," with "librarian" to produce the new "cybrarian." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 5, 2006 is: symposium • \sim-POH-zee-um\ • noun 1 : a social gathering at which there is free interchange of ideas 2 a : a formal meeting at which several specialists deliver short addresses on a topic or on related topics b : a collection of opinions on a subject; especially : one published by a periodical 3 : discussion Examples: The symposium gave Eduardo and other writers the chance to listen to and share new ideas about literature. Did you know? It was drinking more than thinking that drew people to the original symposia and that gave us the word "symposium." The ancient Greeks would often follow a banquet with a drinking party they called a "symposion." That name came from "sympinein," a verb that combines "pinein," meaning "to drink," with the prefix "syn-," meaning "together." Originally, English speakers only used "symposium" to refer to such an ancient Greek party, but in the 18th century British gentlemen's clubs started using the word for gatherings in which intellectual conversation was fueled by drinking. By the 19th century, "symposium" had gained the more sober sense we know today, describing meetings in which the focus is more on the exchange of ideas and less on imbibing. *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 December 4, 2006 is: adulate • \AJ-uh-layt\ • verb : to flatter or admire excessively or slavishly Examples: It bothered Joan that her nephews seemed to adulate sport stars more than their own parents or teachers. Did you know? Man's best friend is often thought of in admiring terms as faithful and true, but there are also those people who more clearly perceive the fawning and cringing aspect of doggishness. When the Romans used the Latin verb "adulari" to mean "to fawn on," they equated it with the behavior of a dog toward its master. The actual root of the word may even be connected to a word for "tail" (which, of course, brings tail wagging to mind). In English, we first used the noun "adulation," meaning "exhibition of excessive fondness" (similar in meaning but not etymologically related to "adoration"), then the adjective "adulatory" (an adulatory speech, for example, is an excessively flattering one), before we came up with the verb in the 18th 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 December 3, 2006 is: gourmand • \GOOR-mahnd\ • noun 1 : one who is excessively fond of eating and drinking 2 : one who is heartily interested in good food and drink Examples: Jason trusted the discriminating palate of his Uncle Gerald, a gourmand who is well acquainted with the area's best restaurants. Did you know? "What God has plagu'd us with this gormaund guest?" As this exasperated question from Alexander Pope's 18th-century translation of Homer's Odyssey suggests, being a gourmand is not necessarily a good thing. When "gourmand" began appearing in English texts in the 15th century, it was a decidedly bad thing, a synonym of "glutton" that was reserved for a greedy eater who consumed well past satiation. That negative connotation remained until English speakers borrowed the similar-sounding (and much more positive) "gourmet" from French in the 19th century. Since then, the meaning of "gourmand" has softened, so that although it still isn't wholly flattering, it now suggests someone who likes good food in large quantities rather than a slobbering glutton. *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 December 2, 2006 is: abyssal • \uh-BISS-ul\ • adjective 1 : impossible to comprehend : unfathomable 2 : of or relating to the bottom waters of the ocean depths Examples: Scientists have discovered remarkable creatures living in the abyssal depths of the sea. Did you know? "Abyssal" is a relatively infrequently used word, though it's derived from the more prevalent noun, "abyss." In contrast, the adjective "abysmal" is more common than its corresponding noun "abysm." All four terms descend from the Late Latin word "abyssus," which is in turn derived from the Greek "abyssos" ("bottomless"). "Abyss" and "abysm" are synonymous (both can refer to the mythical bottomless pit in old accounts of the universe or can be used more broadly in reference to any immeasurably deep gulf), but the adjectives "abyssal" and "abysmal" are not used identically. "Abyssal" can mean "incomprehensible," but it's most often found in contexts referring to the bottom of the sea. "Abysmal" shares the oceanographic sense with "abyssal," but it more frequently means "immeasurably deep" or "absolutely wretched." *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 December 1, 2006 is: clerihew • \KLAIR-ih-hyoo\ • noun : a light verse quatrain rhyming aabb and usually dealing with a person named in the initial rhyme Examples: My favorite of Edmund C. Bentley's clerihews is the following: "What I like about Clive / Is that he is no longer alive. / There is a great deal to be said / For being dead." Did you know? Edmund Clerihew Bentley (1875-1956) was an English writer whose book Biography for Beginners was published in 1906 under the name E. Clerihew. It was a collection of simple, humorous four-line verses about famous people. Bentley had begun writing them as a bored high school student. He didn't call them clerihews himself, but his readers began to do so after the book appeared. How soon after, we can't be sure, because so far we've unearthed nothing earlier than a 1928 description of clerihews as "nice slack metres and sly points." In any case, people have been having fun writing their own clerihews ever since Bentley shared his. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 30, 2006 is: poikilotherm • \poi-KEE-luh-therm\ • noun : an organism (as a frog) with a variable body temperature that tends to fluctuate with and is similar to or slightly higher than the temperature of its environment : a cold-blooded organism Examples: The environment controls the body temperature of poikilotherms, although they can heat and cool themselves by moving in and out of the sun. Did you know? Poikilotherms are also called "ectotherms" or "cold-blooded animals." Such creatures are the thermoregulatory opposites of "endotherms" or "homeotherms" -- better known to most of us as "warm-blooded animals" -- which are able to maintain a fairly high and constant body temperature relatively independent of the temperature of the surroundings. "Stenotherms" are creatures that can survive only within a very narrow temperature range. The "-therm" in all of these terms comes from the Greek "thermē," which means "heat." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 29, 2006 is: affable • \AF-uh-bul\ • adjective 1 : being pleasant and at ease in talking to others 2 : characterized by ease and friendliness Examples: Betty's father was so affable that when her friends came over they'd usually end up sitting and chatting with him. Did you know? "Affable" is one of several English words that evolved from the Latin verb "fari," which means "to speak." "Affable" comes from the Latin "affabilis," which comes from the "fari" relative "affari" ("to speak to"), plus "-abilis," meaning "able." Some other "fari" derivatives are "infant," "fable," and "fate." "Infant" comes from the Latin "infans," which means "incapable of speech" and combines "in-" and "fans," the present participle of "fari." "Fable" comes from the Latin "fabula," a "fari" offspring that means "conversation." "Fate" comes from the Latin word "fatum," meaning "what has been spoken" and deriving from "fatus," a past participle of "fari." *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 November 28, 2006 is: cerulean • \suh-ROO-lee-un\ • adjective : resembling the blue of the sky Examples: The painting depicted a series of tall, verdant trees surrounding a cerulean lake. Did you know? "Cerulean" comes from the Latin word "caeruleus," which means "dark blue" and is most likely from "caelum," the Latin word for "sky." An artist rendering a sky of blue in oils or watercolors might choose a tube of cerulean blue pigment. Birdwatchers in the eastern U.S. might look skyward and see a cerulean warbler (Dendroica cerulea). "Cerulean" is not the only color name that's closely associated with the sky. "Azure" (which ultimately comes from a Persian word for lapis lazuli, a rich blue stone) describes the color of a cloudless sky and can even be a noun meaning "the unclouded sky." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 27, 2006 is: Podunk • \POH-dunk\ • noun : a small, unimportant, and isolated town Examples: After living in a Podunk for most of her life, it took a long time for Hannah to adjust to life in the big city. Did you know? "I hear you ask, 'Where in the world is Podunk?'" A correspondent asked that question of the editors of the Buffalo, New York, Daily National Pilot in 1846, then answered himself: "It is in the world, sir; and more than that, is a little world of itself." That writer may have introduced America to the concept of Podunk as an insignificant Anywhere, U.S.A., town, but the place isn't just imaginary; towns with that name have actually existed in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, and Iowa (and probably elsewhere) over the years. The exact origin of the name is murky, but it appears that "Podunk" comes from an Algonquian word, either the name of a tribe that inhabited an area near Hartford, Connecticut, or a more generic term meaning "swampy place." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 26, 2006 is: steganography • \steg-uh-NAH-gruh-fee\ • noun : the art or practice of concealing a message, image, or file within another message, image, or file Examples: No doubt, the Internet has enriched society, but it has a flip side; terrorists, for instance, can secretly network online using steganography. Did you know? "Steganography" is a word that was resurrected after being in disuse for almost 150 years! It was put to rest in the early 1800s, labeled an archaic synonym of "cryptography" by dictionary makers, but was brought back to life in the 1980s as a word for a type of digital cryptography. There is nothing cryptic about the word's origin; it is based on the Greek word "steganos," meaning "covered" or "reticent." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 25, 2006 is: inveigle • \in-VAY-gul\ • verb 1 : to win over by wiles : entice 2 : to acquire by ingenuity or flattery : wangle Examples: Not wanting to attend the gallery opening by herself, Alice tried to inveigle Glen into accompanying her. Did you know? "Inveigle," a word that dates from the 16th century, refers to the act of using clever talk, trickery, or flattery to either persuade somebody to do something or to obtain something through a similar method. What could such a word possibly have to do with blindness? "Inveigle" came to English from the Anglo-French verb "enveegler," which means "to blind or hoodwink someone," from the adjective "enveugle," meaning "blind." "Enveugle" derives from the Medieval Latin "ab oculis," a phrase which literally translates to "lacking eyes." You might say that a person who is inveigled to do or give up something is too "blinded" by someone's words to know that he or she is being tricked. *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 November 24, 2006 is: maelstrom • \MAIL-strum\ • noun 1 : a powerful often violent whirlpool sucking in objects within a given radius 2 : something resembling a maelstrom in turbulence Examples: The mayor has been swept up in the media maelstrom surrounding the laundering of thousands of dollars in state funds by city officials. Did you know? "Maelstrom" comes from an early Dutch proper noun that literally meant "turning stream." The original Maelstrom is a channel that has dangerous tidal currents located off the northwest coast of Norway. The word became popularized in the general vocabulary of English in reference to a powerful whirlpool, or something akin to one, in the 19th century. This was partly due to its use by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne (whose writing was widely translated from French) in stories exaggerating the tempestuousness of the Norwegian current and transforming it into a whirling vortex. *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 November 23, 2006 is: majordomo • \may-jer-DOH-moh\ • noun 1 : a head steward of a large household (as a palace) 2 : butler, steward 3 : a person who speaks, makes arrangements, or takes charge for another; broadly : the person who runs an enterprise Examples: The journalist phoned the rock star's majordomo to request an interview. Did you know? "Majordomo" has relatives in Spanish ("mayordomo") and Italian (the now obsolete "maiordomo"), and English speakers borrowed the term from one of these languages. All three words -- "majordomo," "mayordomo," and "maiordomo" -- ultimately come from the Medieval Latin "major domus," meaning "chief of the house." In its earliest uses, "majordomo" referred to the head steward of a royal household. The position was a high one with some relatively weighty responsibilities. Later, in the U.S., the word was used for the steward or overseer of a ranch. Since then, the word's meaning has extended even further; today, "majordomo" can designate any person who takes charge of another's affairs, be they business or personal. *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 November 21, 2006 is: palinode • \PAL-uh-nohd\ • noun 1 : an ode or song recanting or retracting something in an earlier poem 2 : a formal retraction Examples: Oscar Wilde penned this famous palinode: "Not that I agree with everything that I have said in this essay. There is much with which I entirely disagree." Did you know? Does singing someone's praises in a palinode pay off? It did in the case of Stesichorus, a Greek poet of the 6th century B.C. According to Plato, old Stesichorus was struck blind after writing a poem insulting Helen of Troy, but his sight was restored after he wrote an apologetic palinode. That poet was only too glad to apply the Greek word "palinōidia" (a compound of "palin," meaning "back" or "again," and "aeidein," meaning "to sing"). So were 16th-century English poets, who borrowed and modified the Greek term to refer to odes of their own. *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 November 20, 2006 is: thrasonical • \thray-SAH-nih-kul\ • adjective : of, relating to, resembling, or characteristic of Thraso : bragging, boastful Examples: Bob's incessant bragging earned him a reputation as a thrasonical bore among his coworkers. Did you know? Thraso was a blustering old soldier in the comedy Eunuchus, a play written by the great Roman dramatist Terence more than 2,000 years ago. Terence is generally remembered for his realistic characterizations, and in Thraso he created a swaggerer whose vainglorious boastfulness was not soon to be forgotten. Thraso's reputation as a braggart lives on in "thrasonical," a word that boasts a history as an English adjective for more than 440 years. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 19, 2006 is: esurient • \ih-SUR-ee-unt\ • adjective : hungry, greedy Examples: Esurient for an even larger share of the local real estate market, the developer made an aggressive bid for the apartment complex. Did you know? If you're hungry for a new way to express your hunger, you might find that "esurient" fits your palate. Be forewarned, however, that when used literally "esurient" has a humorous flavor. This somewhat obscure word first appeared in English in the second half of the 17th century, deriving from the present participle of the Latin verb "esurire," meaning "to be hungry." It is also related to "edere," the Latin verb for "eat," which has given us such scrumptious fare as "edible" and its synonyms "esculent" and "comestible." "Esurient" can be used somewhat playfully to suggest an actual hunger for food, but it is more often applied to such things as wealth or power. In the latter contexts, it takes on the connotation of "greedy." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 18, 2006 is: tattoo • \ta-TOO\ • noun 1 : a rapid rhythmic rapping 2 a : a call sounded shortly before taps as notice to go to quarters b : outdoor military exercise given by troops as evening entertainment Examples: I was awakened by a woodpecker beating a tattoo against the drainpipe outside my window-alerting other woodpeckers, and me, to his presence. Did you know? Today's word has nothing to do with skin markings. That other "tattoo" comes from the Tahitian word "tatau." Today's "tattoo" comes from the Dutch colloquialism "tap toe," which can be translated as "turn off the tap," though it was most often used to mean something like "Shut up! Cease!" The Dutch began using "taptoe" for a drum beat, and then English speakers borrowed the term (changing it slightly, to "taptoo"). It was used especially by the military to name a drum beat (or possibly a bugle call) that signaled the day's end. This "taptoo" most likely led to our "taps," a term for the final bugle call at night in the military. *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 November 17, 2006 is: Garrison finish • \GA-ruh-sun-FIN-ish\ • noun : a finish in which the winner comes from behind at the end Examples: In an amazing Garrison finish, the home team, down by two, scored three goals in the final minutes to win the soccer championship. Did you know? Edward "Snapper" Garrison was a 19th-century American jockey known for his spectacular come-from-behind wins. During his 16-year riding career, he won nearly 700 races. By the time he rode Montana to a smash finish in the Suburban handicap in 1892 and rode Tammany to a breathtaking finish at New Jersey's Guttenberg track in 1893, his riding style had so captured the attention of the public that people had begun using the term "Garrison finish" for any victory in which the winner comes from behind. Garrison, who died in 1930 at age 62, was inducted into the National Thoroughbred Racing Hall of Fame in 1955, the first year of inductions. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 16, 2006 is: debunk • \dee-BUNK\ • verb : to expose the sham or falseness of Examples: The book debunks many longstanding myths surrounding the historical event. Did you know? If you guessed that "debunk" has something to do with "bunk," meaning "nonsense," you're correct. We started using "bunk" at the beginning of the 20th century. (It derives from a remark made by a Buncombe county, N.C., congressman.) A little less than 25 years later, "debunk" was first used in print for the act of taking the "bunk" out of something. There are plenty of synonyms for "debunk," including "disprove," "rebut," "refute," and the somewhat rarer "confute." Even "falsify" can mean "prove something false," in addition to "make something false." "Debunk" itself often suggests that something is not merely untrue, but also a sham; one can simply disprove a myth, but if it is "debunked," the implication is that it was a grossly exaggerated or foolish claim. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 15, 2006 is: cozen • \KUZ-un\ • verb 1 : to deceive, win over, or induce to do something by artful coaxing and wheedling or shrewd trickery 2 : to gain by artful coaxing or tricky deception Examples: Five-year-old Mimi managed to cozen a second helping of dessert from her guileless grandmother. Did you know? "Be not utterly deceived (or to speak in plainer terms, cozened at their hands)." Denouncing the evils of the times, 16th-century Puritan pamphleteer Philip Stubbes thus warned against unscrupulous merchants. "Cozen" may not seem a "plainer term" to us, but it might have to the horse-dependent folks of the 16th century. Some linguists have theorized that "cozen" traces to the Italian noun "cozzone," which means "horse trader." Horse-trading, as in the actual swapping of horses, usually involved bargaining and compromise-and, in fact, the term "horse-trading" has come to suggest any shrewd negotiation. It seems safe to assume that not all of these negotiations were entirely on the up-and-up. Given its etymological association with horse traders, therefore, it's not too surprising that "cozen" suggests deception and fraud. *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 November 14, 2006 is: plinth • \PLINTH\ • noun 1 : the lowest part of the base of an architectural column 2 : a usually square block serving as a base; broadly : any of various bases or lower parts Examples: The thieves had managed to remove the statue, leaving behind only an empty plinth. Did you know? "These ivy-clad arcades-/ These mouldering plinths . . . are they all-/ All of the famed, and the colossal left . . .? " In these lines from "The Coliseum," Edgar Allan Poe alludes to a practical feature of classical architecture. The plinth serves the important purpose of raising the base of the column it supports above the ground, thus protecting it from dampness and mold. The humble plinth is usually a mere thick block. It's humbly named, too, for the Greek word "plinthos" means simply "tile" or "brick." English writers have used "plinth," a shortened version of the Latin form "plinthus," since the beginning of the 17th century. The meaning was extended to bases for statues, vases, or busts in 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 November 13, 2006 is: sanctimonious • \sank-tuh-MOE-nee-us\ • adjective : hypocritically pious or devout Examples: My sanctimonious aunt always warns us about the evils of drinking and gambling, but according to my mother, she did those things herself when she was young. Did you know? There's nothing sacred about "sanctimonious"-at least not any more. But in the early 1600s, the English adjective was still sometimes used to describe someone truly holy or pious (a sense that recalls the meaning of the word's Latin parent, "sanctimonia"). Shakespeare used both the "holy" and "holier-than-thou" senses in his work, referring in The Tempest to the "sanctimonious" (that is, "holy") ceremonies of marriage, and in Measure for Measure to describe "the sanctimonious pirate that went to sea with the Ten Commandments but scraped one out of the table." (Apparently, the pirate found the restriction on stealing a bit too inconvenient.) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 12, 2006 is: tantara • \tan-TAIR-uh\ • noun : the blare of a trumpet or horn Examples: "But hardly had we sat down ere we heard the tom-toming of the kettledrum and tantara of trumpets and clash of cymbals. . . ." (Sir Richard Burton, translator, The Arabian Nights) Did you know? "Tantara" is a shortening of the Latin "taratantara," an onomatopoetic word that in ancient times that evoked the terrible sound of the war-trumpet. When "tantara" entered English in the 16th century, the sound it evoked was a merry one. "Tantara, tantara, the trumpets sound, / Which makes our hearte with joy abound," wrote Humphrey Gifford in 1580. Today, "tantara" is sometimes used as a synonym of "fanfare," a word for a short, lively sound of trumpets that may also be onomatopoetic in origin. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 11, 2006 is: Croesus • \KREE-sus\ • adjective : a very rich man Examples: John D. Rockefeller became an American Croesus by dominating the oil business in the late 1800s. Did you know? The original Croesus was a 6th-century B.C. king of Lydia, an ancient kingdom in what is now Turkey. Croesus conquered many surrounding regions, grew very wealthy, and became the subject of legends. In one legend, he was visited by Solon, the wise Athenian lawgiver. (Historians say this isn't chronologically possible, but it makes a good story.) Solon supposedly told Croesus, who thought he had everything: "Account no man happy before his death." These words made Croesus angry, and he threw the lawmaker out of his court. Croesus would rethink Solon's pronouncement later when his empire was overthrown by the Persians. Croesus' name shows up in the phrase "rich as Croesus," meaning "filthy rich," and it has also entered English as a generic term for someone extremely wealthy. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 10, 2006 is: crackerjack • \CRACK-er-jack\ • adjective : of striking ability or excellence Examples: Allison's brother, a crackerjack computer technician, was able to quickly fix the problems with her laptop. Did you know? The late 19th-century pairing of "crack" and "jack" to form "crackerjack" topped off a long history for those words. "Cracker" is an elongation of "crack," an adjective meaning "expert" or "superior" that dates from 1793. Prior to that, "crack" was a noun meaning "something superior" and a verb meaning "to boast." (The verb use evolved from the expression "to crack a boast," which came from the sense of "crack" meaning "to make a loud sharp sound.") "Jack" has been used for "man" since the mid-1500s, as in "jack-of-all-trades." "Crackerjack" entered English first as a noun referring to "a person or thing of marked excellence," then as an adjective. You may also know "Cracker Jack" as a snack of candied popcorn and peanuts. That trademarked name dates from the 1890s. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 9, 2006 is: colligate • \KAH-luh-gayt\ • verb 1 : transitive to bind, unite, or group together 2 a : transitive to subsume (isolated facts) under a general concept b : intransitive to be or become a member of a group or unit Examples: All of the files have been colligated as one large searchable database. Did you know? "Colligate" descends from Latin "colligare," itself from "com-" ("with") plus "ligare" ("to tie"). Which of the following words is NOT tied to "ligare"? "Ligature," "ligament," "lien," "rely," "ally," "oblige," "furl," and "league" (in the sense of "an association of persons, groups, or teams") can all be traced back along varying paths to "ligare." That leaves only "collocate," which means "to set side by side" and comes from "com-" plus "locare," meaning "to place." *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 November 8, 2006 is: peroration • \pair-uh-RAY-shun\ • noun 1 : the concluding part of a discourse and especially an oration 2 : a highly rhetorical speech Examples: The President concluded, in an eloquent and ringing peroration, that it was necessary for the nation to stand together against hardships. Did you know? As you may have already guessed, "peroration" is a relative of "oration." Both words ultimately derive from the Latin "orare," meaning "to speak" or "to plead." The direct ancestor of "peroration" is the Latin verb "perorare," meaning "to declaim at length" or "to wind up an oration." "Perorare," in turn, comes from the combination of "per-" ("through") and "orare." The English language also has the verb "perorate," which means "to deliver a long or grandiloquent speech" or "to offer a concluding part of a speech." *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 November 7, 2006 is: gainsay • \gain-SAY\ • verb 1 : to declare to be untrue or invalid 2 : contradict, oppose Examples: Although he claimed to be astonished by the accusations made against him, Kevin made no attempt to gainsay them. Did you know? You might have trouble figuring out "gainsay" if you're thinking of our modern "gain" plus "say." It might help to know that the "gain-" part is actually related to "against." In Old English, "gēan-" meant "against." From that came the Middle English "gain-." "Gain-" was joined with "sayen" ("say") to form "gainsayen," the Middle English predecessor of "gainsay." So when you see "gainsay," think "say against" -- that is, "deny" or "contradict." When you do happen to come across "gainsay," it's likely to be in literature. "Gainsay" is a literary, somewhat old-fashioned word that isn't heard much in everyday modern speech. *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 November 6, 2006 is: paltry • \PAWL-tree\ • adjective 1 : inferior, trashy 2 : mean, despicable 3 : trivial 4 : meager, measly Examples: Nora was struggling to support herself on the paltry wages from her day job, so she began to wait tables at night to supplement her income. Did you know? Before "paltry" was an adjective, it was a noun meaning "trash." That now obsolete noun in turn came from "palt" or "pelt," dialect terms meaning "a piece of coarse cloth," or broadly, "trash." The adjective "paltry" first meant "trashy," but currently has a number of senses, all generally meaning "no good." A "paltry house" might be run-down and unfit for occupancy; a "paltry trick" is a trick that is low-down and dirty; a "paltry excuse" is a trivial one; and a "paltry sum" is small and insufficient. *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 November 5, 2006 is: noblesse oblige • \noh-BLESS-uh-BLEEZH\ • noun : the obligation of honorable, generous, and responsible behavior associated with high rank or birth Examples: "In the Robinson family's circles, public service had long been common; it connoted not personal ambition so much as noblesse oblige." (Connie Bruck, The New Yorker, July 23, 1990) Did you know? In French, "noblesse oblige" means literally "nobility obligates." French speakers transformed the phrase into a noun, which English speakers picked up in the 19th century. Then, as now, "noblesse oblige" referred to the unwritten obligation of people from a noble ancestry to act honorably and generously to others. Later, by extension, it also came to refer to the obligation of anyone who is in a better position than others -- due, for example, to high office or celebrity -- to act respectably and responsibly. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 4, 2006 is: doyen • \DOY-un\ • noun 1 : the senior or most experienced member of a group 2 : the oldest example of a category Examples: We watched a TV documentary by Jacques Cousteau, the doyen of undersea explorers. Did you know? English picked up "doyen" from French in the 17th century. The French term in turn comes from the Late Latin word "decanus," which itself comes from the Greek "dekanos," meaning "chief of ten." A "doyen" can be a leader of a group, such as a diplomatic corps. In this regard, the word has been used to refer to someone who is specifically or tacitly allowed to speak for that group. More broadly, a "doyen" refers to a highly skilled and respected veteran of a particular field. The feminine form of "doyen" is "doyenne." *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 November 3, 2006 is: cowcatcher • \KOW-ketch-er\ • noun : an inclined frame on the front of a railroad locomotive for throwing obstacles off the track Examples: For his entry in the town parade, John outfitted his black truck with a cowcatcher and smoke stack to resemble a 19th-century locomotive. Did you know? New Jersey's Camden and Amboy Railroad was the first in the U.S. to adopt the cowcatcher, adding it to its John Bull locomotive in the early 1830s. But, as the Model Railroader Cyclopedia warned, "don't ever let a railroad man hear you use 'cowcatcher.'" In its heyday, railroad workers preferred the name "pilot" for that v-shaped frame which, aside from pushing aside obstacles, helped to guide the train around curves. In the 1940s and '50s "cowcatcher" jumped the tracks and took on a new life in TV and radio advertising jargon. The term was used for a commercial that was aired immediately before a program and that advertised a secondary product of the program's sponsor. Such ads apparently got the name because they "went in front." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 2, 2006 is: perseverate • \per-SEV-uh-rayt\ • verb 1 : to repeat or recur persistently 2 : to go back over previously covered ground Examples: To ensure the accuracy of his or her data, the scientist necessarily perseverates, repeating each experiment many times and comparing the results. Did you know? Looking at "perseverate" and "perseveration," you may guess that the latter was formed by adding a suffix to the former, but that is not the case. "Perseveration" is actually the older term. It has been around since the 1600s, when it was used as a synonym of "perseverance" (which at one time was pronounced, like "perseverate" and "perseveration," with the stress on "sev," instead of on "ver"). In the early 1900s, psychologists adopted "perseveration" for the act of repeating a behavior over and over again. (For instance, continually repeating the same syllable or word might be called "verbal perseveration.") Shortly afterward, those scientists wanted a verb for such acts of repetition, so they changed the "-tion" of "perseveration" to "-ate" and "perseverate" was born. *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 November 1, 2006 is: rhadamanthine • \rad-uh-MAN-thun\ • adjective : often capitalized : rigorously strict or just Examples: The judge took the maliciousness of the crime into account and decided upon a rhadamanthine punishment. Did you know? In Greek mythology, there were three judges of the underworld: Minos, Aeacus, and Rhadamanthus. Minos, a son of Zeus and Europa, had been the king of Crete before becoming supreme judge in the underworld after his death. Aeacus, another son of Zeus, was king of Aegina before joining the underworld triumvirate. Rhadamanthus, brother of Minos and king of the Cyclades Islands, was especially known for being inflexible when administering his judgment -- hence, the meaning of "rhadamanthine" as "rigorously strict or just." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.