Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 30, 2014 is: passim • \PASS-im\ • adverb : here and there Examples: Readers will have no trouble determining the editor's opinions about the text, as her strongly worded footnotes appear passim. "Finally, may I say that I respect the views of those who have read and researched the same information as I, but reached the opposing conclusion, as displayed in your letter pages passim." - From a letter to the editor by Stephen Brown in the North Devon Journal, December 12, 2013 Did you know? "Passim" is from the Latin word "passus" ("scattered"), itself from "pandere," meaning "to spread." "Pandere" is the root of the common word "expand" and the not-so-common word "repand," meaning "having a slightly undulating margin" (as in "a repand leaf" or "a repand colony of bacteria"). It is also the progenitor of "pace," as in "keep up a steady pace." "Passim" itself appears in English both on its own and as part of the adverb "sic passim," which means "so throughout." "Sic passim" is typically used to indicate that a word or idea is to be found at various places throughout a book or a writer's work. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 29, 2014 is: logy • \LOH-ghee\ • adjective : marked by sluggishness and lack of vitality : groggy Examples: I was feeling logy after eating such a big meal, so I decided to take a brief nap. "I often feel logy before putting on a record that I'm slated to review, like I'm getting up in the morning for work. But that dissipates. The music soon becomes a pool cue that gets mental billiards rolling, points clacking against counterpoints." - From an album review by Carl Wilson in Slate Magazine, November 1, 2013 Did you know? Based on surface resemblance, you might guess that "logy" (also sometimes spelled "loggy") is related to "groggy," but that's not the case. "Groggy" ultimately comes from "Old Grog," the nickname of an English admiral who was notorious for his cloak made of a fabric called grogram-and for adding water to his crew's rum. The sailors called the rum mixture "grog" after the admiral. Because of the effect of grog, "groggy" came to mean "weak and unsteady on the feet or in action." No one is really sure about the origin of "logy," but experts speculate that it comes from the Dutch word "log," meaning "heavy." Its first recorded use in English, from an 1847 London newspaper, refers to a "loggy stroke" in rowing. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 28, 2014 is: rutilant • \ROO-tuh-lunt\ • adjective : having a reddish glow Examples: We all sat quietly around the campfire, each person's rutilant face mesmerized by the crackling flame. "I watched him with envy. He was tall and thin, having outgrown his pudge, while I was still layered with baby fat, rutilant cheeks glowing like apples." - From Doug Crandell's 2004 memoir Pig Boy’s Wicked Bird Did you know? "Rutilant," which first appeared in English late in the 15th century, is used in English today to describe anything with a reddish or fiery glow, such as a sunset or flushed skin. It derives from Latin "rutilus," meaning "ruddy," which is probably related to Latin "ruber," meaning "red." "Ruber" itself is a direct ancestor of our word "rubella" (a disease named for the reddish color one's skin turns when afflicted with the condition) and "rubric" (which, among other things, can refer to a book or manuscript heading that is done or underlined in red). "Ruber" is also a distant relative of several English words for things that bear a reddish tone (including "russet," "rouge," and "ruby") and even of the word "red" itself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 27, 2014 is: conflate • \kun-FLAYT\ • verb 1 a : to bring together : fuse b : confuse 2 : to combine (as two readings of a text) into a composite whole Examples: The professor warned us to be careful not to conflate the two similar theories. "Some people are bound to conflate your onscreen character Marie with your real-life self." - From an interview by Clark Collis in Entertainment Weekly, December 6, 2013 Did you know? We're not just blowing hot air when we tell you that "conflate" can actually be traced back to the same roots as the English verb "blow." "Conflate" derives from "conflatus," the past participle of the Latin verb "conflare" ("to blow together, to fuse"), which was formed by combining the prefix "com-" with the verb "flare," meaning "to blow." The source of Latin "flare" is the same ancient root word that gave us "blow." Other descendants of "flare" in English include "afflatus" ("a divine imparting of knowledge or power"), "inflate," "insufflation" ("an act of blowing"), and "flageolet" (a kind of small flute-the "flageolet" referring to a green kidney bean is unrelated). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 26, 2014 is: visage • \VIZ-ij\ • noun 1 : the face, countenance, or appearance of a person or sometimes an animal 2 : aspect, appearance Examples: The model's severe, smoldering visage appears to gaze with contempt from billboards throughout the city. "The image that best sums up this disastrous Knicks season lies right there on the sidelines, on the incredible, incredulous visage of haggard coach Mike Woodson." - From a post by Ben Yakas at Gothamist.com, December 26, 2013 Did you know? Writers occasionally come face-to-face with the fact that "face" is a pretty generic word that seems to have no ordinary synonyms. But it has a few synonyms of the high-flown variety. "Physiognomy," for instance, refers to facial features or expression thought to reveal qualities of mind or character ("I thought I could detect in his physiognomy a mind owning better qualities than his father ever possessed…."-Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights). "Countenance" is usually used to refer to one's face and the mood revealed by it ("Mina struggled hard to keep her brave countenance…."-Bram Stoker, Dracula). "Visage" works double duty, referring to both physical appearance and a display of emotion. It can also refer to the appearance of nonliving things, as in "the dirty visage of the old abandoned factory." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 25, 2014 is: stymie • \STYE-mee\ • verb : to present an obstacle to : stand in the way of Examples: Progress on the project has been stymied by lack of funds. "Even the town's initiatives couldn't stop someone from buying Wagner's land and developing it with houses. The only safeguards lie in the forest's marshes and hills that might stymie much development." - From an article by Taylor W. Anderson in the Chicago Tribune, December 12, 2013 Did you know? Golf was being played in Scotland as early as the 15th century, but it wasn't until the 19th century that the sport really caught on in England and North America. It was also in the 19th century that the word "stymie" entered English as a noun referring to a golfing situation in which one player's ball lies between another ball and the hole on the putting green, thereby blocking the line of play. Later, "stymie" came to be used as a verb meaning "to bring into the position of, or impede by, a stymie." By the early 20th century, the verb was being applied in similarly vexing non-golf contexts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 24, 2014 is: acephalous • \ay-SEF-uh-lus\ • adjective 1 : lacking a head or having the head reduced 2 : lacking a governing head or chief Examples: Having no head capsule, the larva is acephalous. "Mouskas believes there is ample room to improve the Cyprus shipping registry including appointing a director at the Department of Merchant Shipping (DMS), which has been acephalous since Sergios Serghiou retired two and half years ago." - From an article by Charles Savva at mondaq.com, updated December 2, 2013 Did you know? The English word "acephalous" was borrowed from Medieval Latin, in which it meant "headless" and was chiefly used to describe clerics not under a bishop or lines of verse having the first foot missing or abbreviated. The fountainhead of these meanings is the Greek word "kephalē," meaning "head." Other English descendants of "kephalē" include "cephalic," meaning "of or relating to the head" or "directed toward or situated on or in or near the head," and "encephalitis," meaning "inflammation of the brain." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 23, 2014 is: pratfall • \PRAT-fawl\ • noun 1 : a fall on the buttocks 2 : a humiliating mishap or blunder Examples: "I didn't really fall! I was doing a silly pratfall, and the press said I actually fell over, but I didn't. Just one of my clowning things." - From an interview with Emma Thompson in Newsday, December 11, 2013 "For the last two months, our healthcare.gov guinea pig Alice has had one frustrating moment after another. She visited the site repeatedly since its series of rolling pratfalls started Oct. 1. It never worked." - From an op-ed by John Dickerson in the Columbia Daily Tribune (Columbia, Missouri), December 8, 2013 Did you know? The human posterior has been given a number of designations over the centuries, some not acceptable in polite company. "Prat," a slang term with only slightly indecorous overtones, has been used in reference to the backside since the 16th century. It wasn't until the 1930s, however, that falling on one's prat gave rise to the term "pratfall." The word first cropped up in the lingo of comedy theater, where a pratfall is often part of a slapstick routine. It wasn't long before we gave the word its extended sense of "blunder." Now, with "prat" rarely used as a synonym of "derriere" anymore, "pratfall" is as apt to suggest getting a pie in the face as landing on one's behind. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 22, 2014 is: jaunty • \JAWN-tee\ • adjective : sprightly in manner or appearance : lively Examples: Flashbulbs lit up the scene as the bubbly actress sashayed down the red carpet, wearing a jaunty little headpiece that complemented her airy designer gown. "As Soapy Smith, a homeless guy down on his luck, his ability to recreate every aspect of this jaunty, sly survivor is perfect." - From a theater review by Edith McCauley in the Rock River Times (Illinois), December 18-24, 2013 Did you know? You might not guess that the words "jaunty" and "genteel" are related-but they are. Both words evolved from the French word "gentil," which carried the sense of "noble." At first "jaunty" was used, like "genteel," for things aristocratic, but as the years went by people stopped using it that way. Today "jaunty" is used to describe things that are lively and perky rather than things that are aristocratic and elegant. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 21, 2014 is: melancholia • \mel-un-KOH-lee-uh\ • noun : a mental condition and especially a manic-depressive condition characterized by extreme depression, bodily complaints, and often hallucinations and delusions; broadly : a feeling of sadness and depression Examples: "As the debates about the future shape of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), Fifth Edition, continue, a review of one of the liveliest arguments, about melancholia as a diagnostic category in its own right, appears timely." - From an article by Paul Grof in the Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, April 2013 "While some lyrics in Brian Wilson's handwriting are drenched in melancholia, most convey the band's signature, sunny optimism." - From an article in The Daily Home (Talladega, Alabama), April 20, 2013 Did you know? Today's word traces back to Greek "melan " ("black, dark") and "cholē" ("bile"). Medical practitioners once adhered to the system of humors-bodily fluids that included black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm. An imbalance of these humors was thought to lead to disorders of the mind and body. One suffering from an excess of black bile (believed to be secreted by the kidneys or spleen) could become sullen and unsociable-liable to anger, irritability, brooding, and depression. Today, doctors no longer ascribe physical and mental disorders to disruptions of the four humors, but the word "melancholia" is still used in psychiatry (it is identified a "subtype" of clinical depression in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and as a general term for despondency. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 20, 2014 is: zany • \ZAY-nee\ • noun 1 : a subordinate clown or acrobat in old comedies who mimics ludicrously the tricks of the principal 2 : one who acts the buffoon to amuse others 3 : a foolish, eccentric, or crazy person Examples: My brother's friends are an unpredictable bunch of zanies. "The Man … invites us to listen in as he plays his cherished two-record album of 'The Drowsy Chaperone,' a fictitious 1928 romp featuring wall-to-wall music and a cast of zanies." - From a theater review by Tony Farrell in the Richmond Times Dispatch (Virginia), November 11, 2013 Did you know? Zanies have been theatrical buffoons since the heyday of the Italian commedia dell'arte, which introduced those knavish clowns. The Italian "zanni" was a stock servant character, often an intelligent and proud valet with abundant common sense, a love of practical jokes, and a tendency to be quarrelsome, cowardly, envious, vindictive, and treacherous. Zanni, the Italian name for the character, comes from a dialect nickname for Giovanni, the Italian form of John. The character quickly spread throughout European theater circles, inspiring such familiar characters as Pierrot and Harlequin, and by the late 1500s an anglicized version of the noun "zany" was introduced to English-speaking audiences by no less a playwright than William Shakespeare (in Love's Labour's Lost). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 19, 2014 is: ubiquitous • \yoo-BIK-wuh-tus\ • adjective : existing or being everywhere at the same time : constantly encountered : widespread Examples: The band's catchy new song is ubiquitous-I seem to hear it everywhere I go. "Blackberry, once the darling of business and ubiquitous in every meeting, is being replaced as other devices move in offering faster, smarter and sleeker phones." - From a blog by Liz Hester at talkingbiznews.com, December 16, 2013 Did you know? "Ubiquitous" comes to us from the noun "ubiquity," meaning "presence everywhere or in many places simultaneously." "Ubiquity" first appeared in print in the late 16th century, but "ubiquitous" didn't make an appearance until 1830. (Another noun form, "ubiquitousness," arrived around 1874.) Both words are ultimately derived from the Latin word for "everywhere," which is "ubique." "Ubiquitous," which has often been used with a touch of exaggeration for things and people that seem to turn up everywhere, has become a more widespread and popular word than "ubiquity." Though not quite ubiquitous, if you keep your eyes and ears open, you're apt to encounter the word "ubiquitous" quite a bit. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 18, 2014 is: hoopla • \HOO-plah\ • noun 1 : excited commotion : to-do 2 : exaggerated or sensational promotion or publicity Examples: In my opinion, the movie didn't live up to the hoopla surrounding it. "There was no formal introduction, no hoopla as the leading scorer in Maryland men's basketball history took a seat behind the bench for the first time in his new role." - From an article by Don Markus in The Baltimore Sun, November 29, 2013 Did you know? In French, the interjection "houp-là" is used roughly the same way as English's "upsy-daisy" or "whoops-a-daisy," as one might say when picking up a child. (This usage can be found in English, too, in such works as Booth Tarkington's The Magnificent Ambersons and James Joyce’s Ulysses.) In the early 20th century, the word, playing on the syllable "hoop," gave its name to a ring-toss game played at carnivals. But before that, "hoopla" was used in American English to refer to a kind of bustling commotion, and later, as a term for sensationalist hype. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 17, 2014 is: ostentatious • \ah-stun-TAY-shus\ • adjective : marked by or fond of conspicuous or vainglorious and sometimes pretentious display Examples: Now that he has money, Edwin wears expensive designer clothes, drives an ostentatious car, and frequents the trendiest upscale nightclubs. "'Washingtonians are more understated in their style,' says Pamela Sorensen, founder of the website Pamela's Punch, where she covers the local social scene. 'Being flashy or ostentatious is frowned upon.'" - From an article by Kimberly Palmer in the Washingtonian, January 2014 Did you know? "Showy," "pretentious," and "ostentatious" all mean given to outward display, but there are subtle differences in the meaning of these show-off words. "Showy" implies an imposing or striking appearance, but usually also implies cheapness or bad taste. "Pretentious" suggests an appearance of importance not justified by a thing's value or a person's standing. "Ostentatious" is the most peacockish of all, stressing the vanity of the display. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 16, 2014 is: gaffer • \GAF-er\ • noun 1 a : an old man - compare gammer 2 British b : foreman, overseer c : employer 2 : a head glassblower 3 : a lighting electrician on a motion-picture or television set Examples: Before the first day of shooting, the gaffer spent several days setting up all the lights. "Meanwhile, almost a hundred crew members, gaffers, lighting and camera people, makeup artists, sound technicians, producers and security were outside creating scenes for 'Draft Day.'" - From an article by Michael Heaton in the Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio), May 15, 2013 Did you know? Though movie and cinema buffs associate "gaffer" with Hollywood, the word actually pre-dates motion pictures by about 300 years. The first recorded use of "gaffer" dates from the 16th century, when it was used as a title of respect for an older gentleman. Later it was used as a generic noun for any elderly man, and then it picked up the sense "foreman" (still used in British English), perhaps because the foreman was the most experienced and, most likely, the oldest person in a work crew. Today "gaffer" is usually applied to the head lighting electrician on a movie set. The gaffer's assistant is called the "best boy." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 15, 2014 is: chinoiserie • \sheen-wah-zuh-REE\ • noun : a style in art (as in decoration) reflecting Chinese qualities or motifs; also : an object or decoration in this style Examples: We admired our host's daring taste in home décor, which combined spare modern elements with chinoiserie. "Bamboo chairs vie with 19th-century lacquered armoires, nooks covered in chinoiserie toile and paisley-block prints exude irresistible coziness, and whimsical yet inviting rooms reflect a confluence of historical periods ranging from Rococo to Regency." - From an article by Lindsay Talbot in Harper's Bazaar, October 1, 2013 Did you know? In 1670, King Louis XIV had the Trianon de Porcelaine erected at Versailles. It was a small structure-a pleasure house built for the king's mistress-and it was decorated with chinoiserie and faced with faience tiles with a blue and white chinoiserie pattern. The building persists in history as the first major example of chinoiserie-the English word is borrowed straight from French, which based the word on "chinois," its word for "Chinese"-but the trend it began long outlasted the building itself, which was destroyed a mere 17 years later to make way for the Grand Trianon. Chinoiserie itself was popular throughout the 17th and 18th centuries and enjoyed a brief revival in the 1930s. And people still enjoy it today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 14, 2014 is: wangle • \WANG-gul\ • verb 1 : to resort to trickery or devious methods 2 : to adjust or manipulate for personal or fraudulent ends 3 : to make or get by devious means : finagle Examples: Somehow, Irene managed to wangle front-row tickets and backstage passes for the concert. "He quits his job, wangling a huge pay-off by blackmailing his boss, and buys a ridiculous red sports car." - From a film review by Marc Lee at telegraph.co.uk, November 21, 2013 Did you know? "Wangle," a verb of uncertain origin, has been used in its sense "to obtain by sly methods" since the late 19th century. Occasionally, one sees "wrangle" used similarly, as in "wrangle a huge salary," but more typically it means "to argue or engage in controversy." Did the "obtain" sense of "wrangle" evolve through confusion with "wangle"? Not exactly. "Wrangle" was used with the meaning "to obtain by arguing or bargaining" as early as 1624, long before "wangle" appeared in the language. The sense had all but disappeared until recent decades, however, and its revival may very well have been influenced by "wangle." The "obtain" sense of "wangle" is currently more common than that of "wrangle," but both are considered standard. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 13, 2014 is: belfry • \BEL-free\ • noun 1 : a bell tower; especially : one surmounting or attached to another structure 2 : a room or framework for enclosing a bell 3 : head Examples: "Hang a lantern aloft in the belfry arch Of the North Church tower as a signal light,- One if by land, and two if by sea; And I on the opposite shore will be…." -- From Henry Wadworth Longfellow's 1860 poem "Paul Revere's Ride" "College representatives recently relocated a colony, which was estimated to comprise between 1,500 and 2,000 big brown bats, from the building's iconic bell tower.… College officials are endeavoring to provide the belfry's former occupants with new accommodations." - From an article by Matthew Stewart in the Maryville Daily Times (Maryville, Tennessee), November 24, 2013 Did you know? Surprisingly, "belfry" does not come from "bell," and early belfries did not contain bells at all. "Belfry" comes from "berfrey," a medieval term for a wooden tower used in sieges. The structure could be rolled up to a fortification wall so that warriors hidden inside could storm the battlements. Over time, the term was applied to other types of shelters and towers, many of which had bells in them. Through association, people began spelling "berfrey" as "bellfrey," then as "belfrey" and later "belfry." On a more metaphorical note, someone who has "bats in the belfry" is crazy or eccentric. This phrase is responsible for the use of "bats" for "crazy" ("Are you completely bats?") and the occasional use of "belfry" for "head" ("He's not quite right in the belfry"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 12, 2014 is: jilt • \JILT\ • verb : to drop (someone, such as a lover) capriciously or unfeelingly Examples: The song is about a woman who jilts her beloved for another man, only to realize she has made a terrible mistake. "A Georgia court ruled that a man who jilted his fiancée is liable for $50,000 in damages." - From an article by Robert W. Wood in Forbes, December 8, 2013 Did you know? Today's word traces back to the English dialect noun "jillet" ("a flirtatious girl"), itself from "Jill" or "Gill" (used both as a proper name and as a noun meaning "girl") plus the diminutive suffix "-et." "Jilt" itself came into use in the second half of the 17th century as a noun meaning "an unchaste woman" (a sense that is now obsolete) or "a woman who capriciously casts a lover aside," and also as a verb used for the actions of such a woman. These days, the person doing the jilting can be either male or female, and though "jilt" usually implies the sudden ending of a romantic relationship, it can also be used beyond the context of a romantic relationship with the broader meaning "to sever close relations with." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 11, 2014 is: toady • \TOH-dee\ • noun : one who flatters in the hope of gaining favors Examples: The editorial unfairly characterizes the appointee as one of the mayor's toadies, ignoring her long record of unselfish service to the community. "But, Stan and his toady never actually laid a finger on me and the threats ceased as mysteriously and suddenly as they started." - From an article by Mike Tupa in the Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise (Oklahoma), November 20, 2013 Did you know? We can thank old-time toadeaters for today's word. In 17th-century Europe, a toadeater was a showman's assistant whose job was to make the boss look good. The toadeater would eat (or pretend to eat) what were supposed to be poisonous toads. His or her charlatan master would then "save" the toad-afflicted assistant by expelling the poison. It's little wonder that such assistants became symbolic of extreme subservience, and that "toadeater" became a word for any obsequious underling. By the early 1800s, it had been shortened and altered to "toady," our current term for a servile self-seeker. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 10, 2014 is: nonchalant • \nahn-shuh-LAHNT\ • adjective : having an air of easy unconcern or indifference Examples: The most experienced public speakers are able to address audiences with a nonchalant ease. "When an accomplice accidentally kills a man, the gang's first casualty, it's Bonnie who is nonchalant." - From a television review on Slate.com by Willa Paskin, December 6, 2013 Did you know? Since "nonchalant" ultimately comes from words meaning "not" and "be warm," it's no surprise that the word is all about keeping one's cool. The French word "nonchalant," which English speakers borrowed around 1730, has essentially the same meaning as our word. It was derived in Old French from the verb "nonchaloir" ("to disregard") and can be traced back to Latin "non" ("not") and "calēre," meaning "to be warm." "Unconcerned" is one synonym of "nonchalant," along with "casual," "complacent," and "insouciant." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 9, 2014 is: plastron • \PLASS-trun\ • noun 1 a : a metal breastplate formerly worn under the hauberk b : a quilted pad worn in fencing practice to protect the chest, waist, and the side on which the weapon is held 2 : the ventral part of the shell of a tortoise or turtle 3 a : a trimming like a bib for a woman's dress b : a man's separate or detachable shirtfront Examples: "History buffs would recognise the jacket for its trademark 'British Empire of the late 1800s' features including the royal blue fabric, gold rope embellishments and gilded brass buttons, while fashion lovers would be drawn to its Michael Jackson-like rich red plastron and Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club-style glitzy epaulettes." - From an article by Jenna Clarke in the Canberra Times (Australia), October 6, 2012 "A hinged plastron … allows the animal to pull its head, legs and tail completely inside, away from hungry raccoons, skunks, minks and, in urban environments, cats and dogs." - From an article by Dave Taft in The New York Times, August 4, 2013 Did you know? English speakers first borrowed French's word for a breastplate, "plastron," as the name for the protective plate worn under a tunic of [chain mail](/dictionary/chain mail) by knights. In the 17th century, "plastron" was extended to the pad used to protect the torso of a fencer. Two centuries later, herpetologists appropriated the word for a slightly different type of protection: the underside of a turtle's shell, which consists typically of nine bones overlaid by horny plates. That was followed by the word's application in the world of fashion to coverings that adorn the front of a woman's bodice, such as a lacy bib, as well as to a man's separate or detachable starched shirtfront (which is typically worn under a jacket). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 8, 2014 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 new treatment is regarded as promising but fraught with potential side effects. "Parents from some cultures are not as comfortable reading with their children because books were not part of their everyday lives growing up. For other parents, reading with children is a fraught activity because of their own negative experiences learning to read." -From an article by Elaine Reese in The Atlantic, December 9, 2013 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 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." For centuries, "fraught" was used only of loaded ships, but its use eventually broadened. American English speakers are most likely to encounter "fraught" as part of the phrase "fraught with," meaning "full of or accompanied by." The "uneasy" sense of "fraught" is more common in British English than in U.S. English. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 7, 2014 is: coax • \KOHKS\ • verb 1 : to influence or gently urge by caressing or flattering : wheedle 2 : to draw, gain, or persuade by means of gentle urging or flattery 3 : to manipulate with great perseverance and usually with considerable effort toward a desired state or activity Examples: Stem cells can be cultured to divide and then coaxed to turn into many different cell types. "He is a little scared of the other cats, but he would love for you to come coax him out from under the kennels and admire his big, beautiful blue eyes." - From an article in Los Alamos Monitor (New Mexico), December 7, 2013 Did you know? In the days of yore, if you made a "cokes" of someone, you made a fool of them. "Cokes"-a now-obsolete word for "fool"-is believed to be the source of our verb "coax," which was first used in the 16th century (with the spelling "cokes") to mean "to make a fool of." Soon, the verb also took on the kinder meaning of "to make a pet of." As might be expected, the act of cokesing was sometimes done for personal gain. By the 17th century, the word was being used in today's senses that refer to influencing or persuading people by kind acts or words. By the early 19th century, the spelling "cokes" had fallen out of use, along with the meanings "to make a fool of" and "to make a pet of." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 6, 2014 is: behest • \bih-HEST\ • noun 1 : an authoritative order : command 2 : an urgent prompting Examples: At the manager's behest, several of us stayed to work late so that we could finish the project ahead of the deadline. "They say the constitutional separation of powers blocks the panel-created at the governor's behest-from policing the legislative branch." - From an editorial in The New York Post, November 29, 2013 Did you know? Today's word first appeared in 12th century Old English as "behλst," which is formed from the prefix "be-" and the Old English verb "hātan" ("to command" or "to promise"). While "behest" was originally used only in the sense of "promise," it acquired the additional sense of "command" among speakers of Middle English. Among contemporary English speakers, "behest" is no longer used in the sense of "promise" but rather denotes an authoritative or urgent request or command. Old English "hātan" also gave English the now-archaic words "hest" (meaning "command") and "hight" ("being called or named"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 5, 2014 is: scrutinize • \SKROO-tuh-nyze\ • verb : to examine closely and minutely Examples: The new $100 bill has enough novel security features that the urge to scrutinize it will likely be irresistible to most people upon encountering it for the first time. "After being scrutinized by City Council and local businesses, several designs for the Santa Monica Pier bridge were passed on for environmental review at this week's meeting." - From an article by David Mark Simpson in the Santa Monica Daily Press (California), November 28, 2013 Did you know? A close look at the etymology of "scrutinize" reveals that the word stems from the Latin verb "scrutari" (meaning "to search" or "to examine"), which in turn probably comes from "scruta" (meaning "trash," or more specifically "a mixture of worthwhile articles and trash"). In the 15th century "scrutari" gave us the noun "scrutiny," a word that originally meant "a formal vote" and then "an official examination of votes." "Scrutinize" retained reference to voting, with the meaning "to examine votes," at least into the 18th century-and even today in Britain a "scrutineer" is a person who counts votes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 4, 2014 is: mimesis • \muh-MEE-sis\ • noun : imitation, mimicry Examples: Later on in her life, the painter became less interested in mimesis and began to experiment in styles of abstraction. "It is four million years ago. The great apes emerged. Their brains were large enough to give them cognitive capacities that exceeded other species of animals. They could teach their young through mimesis and episodic memory." - From an article by Don Heath in The Edmond Sun (Oklahoma), October 28, 2013 Did you know? "Mimesis" is a term with an undeniably classical pedigree. Originally a Greek word, it has been used in aesthetic or artistic theory to refer to the attempt to imitate or reproduce reality since Plato and Aristotle. "Mimesis" is derived from the Greek verb "mimeisthai," which means "to imitate" and which itself comes from "mimos," meaning "mime." The English word "mime" also descends from "mimos," as do "mimic" and "mimicry." And what about "mimeograph," the name of the duplicating machine that preceded the photocopier? We can't be absolutely certain what the folks at the A. B. Dick Company had in mind when they came up with "Mimeograph" (a trademark name that has since expired), but influence from "mimos" and its descendants certainly seems probable. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 3, 2014 is: writhe • \RYTHE\ • verb 1 : to move or proceed with twists and turns 2 : to twist from or as if from pain or struggling 3 : to suffer keenly Examples: After falling off the ladder, James lay on the ground, writhing in pain. "Now Revel is trying to attract more people with features such as the 'DigiPit,' a performance space on the gambling floor where acrobats writhe and tumble in front of the people playing on digital gaming machines." - From an article by Adrienne Raphel on The New Yorker's Currency blog, November 25, 2013 Did you know? "Writhe" wound its way to English from the Old English verb "wrīthan" ("to twist") and is akin to the Old English verb "wrigian" ("to turn or go"). "Wrigian" gave us our words "wriggle," "awry," and "wry." When something wriggles it twists from side to side with quick movements, like an earthworm. When something goes awry, its twists or winds off course, or toward catastrophe. "Wry" can mean "bent or twisted" but now usually implies clever, ironic humor. Nowadays, "writhe" often suggests the physical contortions one makes when enduring crippling pain or when trying to extract oneself from a tight grasp (as an animal from a predator's claws). Alternatively, it can imply an emotionally wrenching feeling (as of grief or fear) from which one seeks relief. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 2, 2014 is: endemic • \en-DEM-ik\ • adjective 1 : characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment 2 : restricted or peculiar to a locality or region Examples: A recent report identifies the country as a "failed state," citing endemic corruption at all levels of government. "Aucoin's research focuses on the development of rapid diagnostics as a resource to countries where disease is endemic and expanding." - From an article in the Reno Gazette-Journal (Nevada), December 3, 2013 Did you know? If you translate it literally, "endemic" means "in the population." It derives from the Greek "endēmos," which joins "en," meaning "in," and "dēmos," meaning "people" or "populace." "Endemic" is often used to characterize diseases that are generally found in a particular area; malaria, for example, is said to be endemic to tropical and subtropical regions. This use differs from that of the related word "epidemic" in that it indicates a more or less constant presence in a particular population or area rather than a sudden, severe outbreak within that region or group. The word is also used by biologists to characterize the plant and animal species that are only found in a given area. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 1, 2014 is: abecedarian • \ay-bee-see-DAIR-ee-un\ • adjective 1 a : of or relating to the alphabet b : alphabetically arranged 2 : rudimentary Examples: The children recited an abecedarian chant, beginning with "A is for apple" and ending with "Z is for zebra." "'The Future of Terror' and 'Terror of the Future' are abecedarian poems, which is to say that they follow a particular scheme through the alphabet." - From a poetry review by David Orr in The New York Times, February 17, 2008 Did you know? The history of "abecedarian" is as simple as ABC-literally. The term's Late Latin ancestor, "abecedarius" (which meant "of the alphabet"), was created as a combination of the letters A, B, C, and D, plus the adjective suffix "-arius"; you can hear the echo of that origin in the pronunciation of the English term (think "ABC-darian"). In its oldest documented English uses in the early 1600s, "abecedarian" was a noun meaning "one learning the rudiments of something"; it specifically referred to someone who was learning the alphabet. The adjective began appearing in English texts around 1665. 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 31, 2013 is: pococurante • \POH-koh-kyoo-RAN-tee\ • adjective : indifferent, nonchalant Examples: Even the most pococurante museum-goers are bound to be moved by the photos in the new exhibit. "[Anonymous restaurant reviewers] lumbered in as any other diner would, assessing astutely yet nonchalantly the performance of the coat-check girl, the host, the bringers of water, and the offerings of wine; the service was scrutinized while maintaining an entirely pococurante front. " - From an article by Bethany Jean Clement in The Stranger, September 5-11, 2012 Did you know? The French writer Voltaire carefully named his characters in Candide (1759) to create allegories. He appended the prefix "pan-," meaning "all," to "glōssa," the Greek word for "tongue," to name his optimistic tutor "Pangloss," a sobriquet suggesting glibness and talkativeness. Then there is the apathetic Venetian Senator Pococurante, whose name appropriately means "caring little" in Italian. Voltaire's characters did not go unnoticed by later writers. Laurence Sterne used "Pococurante" in part six of Tristram Shandy, published three years after Candide, to mean "a careless person," and Irish poet Thomas Moore first employed the word as an adjective when he described Dublin as a poco-curante place in his memoirs of 1815. 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 30, 2013 is: saponaceous • \sap-uh-NAY-shus\ • adjective : resembling or having the qualities of soap Examples: "When boiled or bruised in water, the leaves turn saponaceous, and the resulting lather cuts through grease." - From an article in Mountain Xpress (Asheville, North Carolina), March 16, 2005 - March 22, 2005 "Wilberforce's smooth and slippery manner had led a contemporary to call him saponaceous, after the adjective from soap." - From an award acceptance speech by British writer Philip Pulman, printed in The Humanist, July 1, 2008 Did you know? "Saponaceous" is a New Latin borrowing by scientists that is based on "sapo," the Latin word for "soap." It describes natural substances, like aloe gel or some plant roots, used in making soap or having the properties of soap. It also describes things that feel or appear soapy-for example, some shales and clays, mica, and certain chemical preparations. In the 19th century, "saponaceous" began to be used for people having a slippery, evasive, or elusive character. One famous example is the elocutionist Bishop Wilberforce mentioned in our second example sentence, whom British politician Benjamin Disraeli described as "unctuous, oleaginous, saponaceous." In The Devil's Dictionary, author Ambrose Bierce uses Disraeli's quote to illustrate the word "oleaginous," noting that "the good prelate was ever afterward known as Soapy Sam." 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 29, 2013 is: imbricate • \IM-brih-kut\ • adjective : lying lapped over each other in regular order Examples: During the tour of the mansion, Glenda noted the pattern of imbricate slate tiles on the roofs of the gables, a feature common to houses of the period. "Recent geological studies and limited geophysical measurements in this region have been cited to argue that uplift is due to internal imbricate 'stacking' of Asian crust…." -Professor James Ni as quoted by Donyelle Kesler in Las Cruces Sun-News (New Mexico), July 22, 2011 Did you know? The ancient Romans knew how to keep the interior of their villas dry when it rained. They covered their roofs with overlapping curved tiles so the "imber" (Latin for "pelting rain" or "rain shower") couldn't seep in. The tiles were, in effect, "rain tiles," so the Romans called them "imbrices" (singular "imbrex"). The verb for installing the tiles was "imbricare," and English speakers used its past participle-"imbricatus"-to create "imbricate," which was first used as an adjective meaning "overlapping (like roof tiles)" and later became a verb meaning "to overlap." These days, the adjective is usually encountered in scientific contexts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 28, 2013 is: mea culpa • \may-uh-KOOL-puh\ • noun : a formal acknowledgment of personal fault or error Examples: The mayor's public mea culpa didn't satisfy his critics. "Here's my mea culpa: I admit I'm carrying around 20 pounds I could do without and also don't exercise enough." - From an article by Eli Amdur in the Patriot News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), November 10, 2013 Did you know? "Mea culpa," which means "through my fault" in Latin, comes from a prayer of confession in the Catholic Church. Said by itself, it's an exclamation of apology or remorse that is used to mean "It was my fault" or "I apologize." "Mea culpa" is also a noun, however. A newspaper might issue a mea culpa for printing inaccurate information, or a politician might give a speech making mea culpas for past wrongdoings. "Mea culpa" is one of many English terms that derive from the Latin "culpa," meaning "guilt." Some other examples are "culpable" ("meriting condemnation or blame especially as wrong or harmful") and "culprit" ("one guilty of a crime or a fault"). 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 27, 2013 is: exhilarate • \ig-ZIL-uh-rayt\ • verb 1 : to make cheerful and excited : enliven, elate 2 : refresh, stimulate Examples: "There is nothing like a cold swim to exhilarate the body," said Susan, explaining why she was considering participating in her town's upcoming Polar Bear Plunge. "If being perched on a 2,000-foot coastal ridge in a lightning storm frightens rather than exhilarates you, then you might not be cut out for life on Kings Mountain…." - From an article by Aaron Kinney in the San Jose Mercury News (California), August 31, 2012 Did you know? Many people find "exhilarate" a difficult word to spell. It's easy to forget that silent "h" in there, and is it an "er" or "ar" after the "l"? It may be easier to remember the spelling if you know that "exhilarate" is ultimately derived from the Latin adjective "hilarus," meaning "cheerful." (This also explains why the earliest meaning of "exhilarate" is "to make cheerful.") "Exhilarate" comes from "exhilaratus," the past participle of "exhilarare," which is formed by combining "ex-" and "hilarare," a verb that derives from "hilarus" and means "to cheer or gladden." If "hilarus" looks familiar, that may be because it's also the source of "hilarious" and "hilarity" (as well as "hilariously" and "hilariousness," of course). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 26, 2013 is: paraphernalia • \pair-uh-fuh-NAIL-yuh\ • noun 1 : the separate real or personal property of a married woman that she can dispose of by will and sometimes according to common law during her life 2 : personal belongings 3 a : articles of equipment : furnishings b : accessory items : appurtenances Examples: "Pearls and jewels, even though only worn on state occasions, may go to the widow as paraphernalia,-but with a limit." - From Anthony Trollope's 1872 novel The Eustace Diamonds "Over the years, he's been into stained glass window-making, hiking, grilling and smoking meat, golfing, collecting bar paraphernalia, and kayak fishing." - From an article by Michael Warren in The Weekly Standard, November 11, 2013 Did you know? In current use, "paraphernalia" is typically encountered in its "equipment" sense in such contexts as "arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia." But the word hasn't always been used in that way. Originally, paraphernalia was property that a married woman owned herself-as opposed to her husband's property or the dowry she brought to the marriage. "Paraphernalia" came to English, via Medieval Latin, from Greek "parapherna," meaning "bride's property beyond her dowry" (from "para-," meaning "beyond," and "phernē," meaning "dowry"). Although "paraphernalia" was plural in Medieval Latin, it can take either a singular or plural verb in English. 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 25, 2013 is: noel • \noh-EL\ • noun 1 : a Christmas carol 2 : capitalized Christmas Examples: We unwrapped our Christmas presents while listening to a CD of delightful and familiar noels. "Holiday music will fill the air as the Southern Miss Gulf Coast Civic Chorale performs their annual holiday concerts on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The performance, 'Peaceful Noel,' will feature Franz Schubert's 'Mass in G,' along with traditional seasonal favorites." - From an article by Charmaine Williams Schmermund in Southern Miss Now (Mississippi), November 26, 2013 Did you know? English speakers borrowed the word "noel" from French. It can be traced further back to the Latin word "natalis," which can mean "birthday" as a noun or "of or relating to birth" as an adjective. (The English adjective "natal" has the same meaning and is also an offspring of "natalis."). Noels were being sung in Latin or French for centuries before the word found its way into our language in the 1800s. The earliest known musical use of "noel" occurred in the text of a Christmas motet called "Nova vobis gaudia," which was written in the 1400s. 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 24, 2013 is: debonair • \deb-uh-NAIR\ • adjective 1 : dressing and acting in an appealing and sophisticated way : fashionable, attractive, and confident : suave, urbane 2 : lighthearted, nonchalant Examples: David, a handsome and debonair bachelor, was among the first guests to arrive at Hannah's Christmas Eve party. "One of the staunchest of these loyalists was Godfrey McHugh. McHugh was an Air Force general and Kennedy's Air Force aide from 1961 onward. A debonair figure who spoke French fluently and as a young major dated future first lady Jacqueline Bouvier, McHugh revered JFK." - From an article by Peter Grier in the Christian Science Monitor, November 19, 2013 Did you know? In Anglo-French, someone who was genteel and well-brought-up was described as "deboneire"-literally "of good family or nature" (from the three-word phrase "de bon aire"). When the word was borrowed into English in the 13th century, it basically meant "courteous," a narrow sense now pretty much obsolete. Today's "debonair" incorporates charm, polish, and worldliness, often combined with a carefree attitude (think James Bond). And yes, we tend to use this sense mostly, though not exclusively, of men. In the 19th century, we took the "carefree" part and made it a sense all its own. "The crowd that throngs the wharf as the steamer draws alongside is gay and debonair; it is a noisy, cheerful, gesticulating crowd," wrote Somerset Maugham in 1919 in his novel The Moon and Sixpence. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2013 is: eupeptic • \yoo-PEP-tik\ • adjective 1 : of, relating to, or having good digestion 2 : cheerful, optimistic Examples: Warren's stockbroker offered some surprising eupeptic predictions about Warren's portfolio in spite of the sluggish economy. "For Ms Roach and her fellow digestion devotees nothing is too gross…. No human organ goes unprodded in this epic quest for eupeptic enlightenment." - From a book review in The Economist, May 4, 2013 Did you know? "Eupeptic" first appeared around 1700 and was probably created from "eupepsia," a word meaning "good digestion." ("Eupepsia" was cooked up from "eu-," meaning "good," and "-pepsia," meaning "digestion," ingredients that are ultimately of Greek origin.) It seems reasonable that good digestion might enhance one's outlook on life-and indeed, "eupeptic" can suggest a happy frame of mind as well as a happy digestive system. Along similar lines, someone with poor digestion might be cranky, and the antonymous counterparts of "eupeptic" and "eupepsia"-"dyspeptic" and "dyspepsia"-can suggest either indigestion or ill humor. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2013 is: palpate • \PAL-payt\ • verb : to examine by touch especially medically Examples: The veterinarian carefully palpated the dog's leg before informing the owner that the animal had suffered a mild sprain. "Kayla Preisler closed her eyes and Courtlynn Pulcini touched her fingers to her classmate's lids, gently palpating the area.… As part of their training, the students recently gave each other all sorts of tests, from audiology screening to eye exams." - From an article by Marie Therese Biebel in the Wilkes Barre Times-Leader (Pennsylvania), October 31, 2013 Did you know? "Palpate" has been part of the English language since at least the mid-19th century. It was probably coined from the preexisting noun form "palpation," which itself traces back to the Latin verb "palpare," meaning "to stroke or caress." Other descendants of "palpare" in English include "palpable," "palpitate," and a synonym of today's word, the verb "palp." Even "feel" itself is a distant cousin of "palpitate," as both words can be linked to the same ancient root word that gave Latin "palpare." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2013 is: scofflaw • \SKAHFF-law\ • noun : a contemptuous law violator Examples: The governor's office set up a database listing the names of scofflaws who hadn't paid their traffic fines. "For the reality of professional cycling in the [Lance] Armstrong years was that just about everyone was a scofflaws, that what Armstrong did was not an attempt to beat the system but rather a willingness to play by the system's demands." - From a film review by Kenneth Turan in the Los Angeles Times, November 8, 2013 Did you know? In 1924, a wealthy Massachusetts Prohibitionist named Delcevare King sponsored a contest in which he asked participants to coin an appropriate word to mean "a lawless drinker." King sought a word that would cast violators of Prohibition laws in a light of shame. Two respondents came up independently with the winning word: "scofflaw," formed by combining the verb "scoff" and the noun "law." Henry Dale and Kate Butler, also of Massachusetts, split King's $200 prize. Improbably, despite some early scoffing from language critics, "scofflaw" managed to pick up steam in English and expand to a meaning that went beyond its Prohibition roots, referring to one who violates any law, not just laws related to drinking. 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, 2013 is: ragout • \ra-GOO\ • noun 1 : well-seasoned meat and vegetables cooked in a thick sauce 2 : mixture, mélange Examples: The movie is an ill-conceived ragout of fantasy, science fiction, and old-fashioned romance. "Chef Tin Huynh is cooking up a menu of northern and southern Italian favorites-think pappardelle topped with pork ragout and balsamic-glazed octopus." - From a restaurant review by Bao Ong in Gotham Magazine, November 19, 2013 Did you know? If you need an English word that can refer to either a combination of food items or a random assortment of things, there's no shortage of options on the menu. If you're in the mood for a stew, there's "hodgepodge" (formerly "hotchpotch"), "olla podrida," or "gallimaufry." Perhaps you'd rather start with a palate cleanser, like "macédoine" or "salmagundi." We also have "gumbo" or "jambalaya," if Southern cooking is more your thing, or "smorgasbord" if you prefer words of Swedish descent. Then there's today's word, "ragout," which comes from French "ragoûter," meaning "to revive the taste," and ultimately from Latin "gustus," meaning "taste." 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, 2013 is: vivacious • \vuh-VAY-shus\ • adjective : lively in temper, conduct, or spirit : sprightly Examples: The hostess was a pretty, vivacious woman with a knack for making people feel comfortable. "Jennifer Lawrence may be everyone's hilarious, exuberant spirit animal, but it turns out the Oscar-winning actress wasn't always vivacious and outgoing. In fact, she tells French magazine Madame Figaro, she suffered from social anxiety growing up." - From an article in the Huffington Post, November 19, 2013 Did you know? It's no surprise that "vivacious" means "full of life," since it can be traced back to the Latin verb "vivere," meaning "to live." The word was created around the mid-17th century using the Latin adjective "vivax," meaning "long-lived, vigorous, or high-spirited." Other descendants of "vivere" in English include "survive," "revive," and "victual"-all of which came to life during the 15th century-and "vivid" and "convivial," both of which surfaced around the same time as "vivacious." Somewhat surprisingly, the word "live" is not related; it comes to us from the Old English word "libban." 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, 2013 is: midriff • \MID-riff\ • noun 1 : a body partition of muscle and connective tissue; specifically : the partition separating the chest and abdominal cavities in mammals : diaphragm 2 : the mid-region of the human torso 3 a : a section of a woman's garment that covers the midriff b : a woman's garment that exposes the midriff Examples: Even the store's winter line of clothing includes a number of midriff-baring tops, albeit paired with oversized cardigans or flannel shirts. "I especially liked one of Barbie's one-piece swimsuits with a hippie-era flower motif on the midriff." - From an article by Doug MacCash in the Times-Picayune (New Orleans), August 15, 2013 Did you know? "Midriff" is now most commonly encountered in the mid-torso or clothing-related senses. These senses are relatively young, having appeared, respectively, in the early 19th and mid-20th centuries. For most of its history, however, "midriff" has been used to refer to the diaphragm (a large flat muscle separating the lungs from the stomach area). The diaphragm sense has been with us since the earliest known use of "midriff" in Bald's Leechbook, an Old English medical manuscript that is believed to date back to the 9th century. The "riff" in "midriff" comes from Old English "hrif" ("belly, womb"). "Hrif" is akin to Old High German "href" ("womb") and probably also to Latin "corpus" ("body"). 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, 2013 is: pinnacle • \PIN-ih-kul\ • noun 1 : an upright architectural formation generally ending in a small spire 2 : a structure or formation suggesting a pinnacle; specifically : a lofty peak 3 : the highest point of development or achievement : acme Examples: Winning the national championship was the pinnacle of his career. "As the 792-foot-tall skyscraper was bathed in electric light, the news was transmitted from its pinnacle by Marconi wireless to a receiver on the Eiffel Tower." - From P.D. Smith's 2012 book City: A Guidebook for the Urban Age Did you know? "Pinnacle" is one of several words that aspire to both literal and figurative heights. Others include "summit," "peak," "climax," "apex," "acme," and "culmination." All of these can refer to the highest point of a mountain or structure, or the highest point attained or attainable over a person's lifetime, career, etc. When referring to part of a building, "pinnacle" describes a projection on top of a tower (as on a Gothic cathedral). The word derives via Anglo-French from Late Latin "pinnaculum," meaning "small wing," a diminutive of "pinna," meaning "wing or battlement." When used figuratively, "pinnacle" sometimes implies a dizzying and insecure height, such as that brought on by unexpected fame. 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, 2013 is: glom • \GLAHM\ • verb 1 : take, steal 2 : seize, catch Examples: "She signed an affidavit of confession attesting she glommed more than $284,000, the company contends." - From an article by Frank Donnelly in the Staten Island Advance, September 15, 2008 "In reality, he's a crook who glommed clinic funds for everything from plane trips to theater tickets to $20,000 in takeout sushi." - From an editorial in the Daily News (New York), June 15, 2013 Did you know? It's a classic case of glomming: Americans seized on "glaum" (a term from Scots dialect that basically means "grab") and appropriated it as our own, changing it to "glom" in the process. "Glom" first meant "steal" (as in the purse-snatching, robber kind of stealing), but over time that meaning got stretched, resulting in figurative uses. Today we might say, for example, that a busy professional gloms a weekend getaway. "Glom" also appears frequently in the phrase "glom on to," which can mean "to appropriate for one's own use" ("glom on to another's idea"); "to grab hold of" ("glom on to the last cookie"); or "to latch on to" ("glom on to an opinion" or "glom on to an influential friend"). 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, 2013 is: agrarian • \uh-GRAIR-ee-un\ • adjective 1 : of or relating to fields or lands or their tenure 2 a : of, relating to, or characteristic of farmers or their way of life b : organized or designed to promote agricultural interests Examples: Since buying their organic farm three years ago, Ken and Sheila have been gradually adjusting to an agrarian lifestyle. "Move Election Day to the weekend. While the first Tuesday in November worked for an agrarian, horse and buggy society, it's time to scrap it in the modern world." - From a column by R. Matthew Poteat in The Daily News Leader (Staunton, Virginia), November 9, 2013 Did you know? Today, an acre is generally considered to be a unit of land measuring 43,560 square feet (4,047 square meters). Before that standard was set, it's believed that an acre represented a rougher measurement-the amount of land that could be plowed in one day with a yoke of oxen. Both "acre" and today's word, "agrarian," derive from the Latin noun "ager" and the Greek noun "agros," meaning "field." (You can probably guess that "agriculture" is another descendant.) "Agrarian," first used in English in the 17th century, describes things pertaining to the cultivation of fields, as well as the farmers who cultivate them. 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, 2013 is: wherewithal • \WAIR-wih-thawl\ • noun : means, resources; specifically : money Examples: If I had the wherewithal, I’d buy that empty lot next door and put in a garden. "It's unlikely the Cubs would have the wherewithal to make a winning bid, especially if the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers go all-in for Tanaka." - From an article by Patrick Mooney in the Comcast Sportsnet (Chicago), November 11, 2013 Did you know? "Wherewithal" has been with us in one form or another since the 16th century. It comes from "where" and "withal" (meaning "with"), and it has been used as a conjunction meaning "with or by means of which" and as a pronoun meaning "that with or by which." These days, however, it is almost always used as a noun referring to the means or resources one has at one's disposal-especially financial resources. 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, 2013 is: divulge • \dih-VULJ\ • verb : to make (something, such as a confidence or a secret) known Examples: Patty would not divulge where she had hidden her Christmas presents. "Gov. Steve Beshear and Attorney General Jack Conway are warning consumers to beware of scam artists who might try to dupe them into divulging personal information on websites that mimic those where people can sign up for insurance policies."- From an Associated Press article in the Charlotte Observer, October 29, 2013 Did you know? It isn't vulgar to make known the roots of "divulge." The preceding sentence contains two hints about the origins of today's word. "Divulge" was borrowed into Middle English in the 15th century from Latin "divulgare," a word that combines the prefix "dis-," meaning "apart" or "in different directions," with "vulgare," meaning "to make known." "Vulgare," in turn, derives from the Latin noun "vulgus," meaning "mob" or "common people." As you have no doubt guessed, English "vulgar" is another word that can be traced back to "vulgus"; it came into use about a century before "divulge." 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, 2013 is: gustatory • \GUSS-tuh-tor-ee\ • adjective : relating to or associated with eating or the sense of taste Examples: While a winter storm raged outside we enjoyed a series of gustatory delights prepared by our hosts. "[Holly] Hughes' latest collection includes writing on every type of gustatory obsession from the farms and people who produce our ingredients to the chefs, traditions and home cooking that create the final, delicious product." - From a book review by Bobbi Booker in the Philadelphia Tribune, October 20, 2013 Did you know? "Gustatory" is a member of a finite set of words that describe the senses with which we encounter our world, the other members being "visual," "aural," "olfactory," and "tactile." Like its peers, "gustatory" has its roots in Latin-in this case the Latin word "gustare," meaning "to taste." "Gustare" is a somewhat distant relative of several common English words, among them "choose" and "disgust," but is a direct ancestor only of "gustatory," "gustation," meaning "the act or sensation of tasting," and "degustation," meaning "the action or an instance of tasting especially in a series of small portions." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.