Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 2, 2013 is: incipient • \in-SIP-ee-unt\ • adjective : beginning to come into being or to become apparent Examples: The project is still in its incipient stages, and the company has yet to reveal many details to the general public. "Craig's anger at Irene's incipient dementia eventually becomes indulgence; Irene's dismay about losing her independence first turns into denial, then fear." - From a movie review by Michael O'Sullivan in the Daily Herald (Chicago), July 25, 2013 Did you know? A good starting point for any investigation of "incipient" is the Latin verb "incipere," which means "to begin." "Incipient" first emerged in English in a 1669 scientific text that referred to "incipient putrefaction." Later came the genesis of two related nouns, "incipiency" and "incipience," both of which are synonymous with "beginning." "Incipere" also stands at the beginning of the words "inception" ("an act, process, or instance of beginning") and "incipit," a term that literally means "it begins" and which was used for the opening words of a medieval text. "Incipere" itself derives from another Latin verb, "capere," which means "to take" or "to seize." 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 September 1, 2013 is: duress • \dur-RESS\ • noun 1 : forcible restraint or restriction 2 : compulsion by threat; specifically : unlawful constraint Examples: The defense asserts that the defendant's confession was made under duress. "Nondisclosure provisions that stretch beyond a straightforward embargo on business-oriented 'trade secrets' represent the worst kind of corporate limitations on individual freedom-no one should be contractually stopped from talking about their personal experiences with any company. You did, however, sign this contract (possibly under mild duress, but not against your will)." - From an article by Chuck Klosterman in the New York Times, June 30, 2013 Did you know? "Duress" is a word of hardy stock. It has been a part of the English language since the 14th century, and has a number of long-lived relatives. "Duress" itself came into Middle English through the Anglo-French "duresce" (meaning "hardness" or "severity"), which stems from Latin "durus," meaning "hard." Some obvious relatives of this robust root are "durable," "endure" and "obdurate" (meaning "unyielding" or "hardened in feelings"). Some others are "dour" (meaning "harsh," "unyielding," or "gloomy") and "during." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 31, 2013 is: drub • \DRUB\ • verb 1 : to beat severely 2 : to berate critically 3 : to defeat decisively Examples: After being drubbed by the worst team in the league, the hometown players slunk into the locker room with their heads hung low. "Cotchett's book drubbed Stern, Keating and other schemers for callously endangering trusting individuals to make a buck." - From an article by John Woolfolk in the San Jose Mercury News (California), July 20, 2013 Did you know? Sportswriters often use "drub," but the term's history reveals that it wasn't always a sporting word. When "drub" was first used in English, it referred to a method of punishment that involved beating the soles of a culprit's feet with a stick or cudgel. The term was apparently brought to England in the 17th century by travelers who reported observing the punitive practice in Asia. Etymologists are uncertain of the ultimate origin of "drub," but some have speculated that it may have evolved from the Arabic word "ḍaraba," meaning "to beat." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 30, 2013 is: flair • \FLAIR\ • noun 1 : a skill or instinctive ability to appreciate or make good use of something : talent; also : inclination, tendency 2 : a uniquely attractive quality : style Examples: From an early age, Martin has demonstrated a real flair for drawing and painting. "Lise de la Salle played the exuberant piano flourishes with flair and was also the fine soloist in Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 23 in A." - From an article by James R. Oestreich in The New York Times, July 30, 2013 Did you know? In the 14th century, if someone told you that you had "flair" (or "flayre" as it was then commonly spelled), you might very well take offense! This is because in Middle English "flayre" meant "an odor." The word derived from the Old French verb "flairer" ("to give off an odor"), which came in turn from Late Latin "flagrare," itself an alteration of "fragrare." (The English words "fragrant" and "fragrance" also derive from "fragrare.") The "odor" sense of "flair" fell out of use, but in the 19th century English speakers once again borrowed "flair" from the French-this time (influenced by the Modern French use of the word for the sense of smell) to indicate a discriminating sense or instinctive discernment. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 29, 2013 is: genial • \JEE-nee-ul\ • adjective 1 : favorable to growth or comfort : mild 2 : marked by or diffusing sympathy or friendliness 3 : displaying or marked by genius Examples: Our genial host immediately offered us refreshments and introduced us to everyone. "A few years back, in a sleepy hotel bar in Costa Rica, I found myself in one of those late-night conversations in which it felt like my new friend was not telling the whole truth. No doubt the history of this genial, white-haired American emigre was benign, but, still, I remember wondering about his real story…." - From an article by Chris Jones in the Chicago Tribune, July 29, 2013 Did you know? "Genial" derives from the Latin adjective "genialis," meaning "connected with marriage." When "genial" was first adopted into English in the mid-16th century, it meant "of or relating to marriage," a sense that is now obsolete. "Genialis" was formed in Latin by combining the "-alis" suffix (meaning "of, relating to, or characterized by") with "genius," meaning "a person's disposition or inclination." As you may have guessed, Latin "genius" is the ancestor of the English word "genius," meaning "extraordinary intellectual power"-so it's logical enough that "genial" eventually developed a sense (possibly influenced by the German word "genial") of "marked by very high intelligence." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 28, 2013 is: proximate • \PRAHK-suh-mut\ • adjective 1 : immediately preceding or following (as in a chain of events, causes, or effects) 2 a : very near : close b : soon forthcoming : imminent Examples: The proximate cause of the disaster appeared to be human error, but the ultimate fault lay with the company's lax safety policies. "And while Detroit's corruption-ridden city government and unfunded pension-fund liabilities are the proximate cause of the Michigan city's bankruptcy, the root causes are far deeper." - From an article by Arthur B. Laffer and Nicholas C. Drinkwater in Investor's Business Daily, July 29, 2013 Did you know? You can approach a better understanding of this word, and an approximation of its history, if you recognize its two cousins in this sentence. "Proximate" derives from Latin "proximatus," itself the past participle of the verb "proximare," meaning "to approach." The noun "approximation" and both the noun and verb "approximate" derive from "proximare" (via the Late Latin verb "approximare"). "Proximare," in turn, comes from "proximus" ("nearest, next") and can be traced back to the adjective "prope," meaning "near." "Prope" is also an ancestor of the English verb "approach," as well as "proximity," "propinquity," and "reproach." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 27, 2013 is: jape • \JAYP\ • verb 1 : to say or do something jokingly or mockingly 2 : to make mocking fun of Examples: At the convention, the younger gamers japed at the low-tech graphics of the early consoles on display. "Japed Jay Leno: 'Doesn’t sequestration sound like some kind of side effect from a bad medicine?'" - From an article by J. Freedom du Lac in The Daily Item (Pennsylvania), March 2, 2013 Did you know? "Jape" mysteriously appeared in the English language during the 14th century and was adopted by literary folks, such as Geoffrey Chaucer, as a word meaning both "to trick" and "to jeer." It was also used, however, with the meanings "to seduce (someone)" or "to have sexual intercourse." This ambiguity forced writers to think twice about using "jape" in fear of misinterpretation. Ultimately, the word was avoided by respectable writers, and by the end of the 16th century it had fallen into disuse. But this four-letter word was not completely forgotten. It got its second chance when 19th-century writers began using its "jeer" meaning again-leaving its carnal meaning in oblivion. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 26, 2013 is: nocuous • \NAH-kyuh-wus\ • adjective : harmful Examples: Nocuous levels of toxic gases were detected in the coal mine. "'We have had a lot of positive feedback from landholders who are thankful the council is doing something proactive to get rid of this nocuous weed,' [South Burnett councillor Kathy Duff] said. 'Lantana can seriously affect grazing country because it just takes over everything.'" - From an article in the South Burnett Times and Rural Weekly (Queensland), June 18, 2013 Did you know? You are probably more familiar with the adjective "innocuous," meaning "harmless," than with its antonymous relative "nocuous." Both "nocuous" and "innocuous" have immediate Latin predecessors: "nocuus" and "innocuus." (The latter combines "nocuus" with the negative prefix "in-.") Both words can also be traced back to the Latin verb "nocēre," meaning "to harm." Other "nocēre" descendants in English include "innocent" and "nocent" (which also means "harmful"). "Nuisance" (which originally meant, and still can mean, "a harm or injury") is a more distant relative. "Nocuous" is one of the less common "nocēre" descendants, but it does turn up occasionally. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 25, 2013 is: rowel • \ROWL\ • verb 1 : to goad with or as if with a pointed disk at the end of a spur 2 : vex, trouble Examples: With one of the best fastballs in the league combined with a wicked changeup, Lester roweled the opposing line-up for his second career no-hitter. "He folded the book shut, touched his hat, moved to the wagon, and roweled the horses around." - From Colum McCann's 2013 novel TransAtlantic Did you know? If you've seen Western movies, you've seen rowels. The noun "rowel" names the circular, point-covered disk on the end of a spur that is used to urge powerful steeds to maximum speeds. But cowboys didn't invent rowels; knights in shining armor were sporting them even before the 12th century. English speakers of yore picked up the noun "rowel" from the Anglo-French "roele," meaning "small wheel." By the end of the 1500s, "rowel" was also being used as a verb for any process of prodding or goading that was as irritating as being poked in the side with a rowel. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 24, 2013 is: corn salad • \KORN-SAL-ud\ • noun : any of several herbs (genus Valerianella) of the valerian family; especially : a low European herb (V. locusta syn. V. olitoria) that is widely cultivated for its leaves used in salads and as a potherb Examples: "Corn salad has round leaves that form a crown of leafy green. The leaves are not as crisp as lettuce is, but they are hardy, quick-growing (ready in sixty days), and mild-flavored." - From Nancy Bubel's bulletin Grow Super Salad Greens, 1981 "In the mild West Country, I sow corn salad between late July and early September. It'll grow more or less anywhere, but if you can give it rich soil, in a well-lit position sheltered from winter winds and frosts, it'll really thrive." - From an article by Mat Coward in the Morning Star (United Kingdom), July 2, 2013 Did you know? "Corn salad" came by way of its name from its occurrence as a weed in grain fields: it's the salad green found growing among rows of corn. The plant is native to southern Europe but is widely found in both Europe and North America. "Corn salad" isn't a particularly refined name for a salad green, but the plant has other names that broaden its appeal. It's been called "lamb's lettuce" about as long as it's been called "corn salad"-that is, since the late 1500s-and in the late 1600s English speakers applied a tried-and-true technique for building a food's cachet: they started using its French name. That mâche on the fancy restaurant's menu? It's corn salad with a Continental nom de plume. Bon appétit. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 23, 2013 is: vapor • \VAY-per\ • verb 1 a : to rise or pass off in vapor b : to emit vapor 2 : to indulge in bragging, blustering, or idle talk Examples: Andrew spent more time vaporing about his sprint times than actually training, so his teammates were not surprised when he got beaten soundly in all of his events at the next meet. "The night was clear, and there was a half moon overhead. Their breath vapored in the chilly March air as they watched the black Cadillac drive off." - From Michael Baron's 2005 novel The Mourning Sexton Did you know? Speakers of the English language, mindful of the lightness and unsubstantiality of floating air and gas, have put several airy words to good use over the years to describe the act of talking idly or boastfully. The earliest such word is "blow" (as in "he kept blowing about his new job"), which drifted into English sometime about 1400. "Vapor" wafted into the language in the 1620s, and a little over 200 years later "windbags," later also known as "gasbags," not only blew and vapored but also "gassed" about anything they could. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 22, 2013 is: inscrutable • \in-SKROO-tuh-bul\ • adjective : not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood : mysterious Examples: The umpire's inscrutable expression gave no hint as to what his ruling would be. "But the idea behind the project-that data can be intimate and expressive and is, in the end, ours to tinker with-is a vital one. It's the opposite of your location data ending up in an inscrutable spreadsheet…." - From an article by Kyle Vanhemert on Wired.com, July 22, 2013 Did you know? You may have to scrutinize today's word closely in order to speculate as to its origins, but there is at least one clue in this sentence. "Inscrutable" derives from the Late Latin adjective "inscrutabilis," which can be traced back to the verb "scrutari," meaning "to search or to examine." "Scrutari" is also the source of the English words "scrutinize" and "scrutiny." Incidentally, the antonym "scrutable" ("capable of being deciphered or understood") is a part of our language as well, though it's less common than "inscrutable." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 21, 2013 is: permeate • \PER-mee-ayt\ • verb 1 : to diffuse through or penetrate (something) 2 : to pass through the pores or interstices of Examples: The scent of lilacs permeated the air as soon as the bushes bloomed outside my window. "'Game Over.' There's no element of video-game culture that has so thoroughly permeated the mainstream. Everyone knows what it means: You screwed up or you caught a bad break. Better luck next time." - From an article by Jesse Singal in The Boston Globe, July 14, 2013 Did you know? It's no surprise that "permeate" means "to pass through" something-it was borrowed into English in the mid-17th century from Latin "permeatus," which comes from the prefix "per" ("through") and "meare," meaning "to go" or "to pass." "Meare" itself comes from an ancient root that may have also led to Middle Welsh and Czech words meaning "to go" and "to pass," respectively. Other descendants of "meare" in English include "permeative," "permeable," "meatus" ("a natural body passage"), and the relatively rare "irremeable" ("offering no possibility of return"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 20, 2013 is: zero-sum • \ZEER-oh-SUM\ • adjective : of, relating to, or being a situation (as a game or relationship) in which a gain for one side entails a corresponding loss for the other side Examples: A political election is a zero-sum game-only one candidate can get the job. "As long as there is a shortage of organs, transplantation will remain a zero-sum game. Giving an organ to one person denies somebody else, raising a variety of painful ethical questions." - From an article by Alan Zarembo in the Los Angeles Times, June 13, 2013 Did you know? Does game theory sound like fun? It can be-if you are a mathematician or economist who needs to analyze a competitive situation in which the outcome is determined by the choices of the players and chance. Game theory was introduced by mathematician John von Neumann and economist Oskar Morgenstern in their 1944 book The Theory of Games and Economic Behavior. In game theory, a zero-sum game is one, such as chess or checkers, where each player has a clear purpose that is completely opposed to that of the opponent. In economics, a situation is zero-sum if the gains of one party are exactly balanced by the losses of another and no net gain or loss is created. (Such situations are rare.) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 19, 2013 is: mot juste • \moh-ZHEWST\ • noun : the exactly right word or phrasing Examples: The most successful managers-like the most successful writers and politicians-can summon the mot juste easily. "At best, thesauruses are mere rest stops in the search for the mot juste. Your destination is the dictionary." - From an article by John McPhee in the New Yorker, April 29, 2013 Did you know? English was apparently unable to come up with its own mot juste to refer to a word or phrase that expresses exactly what the writer or speaker is trying to say and so borrowed the French term instead. The borrowing was still very new when George Paston (pen name of Emily Morse Symonds) described a character's wordsmithery in her 1899 novel A Writer's Life thusly: "She could launch her sentences into the air, knowing that they would fall upon their feet like cats, her brain was almost painlessly delivered of le mot juste…." As English speakers became more familiar with the term they increasingly gave it the English article "the" instead of the French "le." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 18, 2013 is: redound • \rih-DOWND\ • verb 1 : to have an effect 2 : to become transferred or added : accrue Examples: "It is felt that the traffic from the exhibits and classes will redound to the benefit of downtown restaurants and hotels." - From an article by Scott Eyman in the Palm Beach Post, November 13, 2009 "Ripley said he has worked the numbers and is convinced the proposed send-receive relationship will redound to the financial benefit of both High Point and Montague." - From an article by Eric Obernauer in the New Jersey Herald, July 17, 2013 Did you know? Although it looks and sounds like a number of similar words (including "rebound," "resound," "abound," and "redundant"), "redound" is a distinct term. It developed from Middle French "redunder," which in turn came from Latin "redundare," meaning "to overflow." In its earliest known English uses in the late 1300s, "redound" meant "to overflow" or "to abound," but those senses are now considered archaic. In current use, "redound" is often followed by "to," and the effect can be positive (as in our example sentences) or negative ("[It] probably would have redounded strongly to my disadvantage if I had pursued to completion my resolution...." - Joseph Heller, God Knows). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 17, 2013 is: sapient • \SAY-pee-unt\ • adjective : possessing or expressing great wisdom Examples: Kara regarded her teacher as sapient on matters pertaining to both school and life, and she listened carefully to her advice whenever it was offered. "In this debut sci-fi novel, great responsibility is thrust upon a young warrior descended from rabbits who's fighting to restore peace among humans, animals and the Earth. The Tsaeb, sapient descendants of animals, have evolved exceptional intelligence well beyond human capacity." - From a book review by Gary Rogers in the Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2013 Did you know? Human beings certainly like to think they're wise, and, in fact, the word "Homo sapiens" ("humankind") comes in part from the Latin word "sapiens," meaning "wise" or "intelligent." "Sapiens" in turn comes from the verb "sapere," which means "to be wise" (and which also gave us "sage" and "savant"). "Sapiens" and "sapere" are also ancestors of our adjective "sapient," of course. "Sapient" came to us from Latin by way of Middle French and has been used in English to mean "wise" since the 15th century. In recent times, it also has been used in anthropological contexts- as has "sapiens" itself-to mean "characteristic of modern humans." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 16, 2013 is: liaison • \LEE-uh-zahn\ • noun 1 a : a close bond or connection b : an illicit sexual relationship : affair 2 a : communication for establishing and maintaining mutual understanding and cooperation (as between parts of an armed force) b : one that establishes and maintains communication for mutual understanding and cooperation Examples: "This fall, one high school student, who currently serves on the Youth Advisory Board, will formally be appointed as liaison to city council and be participating in city council meetings." -From an article in the Peoria Times, July 12, 2013 "In February 1967, when she was 5, her mother, Frances, began an extramarital liaison that led to her parents' acrimonious divorce." -From an article by Caroline Weber in the New York Times, June 10, 2007 Did you know? If you took French in school, you might remember that "liaison" is the term for the phenomenon that causes a silent consonant at the end of one word to sound like it begins the next word when that word begins with a vowel, so that a phrase like "beaux arts" sounds like "bo zart." We can thank French for the origin of the term, as well. "Liaison" derives from the Middle French "lier," meaning "to bind or tie," and is related to our word "liable." Our various English senses of "liaison" apply it to all kinds of bonds-from people who work to connect different groups to the kind of relationship sometimes entered into by two people who are attracted to one another. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 15, 2013 is: miscible • \MISS-uh-bul\ • adjective : capable of being mixed; specifically : capable of mixing in any ratio without separation of two phases Examples: Mr. Remington's class demonstration showed that, to paraphrase an old saying, oil and water are indeed not miscible. "Joseph is determined to make it on his own, and succeeds in inventing the first laundry detergent miscible in both oil and water." - From a book review by Wingate Packard in The Seattle Times, September 8, 2006 Did you know? "Miscible" isn't simply a lesser-known synonym of "mixable"-it's also a cousin. It comes to us from the Medieval Latin adjective "miscibilis," which has the same meaning as "miscible" and which derives in turn from Latin "miscēre," meaning "to mix." "Miscēre" is also the ultimate source of our "mix"; its past participle "mixtus" (meaning "mixed") spawned "mixte" in Anglo-French and Middle English, and "mix" came about as a back-formation of "mixte." The suffix "-able" gives us "mixable," thereby completing its link to "miscible." "Miscible" turns up most frequently in scientific discussions where it is used especially to describe fluids that don't separate when they are combined. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 14, 2013 is: wowser • \WOW-zer\ • noun : chiefly Australian an obtrusively puritanical person Examples: "I'm no wowser, but I draw the line at abusive, foul-mouthed drunks." - From an article by Mike Smithson in the Sunday Mail (South Australia), July 2, 2006 "A number of well-known and not-so-well-known people have taken part in the Hello Sunday Morning scheme where they give up drinking for a week, month, or more. These are not wowsers or problem drinkers but ordinary Kiwis who decide to temporarily go on the wagon." - From an article by Dave Armstrong in The Dominion Post (Wellington, New Zealand), July 8, 2013 Did you know? "Wowser" is a word with an interesting background, though its ultimate origin is unknown. The word first appeared in print in 1899, in the Australian journal Truth, and was instantly popular in Australia. It spread to New Zealand, where it remains in use, and then eventually arrived in England, possibly brought by the Australian troops who served there during World War I. The American writer and editor H. L. Mencken liked "wowser" and attempted to introduce it to the United States. He used the word frequently in American Mercury, the literary magazine he edited. Despite Mencken’s efforts the term never truly caught on in American English, though it is used occasionally. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 13, 2013 is: depone • \dih-POHN\ • verb : to assert under oath : testify Examples: "A policeman had deponed at the preliminary inquiry that Barnes had willingly given permission for the samples to be taken." - From an article by Barbara Gayle in The Weekly Gleaner (Jamaica, New York), October 11-17, 2012 "At paragraph 12 of this affidavit, it is deponed that the Biometric Voter Registration technology was not meant to replace the legally required manual system of voter registration, but was meant to provide an additional layer of efficiency and integrity in the electoral processes." - From a report on a presidential petition in the Daily Nation (Kenya), April 16, 2013 Did you know? "I, Maureen Watt, depone aat I wull be leal and bear ae full alleadgance tae Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth," swore the newly-elected Member of the Scottish Parliament in the dialect of the North-East of Scotland. (Translation: "I swear that I will be loyal and bear full allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.") "Depone," a word used in Scots law for "testify" since the 15th century, is perfectly at home in the oath. The word originated from Latin "deponere," meaning "to put down." The related English verb "depose," referring to testimony, entered the language through the same root the following century. Though used less frequently in American English than "depose," "depone" is no stranger to the American court system. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 12, 2013 is: utmost • \UT-mohst\ • adjective 1 : situated at the farthest or most distant point : extreme 2 : of the greatest or highest degree, quantity, number, or amount Examples: Dustin has the utmost respect for his uncle, who returned to school after many years to attain his degree. "These programs are of the utmost importance, as they allow students to learn from others who are not like themselves, sharpening their intellects, their opinions and ideas, while promoting open-mindedness both in and out of the classroom." - From an article by Leah Ward Sears in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, July 15, 2013 Did you know? "Utmost" traces back to the Old English "Ūtmest," a superlative adjective formed from the adverb “Ūt,” meaning "out." “Ūtmest” eventually evolved into "utmost," perhaps influenced by the spelling of the word "most." Not surprisingly, the earlier sense of "utmost" carries the same meaning as "outermost." The second sense of "utmost," meaning "of the greatest or highest degree," first appeared in English in the 14th century but didn't see frequent use until almost 400 years later. A related word is "utter," meaning "absolute" or "total," as in the phrase "utter chaos"; it comes from Old English "utera," meaning "outer," and ultimately from "Ūt." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 11, 2013 is: tourbillion • \toor-BIL-yun\ • noun 1 : whirlwind 2 : a vortex especially of a whirlwind or whirlpool Examples: After Rocco's hat fell into the river, it got sucked into the whirlpool, and once it was drawn into the tourbillion, we never saw it again. "Shaw refers to a study by meteorologist Bernard A. Power, who saw a tourbillon on a Quebec lake and was fascinated by its power and brevity-a hissing wind sucked spray into its vortex for ten seconds or so, then instantly vanished." - From Roy MacGregor's 2010 novel Northern Light Did you know? "Tourbillion" comes from the same root as "turbine"-namely, the Latin word "turbo," meaning "top" (as in a spinning object) or "whirlwind." "Tourbillion" has been used over time to refer to other spinning objects besides an actual whirlwind. Among watchmaking enthusiasts, "tourbillion" is the name of a kind of watch with a mechanism designed to compensate for the effects of gravity on its movement. Among pyrotechnics fans, a tourbillion is a kind of firework having a spiral flight. The variety of meanings for "tourbillion" is enough to make one's head spin! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 10, 2013 is: sinuous • \SIN-yuh-wus\ • adjective 1 a : of a serpentine or wavy form : winding b : marked by strong lithe movements 2 : intricate, complex Examples: The hikers followed a sinuous path that curved around a lake and in between two small hills. "The walls are covered in an exquisitely painted chinoiserie pattern, all sinuous floral motifs, fanciful pagodas and gracefully attired scholars set against a limpid, sky-blue background." - From an art review by Christopher Knight in the Los Angeles Times, July 5, 2013 Did you know? Although it probably makes you think more of snakes than head colds, "sinuous" is etymologically more like "sinus" than "serpent." "Sinuous" and "sinus" both derive from the Latin noun "sinus," which means "curve, fold, or hollow." Other "sinus" descendents include "insinuate" ("to impart or suggest in an artful or indirect way") and two terms you might remember from math class: "sine" and "cosine." In English, "sinus" is the oldest of these words; it entered the language in the 1400s. "Insinuate" appeared next, in 1529, and was followed by "sinuous" (1578), "sine" (1593), and "cosine" (1635). "Serpent," by the way, entered English in the 13th century and comes from the Latin verb "serpere," meaning "to creep." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 9, 2013 is: quip • \KWIP\ • noun 1 a : a clever usually taunting remark : gibe b : a witty or funny observation or response usually made on the spur of the moment 2 : quibble, equivocation 3 : something strange, droll, curious, or eccentric : oddity Examples: To almost every comment I made, Amy responded with a quip and a smile. "To everyone's shock, Mr. Rodman restrained himself from making quips about his availability to take over the job shepherding the spiritual lives of a billion Catholics after Pope Benedict's resignation…." - From an article by Tony Norman in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, July 5, 2013 Did you know? "Quip" is an abbreviation of "quippy," a noun that is no longer in use. Etymologists believe that "quippy" derived from Latin "quippe," a word meaning "indeed" or "to be sure" that was often used ironically. The earliest sense of "quip," referring to a cutting or sarcastic remark, was common for approximately a century after it first appeared in print in 1532. It then fell out of use until the beginning of the 19th century, when it underwent a revival that continues to the present day. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 8, 2013 is: orgulous • \OR-gyuh-lus\ • adjective : proud, haughty Examples: My golfing buddies and I are not orgulous members of some elitist country club; we appreciate a good course, but for us, it's about the sport, not the cachet. "The wainscoted parlor is the nuns' chapel, and the pantry is full of their canning; in autumn the broken stalks of corn wither in their kitchen garden. 'Use it up, wear it out,' says the proverb of their creed (and not that of splendid and orgulous Protestants), 'make it do, do without': and they possess themselves in edge-worn and threadbare truth." -From John Crowley's short story "Novelty," from the 2009 collection Novelties & Souvenirs Did you know? "In Troy, there lies the scene. From Isles of Greece / The princes orgulous, their high blood chaf'd, / Have to the port of Athens sent their ships." Thus Shakespeare began the Trojan War tale Troilus and Cressida, employing "orgulous," a colorful word first adopted in the 13th century from Anglo-French "orguillus." After the Bard's day, "orgulous" dropped from sight for 200 years; there is no record of its use until it was rejuvenated by the pens of Robert Southey and Sir Walter Scott in the early 1800s. Twentieth-century authors (including James Joyce and W.H. Auden) continued its renaissance, and it remains an elegant (if infrequent) choice for today's writers. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 7, 2013 is: impetus • \IM-puh-tus\ • noun 1 a : a driving force : impulse b : incentive, stimulus c : stimulation or encouragement resulting in increased activity 2 : the property possessed by a moving body in virtue of its mass and its motion - used of bodies moving suddenly or violently to indicate the origin and intensity of the motion Examples: The high salary and generous benefits package were impetus enough to apply for the job. "The original impetus for the demonstrations was a twenty-centavo increase in bus fares; that's just nine cents, but no one wants to pay more for a patently inadequate system." - From an article by James Surowiecki at newyorker.com, July 8, 2013 Did you know? You already have plenty of incentive to learn the origin of "impetus," so we won't force the point. "Impetus" comes from Latin, where it means "attack or assault"; the verb "impetere" was formed by combining the prefix "in-" with "petere," meaning "to go to or seek." "Petere" also gives us other words suggesting a forceful urging or momentum, such as "appetite," "perpetual," and "centripetal." "Impetus" describes the kind of force that encourages an action ("the impetus behind the project") or the momentum of an action already begun ("the meetings only gave impetus to the rumors of a merger"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 6, 2013 is: kinetic • \kuh-NET-ik\ • adjective 1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated with them 2 a : active, lively b : dynamic, energizing 3 : of or relating to kinetic art Examples: Polly's grandfather had a colorful kinetic sculpture in his garden that would rotate on windy days. "I've known John 30 years, and he's still the kinetic guy trying to find the next new thing." - Bill Gates, quoted in Forbes, May 27, 2013 Did you know? "Kinetic" comes from the Greek word "kinētikos," meaning "of motion," which in turn traces to the verb "kinein," meaning "to move." Compared to some other English words that have their roots in Greek, "kinetic" is a relatively young English word; the earliest evidence we have of its use is from 1864. Although it deals with the motion of images rather than material bodies, the word "cinema" can also be traced back to "kinein." The verb "kinein" is the source of the Greek "kinēma," meaning "movement," to which the French referred in the coining of their "cinématographe." "Cinématographe" is the word that gave rise to the English word "cinematograph," of which "cinema" is simply a shortened form. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 5, 2013 is: contraband • \KAHN-truh-band\ • noun 1 : illegal or prohibited traffic in goods : smuggling 2 : goods or merchandise whose importation, exportation, or possession is forbidden; also : smuggled goods 3 : a slave who during the American Civil War escaped to or was brought within the Union lines Examples: The border police searched the car for weapons, drugs, and other contraband. "The Tucson Sector Border Patrol is determined to prevent dangerous contraband … from being transported through Arizona." - From an article in the Douglas Dispatch (Arizona), July 3, 2013 Did you know? "Contraband" first appeared in English in the early 1500s as a borrowing of Italian "contrabbando." This Italian word can be traced to the Medieval Latin word "contrabannum," a combination of "contra-" ("against") and "bannum" ("decree"). "Bannum" is Germanic in origin and is related to Old High German "bannan" ("to command"). "Bannan" is also related to Middle English "bannen" ("to summon or to curse"), the source of the English verb "ban" (which now means "to prohibit" but which once also meant "to curse"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 4, 2013 is: hoodwink • \HOOD-wink\ • verb : to deceive by false appearance : dupe Examples: By making it look like a fun, enjoyable privilege instead of an exhausting chore, Tom Sawyer hoodwinks Ben Rogers into helping him whitewash Aunt Polly's fence. "In Moliére's classic comedy, the religious fraud Tartuffe has hoodwinked rich merchant Orgon and is poised to marry his host's teenage daughter, to seduce his lovely wife and to take over his gullible patron’s fortune-unless someone stops him." - From an article in The Edmond Sun (Oklahoma), June 25, 2013 Did you know? A now-obsolete sense of the word "wink" is "to close one's eyes," and "hoodwink" once meant to cover the eyes of someone, such as a prisoner, with a hood or blindfold. ("Hoodwink" was also once a name for the game of blindman's buff.) This 16th-century term soon came to be used figuratively for veiling the truth. "The Public is easily hood-winked," wrote the Irish physician Charles Lucas in 1756, by which time the figurative use had been around for almost a century and a half. Over two hundred and fifty years later, this meaning of the word hasn't changed a wink. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 3, 2013 is: effusive • \ih-FYOO-siv\ • adjective 1 : marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm 2 archaic : pouring freely 2 : characterized or formed by a nonexplosive outpouring of lava Examples: Lila's history teacher wrote an effusive letter of recommendation. "It's never easy for opponents from the opposite party to find specific praise at library unveilings, but Carter was effusive. 'Mr. President, let me say that I'm filled with admiration for you and deep gratitude for you about the great contributions you've made to the most needy people on Earth,' said the 39th president." - From an article by John Dickerson on Slate.com, July 2, 2013 Did you know? We've used "effusive" in English to describe excessive outpourings since the 17th century. In the 1800s, geologists adopted the specific sense related to flowing lava-or to hardened rock formed from flowing lava. "Effusive" can be traced to the Latin verb "effundere" ("to pour out"), which itself comes from "fundere" ("to pour") plus a modification of the prefix "ex-" ("out"). Our verb "effuse" has the same Latin ancestors. A person effuses when he or she speaks effusively. Liquids can effuse as well (as in "water effusing from a pipe"). See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 2, 2013 is: footle • \FOO-tul\ • verb 1 : to talk or act foolishly 2 : to waste time : trifle, fool Examples: "La Queue exclaimed that they were just being lazy and footling about." - From Douglas Parmée's 1984 translation of Émile Zola's story "Coqueville on the Spree" (originally published in 1907) "Well, we could not possibly intervene ourselves. We are far too busy footling about online, bemoaning how the country has gone to the dogs." - From an article by Will Batchelor in the Liverpool Post (United Kingdom), March 14, 2013 Did you know? "Footle" may be an alteration of "footer," which an 1847 dictionary of archaic and provincial words says is a verb meaning "to idle." That word is connected with "fouter" (also spelled "foutra"), a word describing something of little value or someone worthless or bungling. But the link between "footle" and "footer" is speculative. What we can say with confidence is that "footle" is a verb of 19th century origin that-along with the adjective "footling" (as in "a footling amateur")-is still apt when discussing foolish or trifling people or things. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 1, 2013 is: boffin • \BAH-fin\ • noun : a scientific expert; especially : one involved in technological research Examples: The auto manufacturer's boffins have become a driving force in reshaping the company's product line. “Unlike 'innovation,' invention has escaped being stereotyped by management theorists, and still conjures cheerful images of idealistic boffins and amateur inventors showing off their contraptions at Maker Faires.” - From an article by Alice Rawsthorn in The New York Times, April 22, 2013 Did you know? "Boffin" is an informal word that is more common in the U.K. than in the U.S. It is a relative newcomer to the English language, only appearing toward the end of World War II. Despite its youth, however, the origins of "boffin" are a mystery to us. The term was probably first applied by British Royal Air Force members to the scientists and engineers working closely with radar technology. The term was soon being more broadly applied to scientists involved in technological research. British speakers also use "boffin" colloquially to refer to academics or intellectuals in general, often in a manner that is synonymous with "nerd" or "egghead." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 31, 2013 is: pinchbeck • \PINCH-bek\ • adjective 1 : made of an alloy of copper and zinc used especially to imitate gold in jewelry 2 : counterfeit or spurious Examples: Though our hosts were not outwardly unfriendly, we suspected that their kindness to us was pinchbeck. "Presently, your uncommon brooch will interest folks who collect scarab or Victorian jewelry, pinchbeck pieces or antique Egyptian items. If the pin has a strong, working clasp and no damage, it is valued at $75 to $125." - From an article by Alyce Hand Benham in The Press of Atlantic City, May 18, 2013 Did you know? On November 27, 1732, an advertisement ran in a British newspaper announcing that "the toys made of the late ingenious Mr. Pinchbeck's curious metal ... are now sold only by his son." The Mr. Pinchbeck in question was Christopher Pinchbeck, a London watchmaker who invented the alloy that would be posthumously named for him. Although the metal is used as a substitute for gold, the word "pinchbeck," which can also be used as a noun, didn't acquire its "counterfeit" sense until the 1790s, over 50 years after Pinchbeck's death. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 30, 2013 is: cocoon • \kuh-KOON\ • verb : to wrap or envelop in or as if in a cocoon Examples: Lily got out of the water and cocooned herself in a large beach blanket. "I discovered, and for years, lived by, the color-coded 'Mom’s Super Busy Schedule' calendar. For those of you who are cocooned in the electronic world of mobile apps, iPhones and digital reminders, let me tell you: Back in the day, when there was no gadget telling you where to go, when to arrive and how to get there, that calendar was a life saver. We pre-technology moms had to be savvy." - From an article by Diana Speer in the Press Citizen (Iowa), May 21, 2013 Did you know? Since at least 1679, English speakers have been using the noun "cocoon" for the silky covering that surrounds a caterpillar or other insect larva in the pupa stage of metamorphosis. The word came into English from French, which in turn borrowed it from an Occitan term for "eggshell." Linguists believe the Occitan term was probably born of the Latin word "coccum," a noun that has been translated as "kermes," the dried bodies of some insects that can be found on certain trees. The verb "cocoon" has been with us since at least 1881. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 29, 2013 is: suffuse • \suh-FYOOZ\ • verb : to spread over or through in the manner of fluid or light : flush, fill Examples: Mother opened the curtains and instantly the room was suffused with the light of morning. "Given that the 1999 original worked as a crude-but-endearing corrective to the likes of 'Porky's,' the gently bittersweet tone suffusing this labor-of-love project … is neither inappropriate nor unwelcome." - From a film review by Justin Chang in Variety, April 4, 2012 Did you know? If you are cold or embarrassed, your cheeks may become suffused with a red glow, as though coated on one side with paint. This is reflected in the word’s etymology. "Suffuse" derives from Latin "suffundere," meaning "to pour beneath," a blend of the prefix "sub-" ("under") and "fundere" ("to pour"). Other verbs related to "fundere" continue the theme of pouring or spreading: "diffuse" ("to pour out and spread freely"), "effuse" ("to pour or flow out"), "transfuse" ("to cause to pass from one to another"), and the verb "fuse" itself when it's used to mean "to meld or join." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 28, 2013 is: maverick • \MAV-rik\ • noun 1 : an unbranded range animal; especially : a motherless calf 2 : an independent individual who does not go along with a group or party Examples: The award-winning columnist was regarded as a political maverick who clashed with his colleagues on many issues. "His famous dishes look more like freaky sea-life than food, but there's no denying Adria is a maverick and an innovator, a chef who rewrote the rules of running a restaurant, turning his food into an event in the process."- From an article by Ben Norum in Time Out, June 18, 2013 Did you know? When a client gave Samuel A. Maverick 400 cattle to settle a $1,200 debt, the 19th-century south Texas lawyer had no use for them, so he left the cattle unbranded and allowed them to roam freely (supposedly under the supervision of one of his employees). Neighboring stockmen recognized their opportunity and seized it, branding and herding the stray cattle as their own. Maverick eventually recognized the folly of the situation and sold what was left of his depleted herd, but not before his name became synonymous with such unbranded livestock. By the end of the 19th century, the term "maverick" was being used to refer to individuals who prefer to blaze their own trails. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 27, 2013 is: cineast • \SIN-ee-ast\ • noun : a devotee of motion pictures; also : moviemaker Examples: The once modest film festival is now a huge commercial event that draws cineasts and movie-industry insiders from around the world. "This just strikes me as a film that cineasts will savor, but the general public might have trouble digesting, considering how bleak and disturbing so many scenes are." - From an article by Bob Tremblay in the Allston-Brighton TAB (Massachusetts), July 13, 2012 Did you know? "Cineast" is a French borrowing that made its American premiere in the mid-1920s. The French spliced together "ciné" and "-aste" to create "cinéaste," a word for a filmmaker or movie director. "Ciné" in French is just another word for "cinema," and "-aste" is a suffix that appears in words like "gymnaste" and "enthousiaste." "Cinéaste" underwent several changes once it was established in English. Some writers anglicized its spelling, shortening "-aste" to "-ast" (although "cineaste" and "cinéaste" are also still used). Others began to use "cineast" to mean "film buff," and that's the sense that is most common 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 July 26, 2013 is: labile • \LAY-byle\ • adjective a : readily or frequently changing: as b : readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown c : characterized by wide fluctuations (as in blood pressure) d : emotionally unstable Examples: The researcher spent years studying chemically labile compounds in the hopes that they could be adapted into new medications. "Pat takes this to heart. He develops 'game plans' for how he will handle conflicts and setbacks. And he applies them to his burgeoning relationship with an emotionally labile young woman who recruits him to train for a dance competition with her." - From a movie review by Christen Giblin in the Sentinel-Tribune (Ohio), April 25, 2013 Did you know? We are confident that you won't slip up or err in learning today's word, despite its etymology. "Labile" was borrowed into English from French and can be traced back (by way of Middle French "labile," meaning "prone to err") to the Latin verb "labi," meaning "to slip or fall." Indeed, the first sense of "labile" in English was "prone to slip, err, or lapse," but that usage is now obsolete. Other "labi" descendants in English include "collapse," "elapse," "prolapse," and simply "lapse." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 25, 2013 is: repertoire • \REP-er-twahr\ • noun 1 : a list or supply of plays, operas, pieces, or parts which a company or performer is prepared to present 2 : a supply of skills, devices, or expedients; broadly : amount, supply 3 : a list or supply of capabilities Examples: Though I have a limited repertoire when it comes to cooking, I managed to put together a decent meal that all of my guests seemed to enjoy. "She's got the classic looks, the incredible singing voice, and a repertoire that sparkles with torchy twang, growly rockabilly, and, when she has a mind to, vintage R&B and swing." - From a concert listing by James Reed in the Boston Globe, June 20, 2013 Did you know? The Late Latin noun "repertorium," meaning "list," has given us two words that can be used to speak of the broad range of things that someone or something can do. One is "repertory," perhaps most commonly known as a word for a company that presents several different plays, operas, or other works at one theater, or the theater where such works are performed. "Repertoire," which comes from "repertorium" via French, once meant the same thing as "repertory" but later came to refer to the range of skills that a person has under his or her belt, such as the different pitches a baseball pitcher can throw or the particular dishes that are a chef's specialty. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 24, 2013 is: fard • \FAHRD\ • verb : to paint (the face) with cosmetics Examples: We were greeted at the door by a young woman with heavily farded cheeks. "Truda drew her tin from her top pocket. 'Isa, you've been too long in my company. Why should I harbor you? You look as if you're farded up for Hallows Eve!'" - From Anna Lawrence Pietroni's 2010 novel Ruby's Spoon Did you know? Though a relatively uncommon little word, "fard" is used to describe a very familiar activity-the application of cosmetics. When it is encountered these days it is often in participle form, as in our first example above, or simply as an example of an unusual or old-timey word. "Fard" was borrowed from Anglo-French (from the verb "farder") and first appeared in English in the mid-1400s. It is ultimately of Germanic origin and akin to the Old High German word "faro," meaning "colored." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 23, 2013 is: aseptic • \ay-SEP-tik\ • adjective 1 a : preventing infection b : free or freed from pathogenic microorganisms 2 : lacking vitality, emotion, or warmth Examples: Patients with compromised immune systems must be treated in aseptic environments. "[The company's] innovative technology enables it to kill the bacteria that cause foods to go bad and make people sick without ruining the flavor. Not only does that produce tastier, more nutritious food but, by using aseptic packaging that is lighter and more space-efficient than cans, the overall carbon footprint is reduced, [David] Kirkpatrick said." - From an article by David Ranii in the News & Observer (Raleigh, North Carolina), May 3, 2013 Did you know? Things cleaned specifically in a way that prevents infection were first described as "aseptic" in the late 19th century. The word combines the prefix "a-," meaning "not," and "septic," from Greek "sēptikos," meaning "putrifying." "Aseptic" was preceded by more than a century by "antiseptic" (from "anti-," meaning "opposing," and "sēptikos"), which entered English with the meaning "opposing sepsis, putrefaction, or decay." Both words can also be used, like "sterile," to suggest a lack of emotion, warmth, or interest. Evelyn Toynton used "aseptic" thus in The New York Times Book Review, November 22, 1987: "It's hard not to feel that an element of romance has been lost, that the vast chilly reaches of outer space are a pretty aseptic substitute for the shadowy depths under the ground.…" See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 22, 2013 is: chicanery • \shih-KAY-nuh-ree\ • noun 1 : deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry : trickery 2 : a piece of sharp practice (as at law) : trick Examples: The mayor's spokeswoman quickly denied the charges of nepotism, financial indiscretions, and political chicanery. "[The film] Now You See Me tries to mystify you with its cinematic chicanery while constantly reminding you that you're not paying attention to what's truly going down." - From a movie review by Craig D. Lindsey at nashvillescene.com, June 6, 2013 Did you know? "We have hardly any words that do so fully expresse the French clinquant, naiveté … chicaneries." So lamented English writer John Evelyn in a letter to Sir Peter Wyche in 1665. Evelyn and Wyche were members of a group called the Royal Society, which had formed a committee emulating the French Academy for the purpose of "improving the English language." We can surmise that, in Evelyn's estimation, the addition of "chicanery" to English from French was an improvement. What he apparently didn't realize was that English speakers had adopted the word from the French "chicanerie" before he wished for it; the term appears in English manuscripts dating from 1609. Similarly, "clinquant" ("glittering with gold or tinsel") dates from 1591. "Naïveté," on the other hand, waited until 1673 to appear. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 21, 2013 is: irascible • \ir-RASS-uh-bul\ • adjective : marked by hot temper and easily provoked anger Examples: That tidy little house belongs to an irascible old crank who never has a kind word for any of his neighbors. "Barra has written a close study of two ballplayers who were heroes to him when he (and they) were younger. In the end, his heart goes out to Mantle, who admitted his failings as death neared, who became more knowable. Barra has a harder time with an irascible, less open, elderly Mays." - From a book review by Floyd Skloot in the Boston Globe, May 24, 2013 Did you know? If you try to take apart "irascible" in the same manner as "irrational," "irresistible," or "irresponsible," you might find yourself wondering what "ascible" means-but that's not how "irascible" came to be. The key to the meaning of "irascible" isn't the negative prefix "ir-" (which is used before words that begin with "r"), but the Latin noun "ira," meaning "anger." From "ira," which is also the root of "irate" and "ire," came the Latin verb "irasci" ("to become angry"), which led to French "irascible." English speakers borrowed the word from French in the 16th century. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 20, 2013 is: hawkshaw • \HAWK-shaw\ • noun : detective Examples: Though she risked being late for an appointment, Amanda could not bring herself to set the book down until the novel's hawkshaw had solved the mystery. "The imitators never quite get the personality right. He's too sarcastic or too smug, never Doyle's gleeful hawkshaw who dazzles with deductions…." - From a book review by Don Crinklaw in Booklist, November 1, 2010 Did you know? If you're a fan of mystery writing, you may have a favorite fictional detective. Perhaps it's Hercule Poirot (created by Agatha Christie), Lord Peter Wimsey (created by Dorothy L. Sayers), or Mike Hammer (created by Mickey Spillane). These and other famous sleuths from the mystery genre follow in the tradition of a fictional detective from the 19th century: Hawkshaw, a theatrical gumshoe introduced in the 1863 play The Ticket of Leave Man by British dramatist Tom Taylor. "Hawkshaw" gained further popularity as a general term for a detective when the name was used for a character in a comic strip by American cartoonist Gus Mager. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 19, 2013 is: umbrage • \UM-brij\ • noun 1 : shade, shadow 2 a : vague suggestion : hint b : a reason for doubt 3 : a feeling of resentment at some often fancied slight or insult Examples: I take umbrage at her suggestion that I just couldn't be bothered to call. "If someone disagrees with him, he doesn't take umbrage. He treats all people alike, a colleague says. He's a listener." - From an article by Fred Barnes in The Weekly Standard, December 31, 2012 - January 7, 2013 Did you know? "Deare amber lockes gave umbrage to her face." This line from a poem by William Drummond, published in 1616, uses "umbrage" in its original sense of "shade or shadow," a meaning shared by its Latin source, "umbra." ("Umbella," the diminutive form of "umbra," means "a sunshade or parasol" in Latin and is an ancestor of our word "umbrella.") Beginning in the early 17th century, "umbrage" was also used to mean "a shadowy suggestion or semblance of something," as when Shakespeare, in Hamlet, wrote, "His semblable is his mirror, and who else would trace him, his umbrage, nothing more." In the same century, "umbrage" took on the pejorative senses "a shadow of suspicion cast on someone" and "displeasure, offense"; the latter is commonly used today in the phrases "give umbrage" or "take umbrage." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2013 is: addlepated • \AD-ul-pay-tud\ • adjective 1 : being mixed up : confused 2 : eccentric Examples: The patient was blabbering like an addlepated fool. "She had lost what little ability she ever had to concentrate and her addlepated mind flitted butterflylike from one often unrelated subject to another." - From Tessa Harris's 2012 novel The Anatomist's Apprentice Did you know? In Middle English an "adel eye" was a putrid egg. The stench of such an egg apparently affected the minds of some witty thinkers, who hatched a comparison between the diminished, unsound quality of an "adel" (or "addle") egg and an empty, confused head-or pate. "Your owne imagination, which was no lesse Idle, then your head was addle all that day," wrote one 17th-century wit at play with the words "idle" and "addle." Today, "addle" is often found in combination with words referring to one's noggin, as in "addlepated," "addlebrained," and "addle-headed." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2013 is: resplendent • \rih-SPLEN-dunt\ • adjective : shining brilliantly : characterized by a glowing splendor Examples: All eyes were drawn to the beautiful young woman-resplendent in an elegant evening gown-who had just appeared at the top of the stairway. "On a dazzling Saturday afternoon, splashed with resplendent sunshine after too many cool gray days of rain, I slowly picked my way through the hordes of tourists...." - From an article by Kaelen Wilson-Goldie in Artforum, June 8, 2013 Did you know? "Resplendent" has a lot in common with "splendid" (meaning "shining" or "brilliant"), "splendent" ("shining" or "glossy"), and "splendor" ("brightness" or "luster"). Each of those glowing terms gets its shine from the Latin verb "splendēre" ("to shine"). Etymologists believe "splendēre" might also be related to Middle Irish "lainn," meaning "bright." "Splendent," "splendor," and "resplendent" first showed their lustrous senses in English during the 15th century, but "splendid" didn't light up our language until over 175 years later; its earliest known use dates from 1624. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2013 is: booboisie • \boob-wah-ZEE\ • noun : the general public regarded as consisting of boobs Examples: "'Elitism' was always the sneer of the booboisie against opera…." - From an article by Stephanie Von Buchau in Opera News, July 1998 "[Simon] Doonan's silliness is a delight. This is not a rote throwback to the 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' advice of yore. There's no dumbing down for the booboisie." - From a book review by Christopher Muther in the Boston Globe, January 7, 2012 Did you know? Journalist and critic H. L. Mencken is often credited with coining "booboisie," a blend of "boob," as it refers to someone who cares too much about things and too little about ideas and art, and "bourgeoisie," that French-origin term for the middle class. Mencken may have indeed coined the word, but it seems likely that he wasn't the word's only inventor. According to the 2006 Yale Book of Quotations, Mencken was quoted using "booboisie" in an August 1922 issue of The Dial before it appeared in any of his writings. But a February 22, 1922 Washington Post article opens with the following line: "A plot to mulct the 'booboisie' which might have been invented by an author of get-rich-quick fiction …." The booboisie, of course, couldn't care less. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2013 is: nary • \NAIR-ee\ • adjective : not any : not one Examples: "I must have it back as I have nary other copy." - From a 1961 letter by Flannery O'Connor "It was 4-0 in Cleveland's favor by then, and the way the Rangers were going down meekly-nary a runner reaching second base-the deficit seemed much larger." - From an article by Gil LeBreton in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, June 11, 2013 Did you know? "Nary," often used in the phrase "nary a" to mean "not a single," is an 18th century alteration of the adjectival phrase "ne'er a," in which "ne'er" is a contraction of "never." That contraction dates to the 13th century, and the word it abbreviates is even older: "never" can be traced back to Old English "nǽ fre," a combination of "ne" ("not" or "no") and "ǽfre" ("ever"). Old English "ne" also combined with "ā" ("always") to give us "nā," the Old English ancestor of our "no." "Ā," from the Latin "aevum" ("age" or "lifetime") and Greek "aiōn" ("age"), is related to the English adverb "aye," meaning "always, continually, or ever." This "aye" (pronounced to rhyme with "say") is unrelated to the more familiar "aye" (pronounced to rhyme with "sigh") used as a synonym of "yes." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.