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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
circumvent
20 hours 6 min ago
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 05, 2012 is:
circumvent • \ser-kum-VENT\ • verb
1 : to hem in 2 : to make a circuit around 3 : to manage to get around especially by ingenuity or stratagem
Examples:
Even though a clear detour route has been marked for all to use, some motorists have sought their own creative ways to circumvent the road construction.
"But [non-disclosure agreements] are increasingly rare. Many states do not enforce them; there are easy ways for those with malicious intent to circumvent them; and pursuing legal action is more expensive than most startup companies can afford." -- From an article by Yasine Armstrong in the Albuquerque (New Mexico) Journal, December 19, 2011
Did you know?
If you’ve ever felt as if someone were circling around the rules, you have an idea of the origins of "circumvent" -- it derives from the Latin "circum," meaning "circle," and "ventus," the past participle of the Latin verb "venire," meaning "to come." The earliest uses of "circumvent" referred to a tactic of hunting or warfare in which the quarry or enemy was encircled and captured. Today, however, "circumvent" more often suggests avoidance than entrapment; it typically means to "get around" someone or something, as in our example sentences.
lymphatic
Sat, 02/04/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 04, 2012 is:
lymphatic • \lim-FAT-ik\ • adjective
1 a : of, relating to, or produced by lymph, lymphoid tissue, or lymphocytes b : conveying lymph 2 : lacking physical or mental energy : sluggish
Examples:
Because of the snowstorm, the day was a lazy one and the whole family felt lymphatic.
"Tonsils are collections of lymphatic tissue on both sides of the back of the mouth." -- From an article by Dr. Rhonda Patt in the Charlotte Observer (North Carolina), January 3, 2012
Did you know?
Lymph is a pale liquid in the body that helps maintain fluid balance and removes bacteria from tissues. Today, we understand that lymph plays an important role in the body's immune system. In the past, however, it was commonly believed that an excess of lymph caused sluggishness -- hence the "sluggish" meaning of "lymphatic." The word "lymph" comes from Latin "lympha" ("water" or "water goddess"), which itself may be a modification of the Greek word "nymphē," meaning "nymph." Both "lymph" and its related adjective "lymphatic" have been used in English since the mid-17th century.
gam
Fri, 02/03/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 03, 2012 is:
gam • \GAM\ • verb
1 : to have a visit or friendly conversation with 2 : to spend or pass (as time) talking
Examples:
The two strangers discovered that they had a lot in common as they gammed the hours away on the long train ride.
"It always was -- and still is, for that matter -- infuriating to be ignored when superiors are gamming on about an operation in which you are the one about to risk life and limb." -- From Robert N. Macomber's 2010 novel The Darkest Shade of Honor
Did you know?
"But what is a gam? You might wear out your index-finger running up and down the columns of dictionaries, and never find the word." So says the narrator, who calls himself Ishmael, of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. These days you will indeed find "gam" entered in dictionaries; Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines the noun "gam" as "a visit or friendly conversation at sea or ashore especially between whalers." (It can also mean "a school of whales.") Melville’s narrator explains that when whaling ships met far out at sea, they would hail one another and the crews would exchange visits and news. English speakers have been using the word "gam" to refer to these and similar social exchanges since the mid-19th century.
stiction
Thu, 02/02/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 02, 2012 is:
stiction • \STIK-shun\ • noun
: the force required to cause one body in contact with another to begin to move
Examples:
Tire quality can affect stiction at the start of an auto race.
"Stiction is stationary friction. Starting the bolt turning takes more force than keeping it turning. The tighter the bolt, the more stiction can affect torque readings." -- From an article by Jim Kerr in the Winnipeg Free Press, December 30, 2011
Did you know?
"Stiction" has been a part of the English language since at least 1946, when it appeared in a journal of aeronautics. The word is a combination of the "st-" of "static" ("of or relating to bodies at rest") and the "-iction" of "friction" ("the force that resists relative motion between two bodies in contact"). So, basically, it means "static friction" (or to put it another way, as in our second example sentence, "stationary friction").
heyday
Wed, 02/01/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for February 01, 2012 is:
heyday • \HAY-day\ • noun
: the period of one's greatest popularity, vigor, or prosperity
Examples:
In its heyday, the circus was a major form of entertainment for small-town America.
"Here is Hemingway both in his heyday, soaring on the accolades of The Sun Also Rises and A Farewell to Arms, and his decline, precipitated by alcoholism and two airplane crashes that may have well left him with undiagnosed brain injuries." -- From a blog post by Alexander Nazaryan on the New York Daily News’ PageViews blog, December 13, 2011
Did you know?
In its earliest appearances in English, in the 16th century, "heyday" was used as an interjection that expressed elation or wonder (similar to our word "hey," from which it derives). Around the same time, "heyday" saw use as a noun meaning "high spirits." (This sense can be seen in Act III, Scene IV of Hamlet, when the Prince of Denmark tells his mother, "You cannot call it love; for at your age / The heyday in the blood is tame….") It wasn’t until the 18th century that English speakers, perhaps interpreting the "day" of the second syllable to mean "a time or period," began using "heyday" to refer to the period when one’s achievement or popularity has reached its zenith.
gambol
Tue, 01/31/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 31, 2012 is:
gambol • \GAM-bul\ • verb
: to skip about in play : frisk, frolic
Examples:
The children scamper and gambol about the playground with seemingly endless energy.
"Strong binoculars … allow patrons to spy on the sea otters, pelicans, cormorants and other creatures that gambol among the bay kelp." -- From an article by Peter Magnani in the San Jose Mercury News, October 10, 2011
Did you know?
In Middle French, the noun "gambade" referred to the frisky spring of a jumping horse. In the early 1500s, the English word "gambol" romped into print as both a verb and a noun. (The noun means "a skipping or leaping about in play.") The English word is not restricted to horses, but rather can be used of any frolicsome creature. It is a word that suggests levity and spontaneity, and it tends to be used especially of the lively activity of children or animals engaged in active play.
elixir
Mon, 01/30/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 30, 2012 is:
elixir • \ih-LIK-ser\ • noun
1 a : a substance held to be capable of changing metals into gold b : a substance held to be capable of extending life c : cure-all d : a medicinal concoction 2 : a sweetened usually alcoholic liquid
Examples:
While the new sports complex should bring some much-needed job growth to our struggling region, we should not regard it as the elixir for all of our economic woes.
"At Frederick Douglass Blvd. and 147th St., he noticed the giant wall mural boasting of the powers of an elixir, Omega Oil." -- From an article by Sherryl Connelly, Daily News (New York), January 2, 2012
Did you know?
"Elixir" has roots in the practice of alchemy; it was used in the Middle Ages as the word for a substance believed able to alter base metals into gold. Its later use for a drug purported to prolong one’s life led to its use in the names of medicines of mostly questionable effectiveness. Today, it is often used generally for anything thought capable of remedying all ills or difficulties, be they physical or otherwise. The word came to us via Middle English and Medieval Latin from Arabic "al-iksīr"; it probably ultimately derives from a Greek word meaning "desiccative powder."
Cook's tour
Sun, 01/29/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 29, 2012 is:
Cook's tour • \COOKS-TOOR\ • noun
: a rapid or cursory survey or review
Examples:
The guide gave the group a Cook's tour of the types of sea life that they might encounter on their dive.
"Remain in the party zone. Do not drag other guests on an adventurous cook's tour of the property, sneak beyond closed doors, explore the master bath instead of the powder room, or snoop in the medicine cabinet." -- From an article by Krys Stefansky in The Virginian-Pilot, December 12, 2011.
Did you know?
In 1841, British missionary Thomas Cook convinced a British railway to run a special train to a temperance meeting, then proceeded to find passengers for the trip, an event regarded as the beginning of organized tourism. Within a few years, Cook was setting up excursions on a regular basis, and by the century's end, the Thomas Cook & Son travel agency was orchestrating travel around the world. The agency's tours were famously well-organized, but they were also known for herding travelers hurriedly from location to location. A Cook's tourist might see an impressive array of famous sites, but often only in superficial glimpses. Over time, English speakers started using "Cook's tour" for any hurried tour, and later, for any rushed activity or cursory review.
bright-line
Sat, 01/28/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 28, 2012 is:
bright-line • \BRYTE-lyne\ • adjective
: providing an unambiguous criterion or guideline especially in law
Examples:
The company's new reimbursement policy makes a bright-line distinction between acceptable and unacceptable travel expenses.
"The NFL needs to have a bright-line rule for the use of electronics devices during games." -- From a post by Mike Florio at nbcsports.com, January 13, 2012
Did you know?
In the first half of the 20th century, courts began referring to a "bright line" that could or could not be drawn to make clear-cut distinctions between legal issues. Early users may have been influenced by the term "bright line," used by physicists to refer to the distinct color lines in the light spectrum. Before that, judges were content with wording that was more prosaic, such as "line of demarcation." In the second half of the 20th century, we began using "bright-line" as an adjective. Nonlegal types looking for unambiguous distinctions in other walks of life took a shine to "bright-line" sometime in the 1980s.
arbalest
Fri, 01/27/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 27, 2012 is:
arbalest • \AHR-buh-list\ • noun
: a crossbow especially of medieval times
Examples:
The destructive power of the arbalest was so greatly feared during the 1100s that some governments tried to outlaw its use.
"During forensic examination, it was established that the murder was made using [an] arbalest. " -- From an article in States News Service, January 19, 2011
Did you know?
The arbalest was the distance weapon of choice for medieval armies. It was first mentioned in 1100 in The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, a historical record of Saxon England. In 1622 British historian Peter Heylyn wrote that Richard the Lion-Hearted, the 12th-century English monarch, was "slain by a shot from an Arbalist." The crossbow's name is one of many terms that came into English from Old French when the Normans took control of England after the Battle of Hastings; our word is adapted from "arbaleste," the French name of the weapon. The French, in turn, derived their word from a combination of Latin "arcus" (meaning "bow") and "ballista" ("an ancient crossbow for hurling large missiles").
loath
Thu, 01/26/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 26, 2012 is:
loath • \LOHTH\ • adjective
: unwilling to do something contrary to one's way of thinking : reluctant
Examples:
She was loath to admit her mistakes.
"Doctors are loath to testify against colleagues guilty of malpractice." -- From an article by Tammerlin Drummond in the Contra Costa Times (California), December 21, 2011
Did you know?
Many usage commentators point out that the spelling of "loath" the adjective is distinct from "loathe," the verb that means "to dislike greatly." Merriam-Webster dictionaries record "loathe" (along with "loth") as a variant spelling for the adjective, at the same time indicating that the spelling with an "e" is not as common as the form without it. Both words hark back to Old English, and the "e" ending in each has come and gone over the centuries -- but if you want to avoid the ire of those who like to keep the language tidy, stick with "loath" for the adjective and "loathe" for the verb.
intercalate
Wed, 01/25/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 25, 2012 is:
intercalate • \in-TER-kuh-layt\ • verb
1 : to insert (as a day) in a calendar 2 : to insert between or among existing elements or layers
Examples:
Over the centuries, people of various cultures have intercalated months and days to bring their calendars into alignment with the seasonal year.
"The fossiliferous deposits of the Tatrot Formation outcropping in the area consist of pale pinkish-orange brown clays, brownish grey siltstones and shale, and greenish grey fine to medium grained sandstones intercalated with dark grey conglomerates…." -- From an article by M. A. Khan, et al., in the Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences, December 31, 2011
Did you know?
"Intercalate" was formed from the Latin prefix "inter-," meaning "between" or "among," and the Latin verb "calare," meaning "to proclaim" or "to call." It was originally associated with proclaiming the addition of a day or month in a calendar. An instance of intercalation occurred in the earliest versions of the Roman calendar, which originally consisted of 304 days and 10 months and was determined by the lunar cycle. When the Romans realized that they had overlooked a two-month cycle during the winter, the king "intercalated" the months January and February. Eventually, the word's use broadened to include other kinds of insertion.
contaminate
Tue, 01/24/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 24, 2012 is:
contaminate • \kun-TAM-uh-nayt\ • verb
1 a : to soil, stain, corrupt, or infect by contact or association b : to make inferior or impure by admixture 2 : to make unfit for use by the introduction of unwholesome or undesirable elements
Examples:
Lucy ended up with a serious infection when her wound became contaminated by bacteria.
"Indian meal moths are the most common type of pantry pests, and with the female moth laying up to 200 eggs per week, they can quickly contaminate the entire pantry." -- From an article by Arrow Exterminators in Business Wire, November 17, 2011
Did you know?
"Contaminate," "taint," "pollute," and "defile" mean to make impure or unclean. "Contaminate" implies intrusion of or contact with dirt or foulness from an outside source (logically enough, as it derives from a Latin word that is a cousin to "contingere," meaning "to have contact with"). "Taint" stresses a loss of purity or cleanliness that follows contact ("tainted meat"). "Pollute," sometimes interchangeable with "contaminate," may imply that the process which begins with contamination is complete and that what was pure or clean has been made foul, poisoned, or filthy ("the polluted waters of the river"). "Defile" implies befouling of what could or should have been kept clean and pure or held sacred and commonly suggests violation or desecration ("defile a hero's memory with slander").
yegg
Mon, 01/23/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 23, 2012 is:
yegg • \YEG\ • noun
: safecracker; also : robber
Examples:
"The cops grabbed him and another yegg for a Philadelphia store burglary." -- From the James Lardner and Thomas Reppetto book, NYPD: A City and Its Police, 2001
"According to police the yeggs, apparently knowing exactly where the money was, punched a six-inch hole in the corner of the safe." -- From an article in the Eastern Express Times, November 26, 2011
Did you know?
"Safecracker" first appeared in print in English around 1825, but English speakers evidently felt that they needed a more colorful word for this rather colorful profession. No one is quite sure where "yegg" came from. It first appeared in the New York Evening Post on June 23, 1903, in an article about "the prompt breaking up of the organized gangs of professional beggars and yeggs." By 1905, it had acquired the variant "yeggmen," which was printed in the New York Times in reference to unsavory characters captured in the Bowery District. "Yegg" has always been, and continues to be, less common than "safecracker," but it still turns up once in a while.
leonine
Sun, 01/22/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 22, 2012 is:
leonine • \LEE-uh-nyne\ • adjective
: of, relating to, suggestive of, or resembling a lion
Examples:
"The world wanders into many strange by-paths of affection. The love of a mother for her children is dominant, leonine, selfish, and unselfish." -- From Theodore Dreiser's 1912 novel The Financier
"At 72, the leonine pianist [McCoy Tyner] didn't make the instrument shudder as he did earlier in his career. But, at its best, his set still produced more sound and fury, more brilliant colors and bursts of dissonance, than most of his peers could match." -- From a review by Howard Reich in the Chicago Tribune, December 21, 2011
Did you know?
"Leonine" derives from Latin "leo," meaning "lion," which in turn comes from Greek "lēon." "Lēon" gave us an interesting range of words: "leopard" (which is "lēon" combined with "pardos," a Greek word for a panther-like animal); "dandelion" (which came by way of the Anglo-French phrase "dent de lion" -- literally, "lion's tooth"); and "chameleon" (which uses the combining form from Greek that means "on the ground"); as well as the names "Leon" and "Leonard." But the dancer's and gymnast's leotard is not named for its wearer's cat-like movements. Rather, it was simply named after its inventor, Jules Leotard, a 19th-century French aerial gymnast.
weltschmerz
Sat, 01/21/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 21, 2012 is:
weltschmerz • \VELT-shmairts\ • noun, often capitalized
1 : mental depression or apathy caused by comparison of the actual state of the world with an ideal state 2 : a mood of sentimental sadness
Examples:
As I grew older and encountered more of life's hardships, I found myself plunging into a state of weltschmerz.
"Fortunately books exist -- at least for now -- and reading remains a popular indoor activity, as well as one of the top strategies for avoiding family conflict and general Weltschmerz while creating the appearance of productivity." -- From an article by James Hannaham in The Village Voice, November 23, 2011
Did you know?
The word "weltschmerz" initially came into being as a by-product of the Romanticism movement in Europe of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The poets of the Romantic era were a notably gloomy bunch, unwilling or unable to adjust to those realities of the world that they perceived as threatening their right to personal freedom. "Weltschmerz," which was formed by combining the German words for "world" ("Welt") and "pain" ("Schmerz"), aptly captures the melancholy and pessimism that often characterized the artistic expressions of the era. The term was coined in German by the Romantic author Jean Paul (pseudonym of Johann Paul Friedrich Richter) in his 1827 novel Selina, but it wasn't adopted into English until the 1860s.
darling
Fri, 01/20/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 20, 2012 is:
darling • \DAHR-ling\ • noun
1 : a dearly loved person 2 : favorite
Examples:
The youngest of three children, she was always her parents' little darling.
"A darling of Martha Stewart and Alice Waters, the Meyer -- nicknamed 'the gourmet lemon' -- also has become a favorite of California gardeners." -- From an article by Debbie Arrington in the Sacramento Bee, December 14, 2011
Did you know?
The origins of "darling" can be found in the very heart of the English language; its earliest known uses can be traced back to Old English writings from the 9th century. Old English "deorling" was formed by attaching the Old English suffix "-ling" ("one associated with or marked by a specified quality") with the adjective "dēore," the ancestor of our adjective "dear" ("regarded very affectionately or fondly," "highly valued or esteemed," "beloved"). English speakers appear to have developed a fondness for "darling" and have held on to it for over a thousand years now. And though its spelling has changed over time -- including variations such as "dyrling," "derlinge," and "dearling" -- "darling" has maintained its original sense of "one dearly loved."
fustian
Thu, 01/19/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 19, 2012 is:
fustian • \FUSS-chun\ • noun
1 : a strong cotton and linen fabric 2 : high-flown or affected writing or speech; broadly : anything high-flown or affected in style
Examples:
Readers with a low tolerance for fustian may be put off by the writer's style, but there is no denying that his arguments have merit.
"To be wearing plain dimity and fustian in a room full of satin, velvet and diamonds took an effort of will." -- From Daisy Goodwin's 2011 novel The American Heiress
Did you know?
"Fustian" has been used in English for a kind of cloth since the 13th century, but it didn't acquire its high-flown sense until at least three centuries later. One of the earliest known uses of the "pretentious writing or speech" sense occurs in Christopher Marlowe's play Doctor Faustus when Wagner says, "Let thy left eye be diametarily [sic] fixed upon my right heel, with quasi vestigiis nostris insistere," and the clown replies, "God forgive me, he speaks Dutch fustian." The precise origins of the word "fustian" aren't clear. English picked it up from Anglo-French, which adopted it from Medieval Latin, but its roots beyond that point are a subject of some dispute.
junket
Wed, 01/18/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 18, 2012 is:
junket • \JUNK-ut\ • noun
1 : a dessert of sweetened flavored milk set with rennet 2 a : a festive social affair b : trip, journey: as (1) : a trip made by an official at public expense (2) : a promotional trip made at another's expense
Examples:
The senator has been criticized for going on expensive junkets to foreign countries.
"It's a little embarrassing, but when I saw a report that Gov. Sean Parnell was just returning from a junket to Europe, I was surprised. I hadn't noticed he was gone. Awkward." -- From an op-ed by Shannyn Moore in the Anchorage Daily News, November 21, 2011
Did you know?
The road "junket" has traveled has been a long one, with frequent stops for food along the way. Since at least the 15th century, the word has named various comestibles, ranging from curds and cream to sweet confections. By the 16th century, "junket" had also come to mean "banquet." Apparently, traveling must have been involved to reach some junkets, because eventually that term was also applied to pleasure outings or trips (whether or not food was the focus). Today, the word usually refers either to a trip made by a government official and paid for by the public, as in our example sentences, or to a free trip by a member of the press to a place where something, such as a new movie, is being promoted.
graupel
Tue, 01/17/2012 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 17, 2012 is:
graupel • \GROU-pul ("OU" is as in "cloud")\ • noun
: granular snow
Examples:
As we sat inside, enjoying the cozy warmth of the fire, the storm deposited an inch of graupel on the deck.
"In counties adjacent to the Illinois-Wisconsin border, graupel (snow enveloped by super-cooled water droplets) or small hail was reported in Kenosha, Racine, Lake Geneva, Wauconda, and Huntley." -- From a weather report by Tom Skilling in the Chicago Tribune, October 28, 2011
Did you know?
The word "graupel" is Germanic in origin; it is the diminutive of "Graupe," meaning "pearl barley." According to etymologists, there does seem to be a grain of truth in the assumption that the word grew from the Slavic word "krupa," which has the same meaning. "Graupel" was first seen in an 1889 weather report and has been whirling around in the meteorology field ever since to describe "pellets of snow" or "soft hail" (the latter phrase is an actual synonym of "graupel").
