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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day
zenith
14 hours 19 min ago
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 08, 2010 is:
zenith • \ZEE-nith\ • noun
1 : the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the and vertically above the observer 2 : the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body 3 : culminating point : acme
Example sentence:
"The race was either the nadir or the zenith of high jinks politics, depending on one's point of view." (Kathleen Parker, Charlotte Observer, June 14, 2010)
Did you know?
When you reach the zenith, you’re at the top, the pinnacle, the summit, the peak. "Zenith” developed from Arabic terms meaning "the way over one’s head," and then traveled through Old Spanish, Medieval Latin, and Middle French before arriving in English. As long ago as the 1300s, English speakers used "zenith" to name the highest point in the celestial heavens, directly overhead. By the 1600s, "zenith" was being used for other high points as well. As in our example sentence, "zenith" is often contrasted with "nadir." In celestial contexts, the nadir is the point that is vertically downward from the observer (imagine a line going through the earth from the observer's feet and out the other side into the sky). Figuratively, "nadir" simply means "the lowest point."
laconic
Tue, 09/07/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 07, 2010 is:
laconic • \luh-KAH-nik\ • adjective
: using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious
Example sentence:
"While the Ingallses were living outside the town of De Smet, in what is now South Dakota, Laura met her future husband, a laconic homesteader ten years her senior." (Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, August 10, 2009)
Did you know?
Laconia was an ancient country in southern Greece, bordering on the Aegean and the Mediterranean seas. Its capital city was Sparta, and the Spartans were famous for their terseness of speech. "Laconic" comes to us by way of Latin from Greek "Lakonikos," which is derived from "Lakon," meaning "native of Laconia." It has been with us since the 16th century and has sometimes been used with the basic meaning "of or relating to Laconia or its inhabitants" (though we’re more apt to use "Laconian" for this meaning today). In current use, "laconic" means "terse" or "concise," and thus recalls the Spartan tendency to use the fewest words possible.
paranymph
Mon, 09/06/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 06, 2010 is:
paranymph • \PAIR-uh-nimf\ • noun
1 : a friend going with a bridegroom to fetch home the bride in ancient Greece; also : the bridesmaid conducting the bride to the bridegroom 2 *a : best man b : bridesmaid
Example sentence:
The bride and groom, accompanied by their paranymphs, stood before the officiating clergy.
Did you know?
"Paranymph" resulted from the marriage of the Greek prefix "para-" and the Greek word for bride, "nymphē." The prefix "para-" can mean "beside" or "alongside of," as is apparent in the word "parallel," from the Greek word "parallēlos," a union of "para-" and the word "allēnōn," meaning "of one another." At one time, the word "paranymph" also was used for a person who solicits or speaks for another -- that is, an advocate -- but that sense is now very rare.
futurity
Sun, 09/05/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 05, 2010 is:
Sisyphean • \sis-uh-FEE-un\ • adjective
: of, relating to, or suggestive of the labors of Sisyphus; specifically : requiring continual and often ineffective effort
Example sentence:
"Considering the inherently fickle nature of golf, defending a title is, no doubt, as Sisyphean a task as any in the sport." (Anthony Cuaycong, BusinessWorld, July 2008)
Did you know?
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king who annoyed the gods with his trickery. As a consequence, he was condemned for eternity to roll a huge rock up a long, steep hill in the underworld, only to watch it roll back down. The story of Sisyphus is often told in conjunction with that of Tantalus, who was condemned to stand beneath fruit-laden boughs, up to his chin in water. Whenever he bent his head to drink, the water receded, and whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches moved beyond his grasp. Thus to "tantalize" is to tease or torment by offering something desirable but keeping it out of reach -- and something "Sisyphean" (or "Sisyphian," pronounced \sih-SIFF-ee-un\) demands unending, thankless, and ultimately unsuccessful efforts.
bona fides
Sat, 09/04/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 04, 2010 is:
bona fides • \boh-nuh-FYE-deez\ • noun
1 : good faith : sincerity 2 : evidence of one's good faith or genuineness *3 : evidence of one's qualifications or achievements
Example sentence:
If you still have doubts about Rob’s bona fides as a lawyer, you should hear all the good things his past clients have said about him.
Did you know?
"Bona fides" looks like a plural word in English, but in Latin, it's a singular noun that literally means "good faith." When "bona fides" entered English, it at first stayed very close to its Latin use -- it was found mostly in legal contexts and it meant "honesty or lawfulness of purpose," just as it did in Latin. It also retained its singular construction. Using this original sense one might speak of "a claimant whose bona fides is unquestionable," for example. But in the 20th century, use of "bona fides" began to widen, and it began to appear with a plural verb in certain contexts. For example, a sentence such as "the informant's bona fides were ascertained" is now possible.
clitic
Fri, 09/03/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 03, 2010 is:
clitic • \KLIT-ik\ • noun
: a word that is treated in pronunciation as forming a part of a neighboring word and that is often unaccented or contracted
Example sentence:
In "what's happening?" the "s" in "what's" is a clitic.
Did you know?
We hear clitics every day in sentences like "This'll be fine" and "C'mon over here." There are two kinds of clitics: "enclitics" and "proclitics." An enclitic is a clitic that is associated with the word that comes before it. Contractions, such as the "ve" in "would've" and the "ll" in "it'll," are enclitics. A proclitic is associated with the word that follows it. Proclitics are transcribed into print far less often than enclitics are, but we hear them frequently in speech. For example, the sentence "They love to dance" is typically pronounced with the "to" truncated to a "t" that gets tacked onto the front of "dance."
vulpine
Thu, 09/02/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 02, 2010 is:
vulpine • \VUL-pine\ • adjective
1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox *2 : foxy, crafty
Example sentence:
"There is something Gatsby-esque about the whole story. [Bernie] Madoff is a clear proxy for Meyer Wolfsheim, the vulpine, self-satisfied criminal seducer." (Daniel Gross, Newsweek, January 12, 2009)
Did you know?
In Walden (1854), Henry David Thoreau described foxes crying out "raggedly and demoniacally" as they hunted through the winter forest, and he wrote, "Sometimes one came near to my window, attracted by my light, barked a vulpine curse at me, and then retreated." Thoreau's was far from the first use of "vulpine"; English writers have been applying that adjective to the foxlike or crafty since at least the 15th century, and the Latin parent of our term, "vulpinus" (from the noun "vulpes," meaning "fox"), was around long before that.
hector
Wed, 09/01/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 01, 2010 is:
hector • \HEK-ter\ • verb
1 : to play the bully : swagger *2 : to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure
Example sentence:
The judge sternly ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness.
Did you know?
In Homer's Iliad, Hector, the eldest son of King Priam of Troy, was a model soldier, son, father, and friend, the champion of the Trojan army until he was killed by the Greek hero Achilles. How did the name of a Trojan paragon become a verb meaning "to bully or harrass"? That use was likely influenced by gangs of rowdy street toughs who roamed London in the 17th century and called themselves "Hectors." They may have thought themselves gallant young blades, but to the general populace they were swaggering bullies who intimidated passersby and vandalized property. By 1660, "hector" was being used both as a verb and as a noun meaning "bully."
dram
Tue, 08/31/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 31, 2010 is:
dram • \DRAM\ • noun
1 : a unit of avoirdupois weight equal to 1/16 ounce 2 : a unit of apothecaries' weight equal to 1/8 ounce 3 : a unit of liquid capacity equal to 1/8 fluid ounce 4 a : a small portion of something to drink* b : a small amount
Example sentence:
The two of them don't have a dram of sense between them, so I'm not surprised that they got into so much trouble.
Did you know?
In avoirdupois weight -- that is, the system of weights commonly used by English speakers in North America and the United Kingdom -- a dram is equal to 1/16 ounce (1.772 grams). The word "dram" was borrowed from the Anglo-French and Late Latin word "dragme," which was originally used for a silver coin used by the ancient Greeks (now known in English as the "drachma") and for the coin's approximate weight. In the 16th century, English speakers also began using "dram" for a weight of fluid measure (also called a "fluid dram") equal to 1/8 fluid ounce, and more loosely for any small portion of something to drink. "Dram" is also used figuratively for any small amount, in much the same way as "grain" and "ounce."
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
dram
Tue, 08/31/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 31, 2010 is:
dram • \DRAM\ • noun
1 : a unit of avoirdupois weight equal to 1/16 ounce 2 : a unit of apothecaries' weight equal to 1/8 ounce 3 : a unit of liquid capacity equal to 1/8 fluid ounce 4 a : a small portion of something to drink* b : a small amount
Example sentence:
The two of them don't have a dram of sense between them, so I'm not surprised that they got into so much trouble.
Did you know?
In avoirdupois weight -- that is, the system of weights commonly used by English speakers in North America and the United Kingdom -- a dram is equal to 1/16 ounce (1.772 grams). The word "dram" was borrowed from the Anglo-French and Late Latin word "dragme," which was originally used for a silver coin used by the ancient Greeks (now known in English as the "drachma") and for the coin's approximate weight. In the 16th century, English speakers also began using "dram" for a weight of fluid measure (also called a "fluid dram") equal to 1/8 fluid ounce, and more loosely for any small portion of something to drink. "Dram" is also used figuratively for any small amount, in much the same way as "grain" and "ounce."
flat-hat
Mon, 08/30/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 30, 2010 is:
flat-hat • \FLAT-hat\ • verb
: to fly low in an airplane in a reckless manner : hedgehop
Example sentence:
Unable to resist the temptation to show off, the young pilot decreased altitude and flat-hatted over the county fairground.
Did you know?
Legend has it that the term "flat-hat" originated with an incident back in the days of barnstormers in which a pedestrian’s hat was crushed by a low-flying airplane. According to one version of the tale, the reckless pilot was subsequently required to purchase a new hat for the hapless pedestrian. It seems unlikely that such an event actually took place, but we can well imagine how fear of having one’s hat smashed flat by a passing airplane might have given rise to such a vivid verb. "Flat-hat" first appeared in English in 1940; another word for flying low to the ground, "hedgehop," debuted 14 years earlier.
flat-hat
Mon, 08/30/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 30, 2010 is:
flat-hat • \FLAT-hat\ • verb
: to fly low in an airplane in a reckless manner : hedgehop
Example sentence:
Unable to resist the temptation to show off, the young pilot decreased altitude and flat-hatted over the county fairground.
Did you know?
Legend has it that the term "flat-hat" originated with an incident back in the days of barnstormers in which a pedestrian’s hat was crushed by a low-flying airplane. According to one version of the tale, the reckless pilot was subsequently required to purchase a new hat for the hapless pedestrian. It seems unlikely that such an event actually took place, but we can well imagine how fear of having one’s hat smashed flat by a passing airplane might have given rise to such a vivid verb. "Flat-hat" first appeared in English in 1940; another word for flying low to the ground, "hedgehop," debuted 14 years earlier.
quorum
Sun, 08/29/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 29, 2010 is:
quorum • \KWOR-um\ • noun
1 : a select group *2 : the number (as a majority) of officers or members of a body that when duly assembled is legally competent to transact business
Example sentence:
The town’s charter states that a quorum of at least nine members must be present before any voting by the town council can take place.
Did you know?
In Latin, "quorum" means "of whom," which is itself the genitive plural of "qui," meaning "who." At one time, Latin "quorum" was used in the wording of the commission issued to justices of the peace in England. In English, "quorum" initially referred to the number of justices of the peace who had to be present to constitute a legally sufficient bench. That sense is now rare, but it's not surprising that "quorum" has come to mean both "a select group" and "the minimum people required in order to conduct business."
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
quorum
Sun, 08/29/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 29, 2010 is:
quorum • \KWOR-um\ • noun
1 : a select group *2 : the number (as a majority) of officers or members of a body that when duly assembled is legally competent to transact business
Example sentence:
The town’s charter states that a quorum of at least nine members must be present before any voting by the town council can take place.
Did you know?
In Latin, "quorum" means "of whom," which is itself the genitive plural of "qui," meaning "who." At one time, Latin "quorum" was used in the wording of the commission issued to justices of the peace in England. In English, "quorum" initially referred to the number of justices of the peace who had to be present to constitute a legally sufficient bench. That sense is now rare, but it's not surprising that "quorum" has come to mean both "a select group" and "the minimum people required in order to conduct business."
veridical
Sat, 08/28/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 28, 2010 is:
veridical • \vuh-RID-ih-kul\ • adjective
*1 : truthful, veracious 2 : not illusory : genuine
Example sentence:
"All psychotherapies are based on the fact that memory is not veridical, that unconscious desires and fantasies exert their force on us all.…" (Henry Kaminer, Weekly Standard, July 31, 2000)
Did you know?
We'll tell only the truth here: "veridical" comes from the Latin word "veridicus," which itself is from two other Latin words: "verus," meaning "true," and "dicere," meaning "to say." "Verus" is an ancestor of several English words, among them "verity," "verify," and "very" (which originally meant "true"). The word "verdict" is related to "veridical" on both sides of the family: it also traces back to "verus" and "dicere." "Veridical" itself is the least common of the "verus" words. You're most likely to encounter it in contexts dealing with psychology and philosophy.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence
veridical
Sat, 08/28/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 28, 2010 is:
veridical • \vuh-RID-ih-kul\ • adjective
*1 : truthful, veracious 2 : not illusory : genuine
Example sentence:
"All psychotherapies are based on the fact that memory is not veridical, that unconscious desires and fantasies exert their force on us all.…" (Henry Kaminer, Weekly Standard, July 31, 2000)
Did you know?
We'll tell only the truth here: "veridical" comes from the Latin word "veridicus," which itself is from two other Latin words: "verus," meaning "true," and "dicere," meaning "to say." "Verus" is an ancestor of several English words, among them "verity," "verify," and "very" (which originally meant "true"). The word "verdict" is related to "veridical" on both sides of the family: it also traces back to "verus" and "dicere." "Veridical" itself is the least common of the "verus" words. You're most likely to encounter it in contexts dealing with psychology and philosophy.
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regale
Fri, 08/27/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 27, 2010 is:
regale • \rih-GAIL\ • verb
1 : to entertain sumptuously : to feast with delicacies *2 : to give pleasure or amusement to
Example sentence:
"Mrs. O[bama] was, no surprise, also incredibly down-to-earth; she regaled our crew with tales of First Dog Bo, whose birthday was coming up." (Glamour, December 2009)
Did you know?
"Regale" has been an English verb since at least 1656; it was adapted from French "régaler," which has the same meaning as "regale." The French verb goes back to Middle French "galer," which means "to have a good time," and to Old French "gale," meaning "pleasure." ("Gala," meaning "a festive celebration," is from the same source.) "Regale" also has a history as a noun meaning "a sumptuous feast." That use dates back to at least 1670, when someone penned the following notice for posterity: "My Lord Duke will not be able to get away yet…, all the regales that are intended for him not being yet at an end." (The lord referred to is the Duke of Buccleuch, whose regales ended once and for all 15 years later when he was beheaded.)
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
regale
Fri, 08/27/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 27, 2010 is:
regale • \rih-GAIL\ • verb
1 : to entertain sumptuously : to feast with delicacies *2 : to give pleasure or amusement to
Example sentence:
"Mrs. O[bama] was, no surprise, also incredibly down-to-earth; she regaled our crew with tales of First Dog Bo, whose birthday was coming up." (Glamour, December 2009)
Did you know?
"Regale" has been an English verb since at least 1656; it was adapted from French "régaler," which has the same meaning as "regale." The French verb goes back to Middle French "galer," which means "to have a good time," and to Old French "gale," meaning "pleasure." ("Gala," meaning "a festive celebration," is from the same source.) "Regale" also has a history as a noun meaning "a sumptuous feast." That use dates back to at least 1670, when someone penned the following notice for posterity: "My Lord Duke will not be able to get away yet…, all the regales that are intended for him not being yet at an end." (The lord referred to is the Duke of Buccleuch, whose regales ended once and for all 15 years later when he was beheaded.)
milquetoast
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 26, 2010 is:
milquetoast • \MILK-tohst\ • noun
: a timid, meek, or unassertive person
Example sentence:
Brian was such a milquetoast that he agreed to work extra hours on Sunday even though he had already told his boss that he needed that day off.
Did you know?
Caspar Milquetoast was a comic strip character created in 1924 by the American cartoonist Harold T. Webster. The strip, called "The Timid Soul," ran every Sunday in the New York Herald Tribune for many years. Webster, who claimed that Milquetoast was a self-portrait, summed up the character as "the man who speaks softly and gets hit with a big stick." The earliest examples of "Milquetoast" being used as a generic synonym for "timid person" date from the mid-1930s. Caspar's last name might remind you of "milk toast," a bland concoction of buttered toast served in a dish of warm milk.
milquetoast
Thu, 08/26/2010 - 01:15
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 26, 2010 is:
milquetoast • \MILK-tohst\ • noun
: a timid, meek, or unassertive person
Example sentence:
Brian was such a milquetoast that he agreed to work extra hours on Sunday even though he had already told his boss that he needed that day off.
Did you know?
Caspar Milquetoast was a comic strip character created in 1924 by the American cartoonist Harold T. Webster. The strip, called "The Timid Soul," ran every Sunday in the New York Herald Tribune for many years. Webster, who claimed that Milquetoast was a self-portrait, summed up the character as "the man who speaks softly and gets hit with a big stick." The earliest examples of "Milquetoast" being used as a generic synonym for "timid person" date from the mid-1930s. Caspar's last name might remind you of "milk toast," a bland concoction of buttered toast served in a dish of warm milk.
