rejuvenate - Word of the Day - 01/01/17

rejuvenate

verb

Pronunciation

 rih-JOO-vuh-nayt

Definition

1 : to make young or youthful again : give new vigor to
2 : to restore to an original or new state

Examples

The new arts complex and adjacent businesses have rejuvenated the city and turned downtown into a destination for visitors.

"I was drained. When I started thinking about doing another album, I had all this self-doubt. I didn't think the songs would be any good. But I pushed through, and when 'Slipstream' was so well-received, it rejuvenated me." — Bonnie Raitt, quoted in The Chicago Tribune, 18 Mar. 2016

Did You Know?

Rejuvenate originated as a combination of the prefix re-, which means "again," with a Latin term that also gave us the words juvenile and junior—juvenis, meaning "young." Rejuvenate literally means "to make young again" and can imply a restoration of physical or mental strength or a return to a more youthful, healthy condition, as when you try to rejuvenate your skin with moisturizer. You can also rejuvenate things that are timeworn. For instance, a lackluster brand can be rejuvenated by a new marketing campaign.

Test Your Vocabulary

What word begins with "e" and is the name for a substance held to be capable of prolonging life indefinitely?

Merriam-Webster

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zeitgeist - Word of the Day - 31/12/16

zeitgeist

noun

Pronunciation

TSYTE-gyste

Definition

: (often capitalized Zeitgeist) the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era

Examples

The movie does an excellent job of capturing the zeitgeist of the dot-com boom.

"The people making the product are the same demographic as the people using the product. They don't have to rely on research and data to inform product decisions—they're just making things that they themselves want to use based on the zeitgeist of their generation." — Rachel Pasqua, quoted in Adweek, 3 Nov. 2016

Did You Know?

Scholars have long maintained that each era has a unique spirit, a nature or climate that sets it apart from all other epochs. In German, such a spirit is known as Zeitgeist, from the German words Zeit, meaning "time," and Geist, meaning "spirit" or "ghost." Some writers and artists assert that the true zeitgeist of an era cannot be known until it is over, and several have declared that only artists or philosophers can adequately explain it. We don't know if that's true, but we do know that zeitgeist has been a useful addition to the English language since at least 1835.

Test Your Vocabulary

What 4-letter word can refer to a distinctive atmosphere or impression surrounding a person or thing, or to a glow around the head of a deity or saint?


Merriam-Webster

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solicitous - Word of the Day - 30/12/16

solicitous

adjective

Pronunciation

suh-LIS-uh-tus

Definition

1 : showing attentive care or protectiveness : manifesting or expressing solicitude
2 : full of concern or fears : apprehensive
3 : meticulously careful
4 : full of desire : eager

Examples

Lyle has developed a reputation as one of the best tailors in the area because he is solicitous of his customers and their needs.

"Any given meal included a plethora of delectable choices, including barbecued ribs, schnitzel, ice cream and German chocolate cake, served up by solicitous staff." — Erica Rosenberg, The Chicago Tribune, 2 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

If you're solicitous about learning the connections between words, you'll surely want to know about the relationship between solicitous and another word you've probably heard before—solicit. Solicitous doesn't come from solicit, but the two words are related. They both have their roots in the Latin word sollicitus, meaning "anxious." Solicitous itself came directly from this Latin word, whereas solicit made its way to English with a few more steps. From sollicitus came the Latin verb sollicitare, meaning "to disturb, agitate, move, or entreat." Forms of this verb were borrowed into Anglo-French, and then Middle English, and have survived in Modern English as solicit.

Word Quiz

Fill in the blanks to complete a noun that is derived from Latin sollicitare and refers to a relaxed and calm state: _ _ s _ uc _ _ _ ce.

Merriam-Webster

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beleaguer - Word of the Day - 29/12/16

beleaguer

verb

Pronunciation

bih-LEE-gur

Definition

1 : to cause distress to : besiege
2 : trouble, harass

Examples

Despite being beleaguered by injuries, the scrappy football team fought hard and managed to make the playoffs.

"We must work to implement reforms like the Baltimore Metropolitan Council's Plan for Sustainable Development that offer practical remedies for the extensive pockets of generational poverty that beleaguer our region." — Elijah E. Cummings, The Baltimore Sun, 22 Apr. 2016

Did You Know?

English speakers created beleaguer from the Dutch word belegeren in the 16th century. "[Military men] will not vouchsafe … to use our ancient terms belonging to matters of war, but do call a camp by the Dutch name," commented the English soldier and diplomat Sir John Smyth in 1590. The word for "camp" that he was referring to is leaguer. That term in turn comes from Dutch leger, which is one of the building blocks of belegeren (literally, "to camp around"). But neither leaguer nor beleaguer were in fact utterly foreign. Old English leger, the source of our modern lair, is related to the Dutch word. And Old English be- ("about, around"), as seen in besiege and beset, is related to the Dutch prefix be- in belegeren.

Name That Synonym

Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of beleaguer: VEBIEDL.

Merriam-Webster

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ultima - Word of the Day - 28/12/16

ultima

noun

Pronunciation

 UL-tuh-muh

Definition

: the last syllable of a word

Examples

For the last line of her poem, Sheila needed a word with an ultima that rhymed with "green," so she tried "magazine."

"A grave accent can occur only on the ultima." — Rodney J. Decker, Reading Koine Greek, 2015

Did You Know?

In Latin, ultima is the feminine form of the adjective ultimus ("farthest or last"), the superlative form of ulter, meaning "situated beyond." The ultima is the last syllable of a word; the second-to-last syllable in a word is called the penult or penultima (literally, "that which is almost last"); and the third-to-last syllable is called the antepenult or antepenultima ("that which comes before what is almost last"). The related word ultimate, while known to most people as meaning "the best or most extreme of its kind" (as in "surfers finding the ultimate wave"), has an original meaning referring to the last of something in a series.

Test Your Vocabulary

What 4-letter word begins with "c" and refers to the ending part of a piece of music?

Merriam-Webster

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veridical - Word of the Day - 27/12/16

veridical

adjective

Pronunciation

 vuh-RID-ih-kul

Definition

1 : truthful, veracious
2 : not illusory : genuine

Examples

"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, The Weekly Standard, 31 July 2000

"In this book, therefore, 'perception' is used to cover all sensory experience, whether veridical or not." — Jeffrey Gray, Consciousness: Creeping Up on the Hard Problem, 2004

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.

Word  Quiz

Fill in the blanks to complete this word that is derived from Latin dicere and means "of or relating to prophecy": f _ ti _ _ c.

Merriam-Webster

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Kwanzaa- Word of the Day - 26/12/16

Kwanzaa

noun

Pronunciation

 KWAHN-zuh

Definition

: an African-American cultural festival held from December 26 to January 1

Examples

A joyous family spirit pervaded the Allen family's Kwanzaa celebration as three generations came together for a delightful meal and a beautiful candle-lighting ceremony.

"The dynamic, multicultural Forces of Nature Dance Company celebrates Kwanzaa with dance, music, drumming and audience-engaging activities." — Jill Schensul, NorthJersey.com, 21 Nov. 2016

Did You Know?

In 1966, Maulana Karenga, a Black Studies professor at California State University at Long Beach, created a new holiday patterned after traditional African harvest festivals. He called it Kwanzaa, a name he took from a Swahili term that means "first fruits." The holiday, which takes place from December 26th to January 1st, was originally intended as a nonreligious celebration of family and social values. Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Test Your Vocabulary

What is the name of the candelabra used in celebrating Kwanzaa?

Merriam-Webster

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wassail - Word of the Day - 25/12/16

wassail

verb

Pronunciation

WAH-sul

Definition

1 : to indulge in riotous drinking : carouse
2 : (dialectal, England) to sing carols from house to house at Christmas
3 : to drink to the health or thriving of

Examples

Every year at Christmastime the magazine publishes a recipe for a traditional drink that can be used to wassail one's friends, neighbours, and family members.

"In the middle of January we come into the orchards to wassail these trees, singing their praises, and driving evil spirits from their branches with screaming and gunshots." — Pete Brown, The Apple Orchard, 2016

Did You Know?

The salutation wassail, from the Old Norse toast ves heill ("be well"), has accompanied English toast-making since the 12th century. By the 14th century, wassail was being used for the drink itself, and it eventually came to be used especially of a hot drink (of wine, beer, or cider with spices, sugar, and usually baked apples) drunk around Christmastime. This beverage warmed the stomachs and hearts of many Christmas revelers and was often shared with Christmas carolers. In the 14th century the verb wassail also came to describe the carousing associated with indulgence in the drink; later, it was used of other activities associated with wassail and the holiday season, like caroling. 17th-century farmers added cattle and trees to the wassail tradition by drinking to their health or vitality during wintertime festivities.

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to complete this adjective that means "of, relating to, or supported by charity": e _ _ em _ s _ n _ ry.


Merriam-Webster

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dreidel - Word of the Day - 24/12/16

dreidel

noun

Pronunciation

 DRAY-dul

Definition

1 : a 4-sided toy marked with Hebrew letters and spun like a top in a game of chance

2 : a children's game of chance played especially at Hanukkah with a dreidel

Examples

The adults chatted in the living room while the children amused themselves by playing dreidel.

"He has bought a range of items, including a book on the mystical Jewish practice kabbalah and a glass dreidel." — Zoe Greenberg, The New York Times, 2 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

On each of the dreidel's four sides is inscribed a Hebrew letter—nun, gimel, he, and shin—which together stands for "Nes gadol haya sham," meaning "A great miracle happened there" (in Israel, the letter pe, short for po, "here," is often used instead of shin). This phrase refers to the miracle of the small amount of oil—enough for one day—which burned for eight days in the Temple of Jerusalem. But when playing dreidel, the letters have a more utilitarian significance. The dreidel is spun and depending on which letter is on top when it lands, the player's currency—be it pennies or candy—is added to or taken from the pot. (Nun means the player does nothing; gimel means the player gets everything; he means the player gets half; and shin means the player adds to the pot.) The word dreidel was borrowed into English early in the 20th century from the Yiddish dreydl (itself from the word dreyen, which means "to turn").

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to complete this word for a child's toy that spins rapidly: _ h _ r _ ig _ _.

Merriam-Webster

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ruminate- Word of the Day - 23/12/16

ruminate

verb

Pronunciation

 ROO-muh-nayt

Definition

1 : to engage in contemplation : meditate
2 : to chew again what has been chewed slightly and swallowed : chew the cud

Examples

For her final column of the year, Francine ruminated on the subject of new beginnings.

"The presence of large forage particles or undigested grains may indicate that cows are not ruminating properly or that rumen passage rate is accelerated." — Paul Kononoff, Dairy Herd Management, 6 Apr. 2016

Did You Know?

When you ruminate, you chew something over, either literally or figuratively. Literal rumination may seem a little gross to humans, but to cows, chewing your cud (that's partially digested food brought up from the stomach for another chew) is just a natural part of life. Figurative ruminating is much more palatable to humans; that kind of deep, meditative thought is often deemed quite a worthy activity. The verb ruminate has described metaphorical chewing over since the early 1500s and actual chewing since later that same century. Our English word derives from and shares the meanings of the Latin ruminari, which in turn derives from rumen, the Latin name for the first stomach compartment of ruminant animals (that is, creatures like cows that chew their cud).

Name That Synonym

What 4-letter synonym of ruminate begins with "m" and can also mean "to grind or mix thoroughly"?

Merriam-Webster

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crepuscular - Word of the Day - 22/12/16

crepuscular

adjective

Pronunciation

krih-PUHSS-kyuh-ler

Definition

1 : of, relating to, or resembling twilight : dim
2 : occurring or active during the twilight

Examples

"After dinner they went out on the terrace for a look at the moon-misted park. Through the crepuscular whiteness the trees hung in blotted masses." — Edith Wharton, The Reef, 1912

"Rabbits are crepuscular feeders, which means they tend to leave their burrows in the twilight hours around sunset and sunrise to eat." — Joan Morris, The Mercury News (California), 24 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

The early Romans had two words for the twilight. Crepusculum was favored by Roman writers for the half-light of evening, just after the sun sets; it is a diminutive formation based on their word for "dusky," which is creper. Diluculum was reserved for morning twilight, just before the sun rises—it is related to lucidus, meaning "bright." We didn't embrace either of these Latin nouns as substitutes for our Middle English twilight, but we did form the adjective crepuscular in the 17th century. At first, it only meant "dim" or "indistinct," often used in a figurative sense. In the 1820s, we added its special zoological sense, describing animals that are most active at twilight.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to complete this synonym of crepuscular: v _ _ pe _ t _ _ e.

Merriam-Webster

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purlieu - Word of the Day - 21/12/16

purlieu

noun

Pronunciation

PERL-yoo

Definition

1 a : an outlying or adjacent district
   b : (plural) environs, neighborhood
2 a : a frequently visited place : haunt
   b : (plural) confines, bounds

Examples

"The boy, desperately nervous, continued to descend the zig-zag paths that would take him into the very purlieus of his father's house." — Ford Madox Ford, Last Post, 1928

"This is the biggest casino in the world…. It's open day and night, and entry is free, so there's no reason (assuming you're over 21) not to take a stroll through its gilded purlieus." — Ed Peters, The Telegraph (London), 13 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

In medieval England, if you wished to assert the extent of your land, you might hold a ceremony called a perambulation, in which you would walk around and record your property's boundaries in the presence of witnesses. If your land bordered a royal forest, there could be some confusion about where your land started and the royal forest ended. By performing a perambulation, you could gain some degree of ownership over disputed forest tracts, although your use of them would be restricted by forest laws. Such regained forest property was called a purlewe (or as it was later spelled, purlieu), which derives from the Anglo-French word for "perambulation."

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to complete this synonym of purlieu meaning "confines": pe _ _ _ h _ r _.

Merriam-Webster

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eternize - Word of the Day - 20/12/16

eternize

verb

Pronunciation

 ih-TER-nyze

Definition

1 a : to make eternal
   b : to prolong indefinitely
2 : immortalize

Examples

The photograph eternizes the joy that Colin felt when he held his daughter in his arms for the first time.

"Sometimes it seems that Hopper (1882-1967) could have eternized almost any undistinguished moment of introspection or inaction in anyone's life. That's why his paintings can make us wonder about the opportunities for consciousness and revelation we have been blind to in ourselves." — Roberta Smith, The New York Times, 6 June 2013

Did You Know?

Eternize shows up in the works of literary greats, such as John Milton, Edmund Spenser, and Herman Melville, and it sees occasional use in modern-day sources, but it is far from common. The same can be said of its slightly longer and related synonym eternalize. Eternize is the older of the two; our earliest evidence of the word dates to 1566, while evidence of eternalize dates to 1620. But there's a third relative that predates them both, and it's far more common than either of them. That would be eternal, which has been with us since the 14th century. All three words are ultimately rooted in Latin aevum, meaning "age" or "eternity."

Word Family Quiz

Unscramble the letters to create a word derived from Latin aevum that means "of the same or equal age, antiquity, or duration": EOLCVA.

Merriam-Webster

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nosocomial - Word of the Day - 19/12/16

nosocomial

adjective

Pronunciation

nah-suh-KOH-mee-ul

Definition

: acquired or occurring in a hospital

Examples

A minor nosocomial outbreak of the disease occurred when doctors failed to diagnose the infected patient's illness in time.

"… there are things we handle a lot and never really clean. One study, for instance, found that about 95 percent of mobile phones carried by health care workers were contaminated with nosocomial bacteria." — Aaron E. Carroll, The New York Times, 18 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

Nosocomial is a word that usually occurs in formal medical contexts—specifically, in reference to hospital-acquired sickness. We hope you never encounter nosocomial as part of your own medical diagnosis, but if you do, you might want to remember that the term descends from nosocomium, the Late Latin word for "hospital." Nosocomium in turn traces to the Greek nosos, meaning "disease." That root has given English other words as well, including zoonosis ("a disease communicable from animals to humans under natural conditions") and nosology ("a classification or list of diseases" or "a branch of medical science that deals with classification of diseases").

Test Your Vocabulary

Unscramble the letters to create an adjective that is used to describe something that prevents infection: ETISAPC.

Merriam-Webster

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gallimaufry - Word of the Day - 18/12/16

gallimaufry

noun

Pronunciation

gal-uh-MAW-free

Definition

: a heterogeneous mixture : jumble

Examples

The essay collection covers a gallimaufry of subjects, from stamp collecting to Portuguese cooking.

"Upon entering the gallery, one of the first things that catches my eye is a gallimaufry of vibrant, oversized collages." — Rosalie Spear, The Las Vegas Weekly, 29 Mar. 2016

Did You Know?

If the word gallimaufry doesn't make your mouth water, it may be because you don't know its history. In the 16th century, Middle-French speaking cooks made a meat stew called galimafree. It must have been a varied dish because English speakers chose its name for any mix or jumble of things. If gallimaufry isn't to your taste, season your speech with one of its synonyms: hash (which can be a muddle of chopped meat and potatoes), hotchpotch (a stew or a hodgepodge), or potpourri (another stew turned medley).

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to complete this synonym of gallimaufry: p _ _ ti _ _ e.

Merriam-Webster

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lave - Word of the Day - 17/12/16

lave

verb

Pronunciation

 LAYV

Definition

1 a : wash, bathe
   b : to flow along or against
2 : pour

Examples

"The captain walked up past the horses holding his arm and he knelt and drank and laved water over the back of his neck with his good hand." — Cormac McCarthy, All the Pretty Horses, 1992

"On that first day she rode out to the beach on the ocean side of the island, dismounted to walk along the sand and watch the breakers lave the shore, and felt, for a moment, wholly content." — Sara Taylor, The Shore, 2015

Did You Know?

Lave is a simple, monosyllabic word that magically makes the mundane act of washing poetic. Shakespeare used it in The Taming of the Shrew when Gremio assured the father of his beloved Bianca that she would have "basins and ewers to lave her dainty hands." And in Charles Dickens' The Old Curiosity Shop, Nell "laved her hands and face, and cooled her feet before setting forth to walk again." The poetry of lave is also heard when describing water washing against the shore, or even the pouring of water. Before washing our hands of lave, we'll tell you that it comes from the same root as our word lavatory: the Latin verb lavare, meaning "to wash."

Test Your Memory

What is the meaning of nictitate, our November 20th Word of the Day?

Merriam-Webster

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impetuous - Word of the Day - 16/12/16

impetuous

adjective

Pronunciation

im-PECH-uh-wus

 Definition

1 : marked by impulsive vehemence or passion
2 : marked by force and violence of movement or action

Examples

The impetuous winds forced the hikers to postpone their expedition to the mountain's peak.

"… you care so much that you want to get it right and you're not going to indulge in either impetuous or, in some cases, manufactured responses that make good sound bites but don't produce results. The stakes are too high to play those games." — Barack Obama, quoted in The Atlantic, 10 Mar. 2016

Did You Know?

When we borrowed impetuous in the late 14th century, we used it of people and their actions. About a hundred years later, we added another sense to describe physical things like wind or storms or seas—this second sense we don't use much anymore. The word comes via Anglo-French from Late Latin impetuosus, which is from impetus. Latin impetus (which of course gave us our own impetus, meaning "driving force") essentially means "assault," but it also has figurative senses ranging from "violence" to "ardor." Our impetuous has a similar range of meaning, from "violent" to "passionate." It also carries the suggestion of impulsiveness. Often, we put a light touch on the word, as when we refer—somewhat longingly, perhaps—to our "impetuous youth."

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to complete this synonym of impetuous: he _ _ y.

Merriam-Webster

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jubilee - Word of the Day - 15/12/16

jubilee

noun

Pronunciation

JOO-buh-lee

Definition

1 : (often capitalized Jubilee) a year of emancipation and restoration provided by ancient Hebrew law to be kept every 50 years by the emancipation of Hebrew slaves, restoration of alienated lands to their former owners, and omission of all cultivation of the land
2 : a special anniversary; especially : a 50th anniversary
3 : a period of time proclaimed by the Roman Catholic pope ordinarily every 25 years as a time of special solemnity
4 : a state of joy or rejoicing : jubilation
5 : a religious song of black Americans usually referring to a time of future happiness

Examples

My grandparents will be celebrating their golden jubilee this year—as Grandpa puts it, "50 years of wedded bliss and occasional blisters."

"Thousands gathered around Buckingham Palace Monday night to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's diamond jubilee with a gala concert that featured international superstars Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John and Stevie Wonder, offering music from every decade of the queen's 60-year reign." — Mackenzie Carpenter, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 5 Jun. 2012

Did You Know?

According to Leviticus, every 50th year was to be a time when Hebrew slaves were set free, lands were given back to their former owners, and the fields were not harvested. This year of liberty was announced when a ram's horn was blown. In Hebrew, that ceremonial horn was called a yōbhēl, and the celebratory year took its name from that of the horn. As the Bible was translated into other languages, the concept of the yōbhēl spread around the world, as did its name (albeit with spelling modifications). In Latin, yōbhēl was transcribed as jubilaeus (influenced by Latin jubilare, meaning "to let out joyful shouts"). French-speakers adopted the word as jubilé, and English-speakers created jubilee from the French and Latin forms.

Test Your Vocabulary

What is the name of the ram's-horn trumpet blown during Rosh Hashanah and at the end of Yom Kippur?

Merriam-Webster

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kapellmeister - Word of the Day - 14/12/16

kapellmeister

noun

Pronunciation

 kuh-PELL-mye-ster

Definition

: (often capitalized Kapellmeister) the director of a choir or orchestra

Examples

The Kapellmeister brought his hands up slowly to signal to the musicians a shift to a slower tempo.

"Schwader joined them onstage for an account of the apparently dagger-toting Johann Sebastian Bach's tussle with a bassoonist he allegedly insulted. Using a humorous German accent during dialogue, it was an amusing anecdotal introduction to the portly bewigged Kapellmeister we recognize from portraits and intricate counterpoint…." — Libby Hanssen, The Kansas City Star, 13 November 2016

Did You Know?

As you may have guessed, Kapellmeister originated as a German word—and in fact, even in English it is often (though not always) used for the director of a German choir. Kapelle once meant "choir" in German, and Meister is the German word for "master." The Latin magister is an ancestor of both Meister and master, as well as of our maestro, meaning "an eminent composer or conductor." Kapelle comes from cappella, the Medieval Latin word for "chapel." As it happens, we also borrowed Kapelle into English, first to refer to the choir or orchestra of a royal or papal chapel, and later to describe any orchestra. Kapellmeister is used somewhat more frequently than Kapelle in current English, though neither word is especially common.

Test Your Vocabulary

What is the meaning of past master?

Merriam-Webster

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hors de combat - Word of the Day - 13/12/16

hors de combat

adverb or adjective

Pronunciation

or-duh-kohng-BAH

Definition

: out of combat : disabled

Examples

The quarterback suffered a concussion in last week's game that put him hors de combat until cleared to play by the team's doctor.

"'Tis the season of software upgrades and updates. Yesterday the Windows machine took it into its head to update itself without so much as asking permission. The PC was hors de combat for an hour or so." — Terry Lane, The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

We picked up hors de combat directly from French back in the mid-18th century. Benjamin Franklin put the term to use in a 1776 letter, observing that an "arrow sticking in any part of a man puts him hors du [sic] combat till it is extracted." But you don't have to use the word as literally as Franklin did. Combat can refer to any fight or contest, not just fighting in a war. A politician who's out of the running in a political race could be declared "hors de combat," for example. But the adjective (or adverb) need not refer only to humans or animals: if you own a car, chances are your vehicle has been hors de combat at least once.

Test Your Memory

What former Word of the Day is the name for a wooden shoe or a dealing box for playing cards?

Merriam-Webster

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Methuselah - Word of the Day - 12/12/16

Methuselah

noun

Pronunciation

muh-THOO-zuh-luh

Definition

1 : an ancestor of Noah held to have lived 969 years
2 : an oversize wine bottle holding about six liters

Examples

The winery has started bottling their champagne in Methuselahs.

"People still write of the Krug 1928 as the best bottle of wine made in the last century. A bottle of it sold in 2009 for $21,200, and that wasn't a 6-liter Methuselah. It was a standard 750 milliliters of amazing." — Julie Glenn, The News-Press (Fort Myers, FL), 21 Jan. 2015

Did You Know?

What do Jeroboam, Methuselah, Salmanazar, Balthazar, and Nebuchadnezzar have in common? Larger-than-life biblical figures all, yes (four kings and a venerable patriarch), but they're all also names of oversized wine bottles. A Jeroboam is usually the equivalent of about four 750-milliliter bottles (about 3 liters). One Methuselah holds about eight standard bottles' worth, a Salmanazar 12, a Balthazar 16, and a Nebuchadnezzar a whopping 20. (Each of these terms is also sometimes styled lowercase.) No one knows who decided to use those names for bottles, but we do know that by the 1800s Jeroboam was being used for large goblets or "enormous bottles of fabulous content." It wasn't until sometime early in the 20th century that Methuselah and all the other names were chosen for specific bottle sizes.

Test Your Vocabulary

What is the name for a large wine bottle holding about 1.5 liters?

Merriam-Webster

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fillip - Word of the Day - 11/12/16

fillip

verb

Pronunciation

FIL-up

Definition

1 a : to strike by holding the nail of a finger against the ball of the thumb and then suddenly releasing it from that position
   b : to make a filliping motion with
2 : to project quickly by or as if by a filliping motion : snap
3 : to urge on : stimulate

Examples

As their parents finished up dinner, the two boys entertained themselves at the table by filliping crumbs into an overturned cup.

"He leaves behind a business … which senior sources say will deliver record pre-tax profits in the region of [euros] 30 million this year, filliped by strong fundraising and private client business and surging stock markets." — Róisín Burke, The Sunday Business Post (Ireland), 7 Dec. 2014

Did You Know?

Like flip and flick, fillip is considered a phonetic imitation of the sharp release of a curled-up finger aimed to strike something. Language history suggests that people were filliping in the 15th-century, well before they were flipping and flicking. Specifically, fillip describes a strike or gesture made by the sudden straightening of a finger curled up against the thumb—a motion commonly referred to as a flick. It didn't take long before the sensational stinging smartness of filliping was extended to figurative use. "I mark this in our old Mogul's wine; it's quite as deadening to some as filliping to others," observes Herman Melville's Dutch sailor of wine's "stimulating" effect in Moby Dick.

Name That Synonym

What 4-letter word is a synonym of fillip that can mean "to stimulate" or "to sharpen by rubbing on or with something"?

objurgation - Word of the Day - 10/12/16

objurgation

noun

Pronunciation

ahb-jer-GAY-shun

Definition

: a harsh rebuke

Examples

"I had early formed my opinion of him; and, in spite of Miss Murray's objurgations, was fully convinced that he was a man of strong sense, firm faith, and ardent piety, but thoughtful and stern." — Anne Brontë, Agnes Grey, 1847

"It always amazes me to sit at a sporting event and hear members of the audience shout objurgations at a pro player who has just dropped a ball or made some other error." — R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr., The New York Sun, 25 Apr. 2003

Did You Know?

Objurgation traces to the Latin objurgare ("to scold or blame"), which was formed from ob- ("against") and jurgare ("to quarrel" or, literally, "to take to law"—in other words, "to bring a lawsuit"). Jur- in Latin means "law," and there are several English words related to objurgation that have legal implications, including perjury, abjure, jurisprudence, and even injury. But despite its etymological connection to the law, the word objurgation carries no legal weight. It refers to nothing more than an unusually harsh or severe scolding.

Name That Synonym

Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of objurgation: EOFPROR.

Merriam-Webster

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daedal - Word of the Day - 09/12/16

daedal

adjective

Pronunciation

 DEE-dul

Definition

1 a : skillful, artistic
   b : intricate
2 : adorned with many things

Examples

The filmmaker makes daedal use of lighting effects and camera angles to create a noirish atmosphere.

"Applying makeup on trains … is not easy. That innumerable Japanese women choose to do so while commuting should, therefore, be seen as a testament to their steady hands as well as that country's steady trains. Indeed, undertaking such a daedal exercise on the Indian railway system—or any other public transport—would be foolhardy unless the intention is to emerge looking like Heath Ledger as the Joker." — The Economic Times, 29 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

You might know Daedalus as the mythological prisoner who fashioned wings of feathers and wax to escape from the island of Crete with his son Icarus. But it was as architect and sculptor, one said to have designed a labyrinth for King Minos on Crete, that he earned his name. Daedalus (from Greek daidalos) is Latin for "skillfully wrought." The same "skillful" Latin adjective gave English the adjectives daedal (in use since the 16th century) and Daedalian (or Daedalean), a synonym of daedal.

Name That Synonym

Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of daedal meaning "intricate": MIAOLCTEPC.

Merriam-Webster

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qui vive - Word of the Day - 08/12/16

qui vive

noun

Pronunciation

 kee-VEEV

Definition

: alert, lookout — used in the phrase on the qui vive

Examples

"All right. Lieutenant Howard, go see how the artillery wagons are managing, and on the way tell Major Mason that I need him again. Stay on the qui vive; you may find evidence of liquor." — William T. Vollmann, The Dying Grass: A Novel of the Nez Perce War, 2015

"Pasadena Heritage staged its Colorado Street Bridge Party July 16, and Police Chief Phillip Sanchez was clearly on the qui vive at the entrance to the bridge." — Patt Diroll, The Pasadena Star News, 24 July 2016

Did You Know?

When a sentinel guarding a French castle in days of yore cried, "Qui vive?," your life depended upon your answer. The question the sentinel was asking was "Long live who?" The correct answer was usually something like "Long live the king!" Visitors not answering the question this way were regarded as suspect, and so to be "on the qui vive" meant to be on the alert or lookout, and qui vive came to mean "alert" or "lookout" soon afterward. Nowadays, the term is most often used in the phrase "on the qui vive," meaning "on the lookout."

Test Your Vocabulary

What is the name for the enclosed lookout platform on a ship's mast?

Merriam-Webster

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bamboozle - Word of the Day - 07/12/16

bamboozle

verb

Pronunciation

bam-BOO-zul

Definition

1 : to deceive by underhanded methods : dupe, hoodwink
2 : to confuse, frustrate, or throw off thoroughly or completely

Examples

"Some consumers are so bamboozled by slick sales talk that they pay extra for amazingly bad deals. Just one example, a $49.99, four-year service plan on a DVD player that sells for $39.99." — Mike McClintock, The Chicago Tribune, 13 Feb. 2009

"We agree with those who filed the suits challenging the wording of the ballot question. We believe it is deceitful—and deliberately so, designed to bamboozle voters into thinking they are voting on a minor issue that simply codifies existing law instead of adding five years to a judge's term." — The Philadelphia Daily News, 10 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

In 1710, Irish author Jonathan Swift wrote an article on "the continual Corruption of our English Tongue" in which he complained of "the Choice of certain Words invented by some pretty Fellows." Among the inventions Swift disliked were bamboozle, bubble (a dupe), put (a fool), and sham. (Perhaps he objected to the use of sham as a verb; he himself had used the adjective meaning "false" a couple of years previously.) What all these words appear to have in common is a connection to the underworld as jargon of criminals. Other than that, the origin of bamboozle remains a mystery, but the over-300-year-old word has clearly defied Swift's assertion that "All new affected Modes of Speech . . . are the first perishing Parts in any Language."

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to complete this synonym of bamboozle: h _ r _ s _ og _ _ e.

Merriam-Webster

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salient - Word of the Day - 06/12/16

salient

adjective

Pronunciation

 SAIL-yunt

Definition

1 : moving by leaps or springs : jumping
2 : jetting upward
3 : standing out conspicuously : prominent; especially : of notable significance

Examples

The speech was filled with so much twisted rhetoric that it was hard to identify any salient points.

"Among the projects: … an $18 million makeover of Freedom Hall, substantial new meeting and storage space, a new ballroom and a new $70 million exhibit hall…. Those were the salient recommendations of a new master plan for the Kentucky Exposition Center…." — Sheldon Shafer, The Courier-Journal (Louisville, KY), 28 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

Salient first popped up in English in the 16th century as a term of heraldry meaning "rampant but leaning forward as if leaping." By the mid-17th century, it had leaped into more general use in the senses of "moving by leaps or springs" or "spouting forth." Those senses aren't too much of a jump from the word's parent, the Latin verb salire, which means "to leap." Salire also occurs in the etymologies of some other English words, including somersault and sally, as well as Salientia, the name for an order of amphibians that includes frogs, toads, and other notable jumpers. Today, salient is usually used to describe things that are physically prominent (such as a salient nose) or that stand out figuratively (such as the salient features of a painting or the salient points in an argument).

Word Family Quiz

Fill in the blanks to create an adjective derived from Latin salire that can mean "marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose": d _ _ u _ t _ _ y.

Merriam-Webster

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ziggurat - Word of the Day - 05/12/16

ziggurat

noun

Pronunciation

 ZIG-uh-rat

Definition

: an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower consisting of a lofty pyramidal structure built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top; also : a structure or object of similar form

Examples

"The building itself is certainly distinctive: The bronze-meshed ziggurat moves upwards toward the sky and into the light." — Lisa Benton-Short, GWToday (gwtoday.gwu.edu, George Washington University), 10 Oct. 2016

"The opulence remains in Barbara de Limburg's expansive sets, but the dramatic point is the contrast of the family's poverty with the consumerist rapacity suggested by the Witch's lair—not the usual gumdrop-bedecked gingerbread house but a towering ziggurat of brightly packaged junk food…." — Gavin Borchart, The Seattle Weekly, 19 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

French professor of archaeology François Lenormant spent a great deal of time poring over ancient Assyrian texts. In those cuneiform inscriptions, he recognized a new language, now known as Akkadian, which proved valuable to the understanding of ancient Mesopotamian civilization. Through his studies, he became familiar with the Akkadian word for the towering Mesopotamian temples: ziqqurratu. In 1877 he came out with Chaldean Magic, a scholarly exposition on the mythology of the Chaldeans, an ancient people who lived in what is now Iraq. In his work, which was immediately translated into English, he introduced the word ziggurat to the modern world in his description of the ziggurat of the Iraqi palace of Khorsabad.

Test Your Vocabulary

Unscramble the letters to create the name for a temple tower found in eastern Asia: ADOAGP.

Merriam-Webster

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muckrake - Word of the Day - 04/12/16

muckrake

verb

Pronunciation

 MUCK-rayk

Definition

: to search out and publicly expose real or apparent misconduct of a prominent individual or business

Examples

Arn is an aggressive reporter, never afraid to ask difficult questions, hound evasive sources, or muckrake when things appear suspect.

"From his groundbreaking days of editing the iconic liberal magazines Ramparts and Scanlan's Monthly in the 1960s and '70s to his reliably irreverent columns for newspapers …, Mr. [Warren] Hinckle delighted in tweaking anyone in charge of anything and muckraking for what he fiercely saw as the common good." — Kevin Fagan, The San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

The noun muckrake (literally, a rake for muck, i.e., manure) rose out of the dung heap and into the realm of literary metaphor in 1684. That's when John Bunyan used it in Pilgrim's Progress to represent man's preoccupation with earthly things. "The Man with the Muckrake," he wrote, "could look no way but downward." In a 1906 speech, President Teddy Roosevelt recalled Bunyan's words while railing against journalists he thought focused too much on exposing corruption in business and government. Roosevelt called them "the men with the muck-rakes" and implied that they needed to learn "when to stop raking the muck, and to look upward." Investigative reporters weren't insulted; they adopted the term muckraker as a badge of honour. And soon English speakers were using the verb muckrake for the practice of exposing misconduct.

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create a verb meaning "to expose to shame or blame by means of falsehood or misrepresentation": _ ra _ u _ e.

Merriam-Webster

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vulpine - Word of the Day -03/12/16

vulpine

adjective

Pronunciation

 VUL-pine

Definition

1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox
2 : foxy, crafty

Examples

"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, 12 Jan. 2009

"Flashing a vulpine grin, he's not a typical hunk—but like Casanova, a maestro of stylish manners and clever entrapment, an incorrigible cad proud of his powers of improvisational manipulation." — Misha Berson, The Seattle Times, 30 Oct. 2016

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.

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create a word for a young carnivorous mammal, like the dog or fox: _ h _ l _.

Merriam-Webster

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thaumaturgy - Word of the Day -01/12/16

thaumaturgy

noun

Pronunciation

THAW-muh-ter-jee

Definition

: the performance of miracles; specifically : magic

Examples

"The place is still a favourite pilgrimage, but there seems to be some doubt as to which Saint John has chosen it as the scene of his posthumous thaumaturgy; for, according to a local guide-book, it is equally frequented on the feasts of the Baptist and of the Evangelist." — Edith Wharton, Italian Backgrounds, 1905

"Indeed, so keen was the horror at the hysteria that had taken hold in Salem that the mere mention of the place was sufficient to cool any passions that looked in danger of spiraling into outmoded and dangerous thaumaturgy." — Charles C. W. Cooke, National Review, 16 Dec. 2011

Did You Know?

The magic of thaumaturgy is miraculous. The word, from a Greek word meaning "miracle working," is applicable to any performance of miracles, especially by incantation. It can also be used of things that merely seem miraculous and unexplainable, like the thaumaturgy of a motion picture's illusions (aka "movie magic"), or the thaumaturgy at work in an athletic team's "miracle" comeback. In addition to thaumaturgy, we also have thaumaturge and thaumaturgist, both of which mean "a performer of miracles" or "a magician," and the adjective thaumaturgic, meaning "performing miracles" or "of, relating to, or dependent on thaumaturgy."

Test Your Vocabulary

Unscramble the letters to create a noun that can refer to a magic spell or an exciting and attractive quality: RAOGLUM.


Merriam-Webster

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soporific - Word of the Day - 30/11/16

soporific

adjective

Pronunciation

sah-puh-RIFF-ik

Definition

1 a : causing or tending to cause sleep
b : tending to dull awareness or alertness
2 : of, relating to, or marked by sleepiness or lethargy

Examples

The soporific effects of the stuffy classroom and the lecturer's droning voice left more than one student fighting to stay awake.

"The prose sparkles at every turn, but that's not to say it's without flaws. Some entire chapters … struck me as wholly soporific." — Andrew Ervin, The Washington Post, 13 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

"It is said that the effect of eating too much lettuce is 'soporific.' I have never felt sleepy after eating lettuces; but then I am not a rabbit." In The Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies by Beatrix Potter, the children of Benjamin Bunny were very nearly done in by Mr. McGregor because they ate soporific lettuces that put them into a deep sleep. Their near fate can help you recall the history of soporific. The term traces to the Latin noun sopor, which means "deep sleep." (That root is related to somnus, the Latin word for sleep and the name of the Roman god of sleep.) French speakers used sopor as the basis of soporifique, which was probably the model for the English soporific.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of soporific: s _ _ m _ er _ _ s.

Merriam-Webster

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cabbage - Word of the Day - 29/11/16

cabbage

verb

Pronunciation

 KAB-ij

Definition

: steal, filch

Examples

"When these ruffians were in a relatively mild mood they were content to chase us off the diamond, but when their glands were flowing freely they also cabbaged our bats, balls and gloves." — H. L. Mencken, Happy Days, 1940

"More and more people are trying to get their 'news' free from online sources, unreliable as some of these fly-by-night wanna-bes are. In truth, the information is usually cabbaged from the website (or the print edition) of the local paper." — Kim Poindexter, The Tahlequah (Oklahoma) Daily Press, 24 Aug. 2015

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of the verb cabbage: _ l _ m.

Merriam-Webster

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vicissitude - Word of the Day - 28/11/16

vicissitude

noun

Pronunciation

 vuh-SISS-uh-tood
 

Definition

1 : the quality or state of being changeable : mutability
2 a : a favorable or unfavorable event or situation that occurs by chance : a fluctuation of state or condition
b : a difficulty or hardship usually beyond one's control

Examples

"The vicissitudes of life strike us all. But when life gets difficult for the poor, economically or emotionally, or most often both at once, it can pitch them into complete chaos." — The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 22 Aug. 2016

"A good coach on tour is at once a friend and a taskmaster, a psychologist and an emotional buffer against the vicissitudes of competing at the highest level of the game." — Geoff Macdonald, The New York Times, 1 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

"Change is not made without inconvenience, even from worse to better," wrote British theologian Richard Hooker in the 16th century. That observation may shed some light on vicissitude, a word that can refer simply to the fact of change, or to an instance of it, but that often refers specifically to hardship or difficulty brought about by change. To survive "the vicissitudes of life" is thus to survive life's ups and downs, with special emphasis on the downs. Vicissitude is a descendant of the Latin noun vicis, meaning "change" or "alternation," and it has been a part of the English language since the 16th century. In contemporary usage, it most often occurs in the plural.

Quiz

What descendant of vicis can mean "experienced or felt by watching, hearing about, or reading about someone else"?

Merriam-Webster

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dynasty - Word of the Day - 27/11/16

dynasty

noun

Pronunciation

 DYE-nuh-stee

Definition

1 : a succession of rulers of the same line of descent
2 : a powerful group or family that maintains its position for a considerable time

Examples

"A scion of the Patterson-Medill publishing dynasty (her great-grandfather and her father founded the Chicago Tribune and the New York Daily News, respectively), [Alicia] Patterson launched Newsday in 1940, on Long Island, quickly building it from a small suburban daily to an influential national paper." — Jocelyn Hannah, The New Yorker, 12 Sept. 2016

"Mark down 2016 as the year the Republican Party under a new standard-bearer divorced itself from the Bush dynasty." — Dan Janison, Newsday (New York), 10 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

Dynast and dynasty both descend from the Greek verb dynasthai, which means "to be able" or "to have power." Dynasty came to prominence in English first; it has been part of our language since at least the 14th century. Dynast took its place in the linguistic family line in the early 1600s, and it has been used to describe sovereigns and other rulers ever since.

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create a noun meaning "ruler": p _ t _ n _ at _.

Merriam-Webster

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wistful - Word of the Day - 26/11/16

Today's thought
Something to think about
Today's Quote
Stop. Think about this
Thought for the Today
Quote of the Day
For a better life
The Way for contentment
For peace in the world.
Insight
Dan Su
Today's topic for discussion
Discussion topic


Quote of the Day - 26/11/16

Ever since happiness heard your name, it’s been running through the streets trying to find you

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wistful - Word of the Day - 26/11/16

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Today's Word
Word of the Day
wistful
What is the meaning of  wistful
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wistful

adjective

Pronunciation

WIST-ful

Definition

1 : full of yearning or desire tinged with melancholy; also : inspiring such yearning
2 : musingly sad : pensive

Examples

As the car pulled away, Lea cast one last wistful glance at the house where she'd spent so many happy years.

"The book left me in wistful reverie, envisioning that shimmering pond and a rugged, robust old gentleman in his 'herringbone suit' and jaunty wide-brimmed straw hat, sitting on a three-legged wooden chair in front of an easel, his brushes flying." — Elfrieda Abbe, The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 11 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

Are you yearning to know the history of wistful? If so, we can ease your melancholy a little by telling you that wistful comes from a combination of wishful and wistly, a now obsolete word meaning "intently." We can't say with certainty where wistly came from, but it may have sprung from whistly, an old term meaning "silently" or "quietly." How did the supposed transition from a word meaning "quietly" to one meaning "intently" come about? That's something to muse about, but the answer isn't known.

Test Your Vocabulary

What noun begins with "n" and refers to a wistful yearning for some past period?

Merriam-Webster

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genteel - Word of the Day - 25/11/16

genteel

adjective

Pronunciation

jen-TEEL

Definition

1 a : of or relating to the gentry or upper class
b : elegant or graceful in manner, appearance, or shape
c : free from vulgarity or rudeness : polite
2 : marked by false delicacy, prudery, or affectation

Examples

"The Hamptons, once so genteel, with their sepulchral light and estates hidden behind neatly groomed hedges, have managed to become a nexus of social life, … where openings and charity galas and club nights fill the summer calendar." — Marisa Meltzer, Town & Country, 1 Aug. 2016

"At this preternaturally elegant new French restaurant …, the waitstaff keeps things lively with cheeky repartee. On arrival one late-summer evening, a man, having located his party, said to the host, 'I'm with them,' and was met with a genteel retort: 'As you should be.'" — Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker, 26 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

In Roman times, the Latin noun gens was used to refer to a clan, a group of related people. Its plural gentes was used to designate all the people of the world, particularly non-Romans. An adjective form, gentilis, applied to both senses. Over time, the adjective was borrowed and passed through several languages. It came into Old French as gentil, a word that then meant "high-born" (in modern French it means "nice"); that term was carried over into Anglo-French, where English speakers found and borrowed it in the early 17th century.

Name That Synonym

Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of genteel meaning "polite":

Merriam-Webster

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riddle - Word of the Day - 24/11/16

riddle

noun

Pronunciation

RID-ul

Definition

1 : a mystifying, misleading, or puzzling question posed as a problem to be solved or guessed : conundrum, enigma

2 : something or someone difficult to understand

Examples

Despite Nick's outgoing nature, he doesn't share many details about his background and personal life, so he remains something of a riddle.

"Stewart's books are for children who like mysteries and riddles, and there are many scenes where readers hold their breath in suspense." — Clara Martin, The Clarion-Ledger, 16 Oct. 2016

Quiz

Here's a riddle for you—what word begins with "k" and ends in "d," descends from Old English rǣdan, and refers to a person's relatives?

Merriam-Webster

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impute - Word of the Day - 23/11/16

impute

verb

Pronunciation

im-PYOOT

Definition

1 : to lay the responsibility or blame for often falsely or unjustly
2 : to credit to a person or a cause

Examples

"Now, one comment in reaction to my essay said that by talking about the city's problems and not its promise, I was in the business of tearing down Syracuse. At LeMoyne, I was taught that the most dangerous thing to do in argument was to impute motives to your opponent." — Carl Schramm, Forbes.com, 4 Mar. 2013

"The CAS panel concluded that Sharapova's case 'was not about an athlete who cheated.' Instead, the panel found, 'It was only about the degree of fault that can be imputed to a player for her failure to make sure that the substance contained in a product she had been legally taking over a long period … remained in compliance." — Tom Perrotta, The Wall Street Journal, 4 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

Impute is a somewhat formal word that is used to suggest that someone or something has done or is guilty of something. It is similar in meaning to such words as ascribe and attribute, though it is more likely to suggest an association with something that brings discredit. When we impute something, we typically impute it to someone or something. You may also encounter the related noun imputation, which appears in such contexts as "I deny all your imputations of blame." Another sense of impute means "to calculate as a value or cost (as for taxation)," as in "impute a benefit from the use of the car."

Test Your Memory

What is the meaning of the verb osculate, our October 29th Word of the Day?

Merriam-Webster

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protocol - Word of the Day - 22/11/16

protocol

noun

Pronunciation

PROH-tuh-kawl

Definition

1 : an original draft or record of a document or transaction
2 : a preliminary memorandum of diplomatic negotiation
3 : a code prescribing strict adherence to correct etiquette and precedence
4 : a set of conventions for formatting data in an electronic communications system
5 : a detailed plan of a scientific or medical experiment, treatment, or procedure

Examples

"A protocol that arose from Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel, research has led to U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of a biological drug for the treatment of a certain form of lung cancer." — USA Today, 1 Oct. 2016

"Throughout Obama's first term, critics described him as naïve, particularly in the area of foreign relations—so ignorant of practical realities that he didn't even understand the symbolic protocols of a state visit. In 2009, when he bowed to Emperor Akihito, on a trip to Tokyo, he was referred to on the far right as 'treasonous.'" — Jon Lee Anderson, The New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

In Late Greek, the word protokollon referred to the first sheet of a papyrus roll bearing the date of its manufacture. In some instances, it consisted of a flyleaf that was glued to the outside of a manuscript's case and provided a description of its contents. Coming from the Greek prefix proto- ("first") and the noun kolla ("glue"), protokollon gave us our word protocol. In its earliest uses in the 15th century, the word referred to a prologue or preface and also to a record of a document or transaction. In the late 19th century, it began to be used in reference to the etiquette observed by the Head of State of France in ceremonies and relations with other dignitaries. This sense has since extended in meaning to cover any code of proper conduct.

Word  Quiz

What is the name of the type of artwork derived from the Greek word kolla, meaning "glue," that can also refer to a hodgepodge of things?

Merriam-Webster

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Kafkaesque - Word of the Day : November 21, 2016

Kafkaesque

adjective

Pronunciation

kahf-kuh-ESK

Definition

: of, relating to, or suggestive of Franz Kafka or his writings; especially : having a nightmarishly complex, bizarre, or illogical quality

Examples

"Dealing with the Kafkaesque health system, for example, would be enough to make anyone 'agitated, aggressive, irritable or temperamental.'" — Logan Jenkins, The San Diego Union Tribune, 27 July 2016

"I think the ultimate nightmare is for you to get into a Kafkaesque situation where you know you haven't done anything wrong . . . but for some reason you are not listened to and you are not being believed." — Lee Child, quoted in The Philadelphia Inquirer, 19 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was a Czech-born German-language writer whose surreal fiction vividly expressed the anxiety, alienation, and powerlessness of the individual in the 20th century. Kafka's work is characterized by nightmarish settings in which characters are crushed by nonsensical, blind authority. Thus, the word Kafkaesque is often applied to bizarre and impersonal administrative situations where the individual feels powerless to understand or control what is happening.

Test Your Vocabulary

What is the extended meaning of Rubenesque, an adjective based on the name of Flemish Baroque painter Peter Paul Rubens?

Merriam-Webster

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nictitate - Word of the Day - 20/11/16

nictitate

verb

Pronunciation

NIK-tuh-tayt

Definition

1 : to close and open quickly : to shut one eye briefly : wink

2 : to close and open the eyelids

Examples

"Dermaq's third eyelids nictitated over his corneas as though to wash away the image, and momentarily he looked away, then back at his superior." — Charles L. Harness, Firebird, 1981

"The hump shifted, raised a hairless head of chitinous scales. Almond eyes of burning gold nictitated to life. A broad chest of angular plates swelled with breath." — Ian C. Esslemont, Night of Knives, 2004

Did You Know?

Nictitate didn't just happen in the blink of an eye; it developed over time as an alteration of the older verb nictate, which also means "to wink." Both verbs trace to the Latin word for winking, nictare. The addition of the extra syllable was apparently influenced by Latin verbs ending in -itare, such as palpitare and agitare (which gave us palpitate and agitate, respectively). Today, nictitate has a special use in the animal world. Since the early 18th century, scientists have used nictitating membrane to describe the so-called "third eyelid": the thin, usually transparent membrane in the eyes of birds, fishes, and other vertebrates that helps keep the eyeball moist and clean.

Word Quiz

Fill in the blanks to create a verb that is derived from a relative of Latin nictare and that means "to secretly help someone do something dishonest or illegal": c _ n _ _ ve.

Merriam-Webster

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meshuggener - Word of the Day - 19/11/16

meshuggener

noun

Pronunciation

muh-SHUG-uh-ner

Definition

: a foolish or crazy person

Examples

"What kind of meshuggener would apply the small plates concept to Jewish comfort food, which is all about abundance and appetite?" — Tracey Macleod, The Independent (United Kingdom), 16 Dec. 2011

"Whoever decided to remake The Producers in 2005 was a meshuggener. There will certainly not be a remake of The Frisco Kid, a film from 1979—[Gene] Wilder plays a rabbi who rides into trouble in the Wild West. Don't go there!" — David Robson, The Jewish Chronicle Online, 1 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

From bagel and chutzpah to shtick and yenta, Yiddish has given English many a colorful term over the years. Meshuggener is another example of what happens when English interprets that rich Jewish language. Meshuggener comes from the Yiddish meshugener, which in turn derives from meshuge, an adjective that is synonymous with crazy or foolish. English speakers have used the adjective form, meshuga or meshugge, to mean "foolish" since the late 1800s; we've dubbed foolish folk meshuggeners since at least 1900.

Name That Synonym

What 6-letter word beginning with "t" and ending with "y" is a synonym of meshuggener and can also refer to a theatrical production that has failed?

Merriam-Webster

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lambent - Word of the Day - 18/11/16

lambent

adjective

Pronunciation

LAM-bunt

Definition

1 : playing lightly on or over a surface : flickering
2 : softly bright or radiant
3 : marked by lightness or brilliance especially of expression

Examples

"It's an early May morning and the air is cool and still and filled with lambent light." — Christopher Norment, The Chronicle of Higher Education, 4 May 2015

"There's nothing like the swell of a powerful pipe organ in the right room. You can feel the lowest pedal notes in your stomach, or the lambent whisper of the tiniest pipes, with their delicate, shimmering sound." — T. R. Goldman, The Washington Post, 31 July 2016

Did You Know?

Fire is frequently associated with lapping or licking imagery: flames are often described as "tongues" that "lick." Lambent, which first appeared in English in the 17th century, is a part of this tradition, coming from lambens, the present participle of the Latin verb lambere, meaning "to lick." In its earliest uses, lambent meant "playing lightly over a surface," "gliding over," or "flickering." These uses were usually applied to flames or light, and by way of that association, the term eventually came to describe things with a radiant or brilliant glow, as Alexander Pope used it in his 1717 poem "Eloisa to Abelard": "Those smiling eyes, attemp'ring ev'ry ray, Shone sweetly lambent with celestial day."

Test Your Memory

What is the meaning of colubrine, our October 19th Word of the Day?

Merriam-Webster

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obfuscate - Word of the Day - 17/11/16

obfuscate

verb

Pronunciation

AHB-fuh-skayt

Definition

1 a : darken
b : to make obscure
2 : confuse
3 : to be evasive, unclear, or confusing

Examples

"Time and again he has shifted, shaded or obfuscated his policy positions—piling on new ideas, which sometimes didn't fit with the old." — David Fahrenthold and Katie Zezima, The Washington Post, 23 Apr. 2016

"It was the trademark of San Francisco psychedelia to never put the year on a concert poster, and to obfuscate important details." — Sam Whiting, The San Francisco Chronicle, 14 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

To obfuscate something means to make it so that it isn't clear or transparent, much like dirty water makes it hard to see to the bottom of a pond. The verb shares its ob- root (meaning "over, completely") with obscure, another word that can refer to the act of concealing something or making it more difficult to see or understand. The rest of obfuscate comes from Latin fuscus, which means "dark brown" and is distantly related to our word dusk.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of obfuscate: o _ n _ _ il _ te.

Merriam-Webster

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jejune - Word of the Day - 16/11/16

jejune

adjective

Pronunciation

jih-JOON

Definition

1 : lacking nutritive value
2 : devoid of significance or interest : dull
3 : juvenile, puerile

Examples

"I have not, however, been a fan of the Broadway singer … in the past, and her jejune performances here—complete with some tap dancing that belied the lyrics of 'I Got Rhythm'—did not convert me." — Anne Midgette, The Washington Post, 22 Sept. 2015

"He complains about wasting his talent 'writing songs for frogs' (he is a composer of jejune melodies for a children's television show called Mr. Bungee's Lily Pad)." — Nancy Chen, The Philadelphia Inquirer, 21 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

Starved for excitement? You won't get it from something jejune. That term derives from the Latin jejunus, which means "empty of food," "meager," or "hungry." Back in the 1600s, English speakers used jejune in senses very similar to those of its Latin parent, lamenting "jejune appetites" and "jejune morsels." Something that is meager rarely satisfies, and before long jejune was being used not only for meager meals or hunger, but for things wanting in intellectual or emotional substance. The word most likely gained its "childish" sense when people confused it with the look-alike French word jeune, which means "young."

Name That Synonym

What 4-letter synonym of jejune begins with "a" and can mean "lacking in interest" or "excessively dry"?

Merriam-Webster

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quid pro quo - Word of the Day - 15/11/16

quid pro quo

noun

Pronunciation

kwid-proh-KWOH

Definition

: something given or received for something else; also : a deal arranging such an exchange

Examples

"PA officials say they have no evidence [the employees] engaged in a quid quo pro, in which they green-light the PA's purchase of wasteful insurance policies in return for the gifts or considerations, but rather suspect they turned a blind eye to their responsibilities." — Philip Messing, The New York Post, 26 July 2013

"On the face of it, Canada's agreement to enter into talks on an extradition treaty looks a lot like a quid pro quo for the welcome release of Kevin Garratt, the Canadian missionary imprisoned on trumped-up espionage charges." — The Toronto Star, 23 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

In the early 16th century, a quid pro quo was something obtained from an apothecary. That's because when quid pro quo (New Latin for "something for something") was first used in English, it referred to the process of substituting one medicine for another—whether intentionally (and sometimes fraudulently) or accidentally. The meaning of the phrase was quickly extended, however, and within several decades it was being used for more general equivalent exchanges. These days, it often occurs in legal contexts.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of quid pro quo: c _ _ m _ ta _ _ on.

Merriam-Webster

http://grammarandpunctuationmodule4.blogspot.com.au/

hoke - Word of the Day -14/11/16

hoke

verb

Pronunciation

HOHK

Definition

: to give a contrived, falsely impressive, or hokey quality to — usually used with up

Examples

"Its okay that everybody looks great, though certain scenes seem hoked up. A black cat crossing the path of a motorcade about to explode feels more like Hollywood moviemaking than truth telling…." — D.J. Palladino, The Santa Barbara Independent, 10 Jan. 2013

"'Concussion' has the sober, patient earnestness of a lawyer preparing a major case—it's a dramatization of true events and occasionally hoked up in the finest Hollywood tradition, but it wants to stir you into being convinced instead of the other way around." — Ty Burr, The Boston Globe, 25 Dec. 2015

Did You Know?

Hoke is a back-formation of hokum, which was probably created as a blend of hocus-pocus and bunkum. Hokum is a word for the theatrical devices used to evoke a desired audience response. The verb hoke appeared in the early 20th century and was originally used (as it still can be today) when actors performed in an exaggerated or overly sentimental way. Today, it is often used adjectivally in the form hoked-up, as in "hoked-up dialogue." The related word hokey was coined soon after hoke to describe things that are corny or phony.

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create an adjective that can mean "produced by humans rather than by natural forces" or "produced by special effort": fa _  _ iti  _ u _.

Merriam-Webster

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sabot - Word of the Day - 13/11/16

sabot

noun

Pronunciation

 sa-BOH

Definition

1 a : a wooden shoe worn in various European countries
b : a strap across the instep in a shoe especially of the sandal type; also : a shoe having a sabot strap
2 : a thrust-transmitting carrier that positions a missile in a gun barrel or launching tube and that prevents the escape of gas ahead of the missile
3 : a dealing box designed to hold several decks of playing cards

Examples

"The spin imparted by rifling lets slugs separate cleanly from the sabot, makes them fly true, and allows them to expand." — Phil Bourjaily, Field & Stream, November 2014

"The man is a venerable but unprepossessing figure; he rests his hands on a cane, he has sabots on his feet, wears cinched gaiters over his trousers and has two medals on his greatcoat." — Michael Prodger, The New Statesman, 17 June 2015

Did You Know?

The term sabot may have first been introduced into English in a 1607 translation from French: "wooden shoes," readers were informed, are "properly called sabots." The gun-related sense appeared in the mid-1800s with the invention of a wooden gizmo that kept gun shells from shifting in the gun barrel. Apparently, someone thought the device resembled a wooden shoe and named it sabot (with later generations of this device carrying on the name). Another kind of French sabot—a metal "shoe" used to secure rails to railway ties—is said to be the origin of the word sabotage, from workers destroying the sabots during a French railway strike in the early 1900s. The word sabot is probably related to savate, a Middle French word for an old shoe.

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create a word for a clog, sandal, or overshoe with a wooden sole or metal device to elevate the foot or aid in walking in mud: pa _ t _ n.

Merriam-Webster

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facetious - Word of the Day - 12/11/16

facetious

adjective

Pronunciation

fuh-SEE-shuss

Definition

1 : joking or jesting often inappropriately : waggish

2 : meant to be humorous or funny : not serious

Examples

"My proposal to tax estates heavily is neither entirely serious nor wholly facetious." — Martha Viehmann, The Cincinnati (Ohio) Enquirer, 17 Aug. 2016

"When I was a kid, I wanted to be a garbage man. I'm not being facetious or silly…. As a four-year-old, my room window faced the street, and I remember being mesmerized by these wild guys waking me up twice a week. They were raucous and loud, they yelled and threw things around with reckless abandon, they dangerously climbed on and hung off a large moving vehicle…." — Andy Nulman, quoted in The Globe and Mail, 11 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

Facetious—which puzzle fans know is one of the few English words containing the vowels a, e, i, o, u in order—came to English from the Middle French word facetieux, which traces to the Latin word facetia, meaning "jest." Facetia seems to have made only one other lasting contribution to the English language: facetiae, meaning "witty or humorous writings or sayings." Facetiae, which comes from the plural of facetia and is pronounced \fuh-SEE-shee-ee\ or \fuh-SEE-shee-eye\, is a far less common word than facetious, but it does show up occasionally. For example, American essayist Louis Menand used it in his 2002 book American Studies to describe the early days of The New Yorker. "The New Yorker," he wrote, "started as a hectic book of gossip, cartoons, and facetiae."

Test Your Vocabulary

What "-ism" based on the name of a Charles Dickens character in The Pickwick Papers is used to describe an expression comprising a well-known quote followed by a facetious sequel, such as "'Everyone to his own taste,' said the old woman as she kissed the cow"?

Merriam-Webster


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ukase - Word of the Day -11/11/16

ukase

noun

Pronunciation

yoo-KAYSS

Definition

1 : a proclamation by a Russian emperor or government having the force of law
2 a : a proclamation having the force of law
   b : order, command

Examples

"On December 31, 1810, the Emperor issued a ukase lifting all restrictions on exports from Russia and on imports coming by sea, while at the same time imposing a heavy tariff on goods arriving overland, most of which came from France." — James Traub, John Quincy Adams: Militant Spirit, 2016

"The Department of Education has issued a ukase … on the use of exclamation marks by seven-year-olds.… Education ministers have concluded that seven-year-olds are …  unhealthily addicted to exclamation points …, and have decreed that in this summer's grammar tests for primary school pupils, sentences concluding with an exclamation point may be marked correct only if they begin with How or What." — Jane Shilling, The Daily Telegraph (London), 7 Mar. 2016

Did You Know?

English speakers adopted ukase more or less simultaneously from French (ukase) and Russian (ukaz) in the early 18th century. The word can be traced further back to the Russian verb ukazat', meaning "to show" or "to order," and its ultimate source is an ancient root that led to similar words in Latin, Sanskrit, and Old Church Slavic. A Russian ukase was a command from the highest levels of government that could not be disobeyed. But by the early 19th century, English speakers were also using ukase generally for any command that seemed to come from a higher authority, particularly one that was final or arbitrary.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of ukase: r _ s _ r _ p _.

Merriam-Webster

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elicit - Word of the Day - 10/11/16

elicit

verb

Pronunciation

ih-LISS-it

Definition

1 : to draw forth or bring out (something latent or potential)
2 : to call forth or draw out (as information or a response)

Examples

The announcement of the final amount raised by the charity walk elicited many cheers from the crowd.

"But the big question is whether fragments of pottery, fraying textiles and decaying manuscripts can elicit excitement these days when people are glued to technology." — Ruth Eglash, The Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

Elicit derives from the past participle of the Latin verb elicere, formed by combining the prefix e- (meaning "away") with the verb lacere, meaning "to entice by charm or attraction." It is not related to its near-homophone, the adjective illicit—that word, meaning "unlawful," traces back to another Latin verb, licēre, meaning "to be permitted." Nor is elicit related to the verb solicit, even though it sounds like it should be. Solicit derives from Latin sollicitare ("to disturb"), formed by combining the adjective sollus, meaning "whole," with the past participle of the verb ciēre, meaning "to move."

Word  Quiz

What de- verb is derived from Latin lacere and means "to give joy or satisfaction to"?

Merriam-Webster

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triptych - Word of the Day - 09/11/16

triptych

noun

Pronunciation

TRIP-tik

Definition

1 : an ancient Roman writing tablet with three waxed leaves hinged together
2 a : a picture (such as an altarpiece) or carving in three panels side by side
b : something composed or presented in three parts or sections; especially : trilogy

Examples

The panels of the triptych illustrated the three theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity.

"'Certain Women,' her latest film and arguably the most precise expression of [Kelly] Reichardt's vision to date, is a triptych based on three short stories by the Montana-raised author Maile Meloy." — Alice Gregory, The New York Times, 16 Oct. 2016

Did You Know?

A painted or carved triptych typically has three hinged panels, and the two outer panels can be folded in towards the central one. A literary or musical triptych generally consists of three closely related or contrasting themes or parts. Triptych derives from the Greek triptychos ("having three folds"), formed by combining tri- ("three") and ptychē ("fold" or "layer"). Although triptych originally described a specific type of Roman writing tablet that had three hinged sections, it is not surprising that the idea was generalized first to a type of painting, and then to anything composed of three parts.

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create a word for the base of an altarpiece containing decorated panels: pr _ d _ _ la.

Merriam-Webster

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bully pulpit - Word of the Day - 08/11/16

bully pulpit

noun

Pronunciation

BULL-ee-PULL-pit

Definition

: a prominent public position (as a political office) that provides an opportunity for expounding one's views; also : such an opportunity

Examples

"Candidates for governor like to make people think they set the vision. But the governor has a bully pulpit and little else. He or she may be in a position to push or prod or convene a task force or two, but nothing happens if the other players don't agree." — Jay Evensen, The Deseret News (Salt Lake City, Utah), 28 Sept. 2016

"Land use is a local responsibility, and the federal government has limited power to make cities build more housing. Still, the Obama administration is increasingly using the bully pulpit to tell urban progressives that if they care about income inequality, they ought to care about building more housing.'" — Kerry Cavanaugh, The Los Angeles Times, 26 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

Bully pulpit comes from the 26th U.S. President, Theodore Roosevelt, who observed that the White House was a bully pulpit. For Roosevelt, bully was an adjective meaning "excellent" or "first-rate"—not the noun bully ("a blustering, browbeating person") that's so common today. Roosevelt understood the modern presidency's power of persuasion and recognized that it gave the incumbent the opportunity to exhort, instruct, or inspire. He took full advantage of his bully pulpit, speaking out about the danger of monopolies, the nation's growing role as a world power, and other issues important to him. Since the 1970s, bully pulpit has been used as a term for an office—especially a political office—that provides one with the opportunity to share one's views.

Test Your Vocabulary

What word begins with "r" and can refer to a raised platform on a stage, the curved end of a ship's bow, or the proboscis of an insect?

Merriam-Webster

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auriferous - Word of the Day - 07/11/16

auriferous

adjective

Pronunciation

aw-RIF-uh-russ

Definition

: containing gold

Examples

The mining company has discovered many auriferous deposits throughout the region.

"Development … on the east flank of the Huachuca Mountains occurred after the 1911 discovery of a gold nugget weighing 22 ounces, probably originating from auriferous quartz veins found in the granite beds upstream." — William Ascarza, The Arizona Daily Star (Tucson, AZ), 26 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

Students in chemistry class learn that the chemical symbol for gold is Au. That symbol is based on aurum, the Latin word for the element. In the 17th century, English speakers coined auriferous by appending the -ous ending to the Latin adjective aurifer, an offspring of aurum that means "containing gold" or "producing gold." (The -fer is from ferre, a Latin verb meaning "to produce" or "to bear.") Not surprisingly, auriferous is a term that shows up in geological contexts. Some other descendants of aurum include aureate ("of a golden color" or "marked by grandiloquent style"), auric ("of, relating to, or derived from gold"), and the noun or ("the heraldic color gold or yellow").

Test Your Vocabulary

What does the term golden parachute refer to?

Merriam-Webster

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mollify - Word of the Day - 06/11/16

mollify

verb

Pronunciation

MAH-luh-fye

Definition

1 : to soothe in temper or disposition : appease
2 : to reduce the rigidity of : soften
3 : to reduce in intensity : assuage, temper

Examples

"To some extent, the delay also was intended to mollify the concerns of county leaders that police and fire service responsibilities were being shoved at them on an abrupt timetable, potentially to the detriment of affected residents." — Lawrence Specker, AL.com, 30 Aug. 2016

"If there were any doubt that Roark, with his 15 wins and top-five ERA, could be a reliable No. 2 starter if Stephen Strasburg cannot pitch in October, he has done all he could to mollify it. He has now thrown 200 innings for the first time. He still leads the league with nine starts of seven or more scoreless innings." — Chelsea Janes, The Washington Post, 21 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

Mollify, pacify, appease, and placate all mean "to ease the anger or disturbance of," although each implies a slightly different way of pouring oil on troubled waters. Pacify suggests the restoration of a calm or peaceful state, while appease implies the quieting of insistent demands by making concessions; you can appease appetites and desires as well as persons. Placate is similar to appease, but it often indicates a more complete transformation of bitterness to goodwill. Mollify, with its root in Latin mollis, meaning "soft," implies soothing hurt feelings or anger.

Name That Synonym

Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of mollify: GITTEMIA.

Merriam-Webster

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