empyreal - Word of the Day - 01/10/16

empyreal

adjective

Pronunciation

em-pye-REE-ul

Definition

1 : of or relating to the heavens or firmament : celestial
2 : sublime

Examples

Night after night, the comet shone brightly against the empyreal tapestry of the sky.

"A jar made in Iraq, Syria or Iran, its shape is nothing special, but its color—an empyreal sapphire blue, a version of which will later adorn the domes of Safavid mosques—is out of this world." — Holland Cotter, The New York Times, 24 Dec. 2004

Did You Know?

Empyreal can be traced back to the Greek word for "fiery," empyros, which was formed from the prefix em- ("in," "within," or "inside") and -pyros, from pyr, the Greek word for "fire." When empyreal entered the English language—via the Late Latin empyreus or empyrius—in the 15th century, it specifically referred to things related to the empyrean, the highest heaven or outermost heavenly sphere of ancient and medieval cosmology, which was often thought to contain or be composed of the element of fire. In the works of Christian writers—such as Dante's Divine Comedy and John Milton's Paradise Lost—this outermost heavenly sphere was associated with the Christian paradise. Empyreal is now also used more broadly in the senses of "celestial" and "sublime."

Name That Synonym

Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of empyreal: EASRLNPU.

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woebegone - Word of the Day - 30/09/16

woebegone

adjective

Pronunciation

WOH-bih-gahn

Definition

1 : strongly afflicted with woe : woeful
2 a : exhibiting great woe, sorrow, or misery
   b : being in a sorry state

Examples

"I simply wanted to be left alone to cry. I wanted the opposite of conversation, because for this brief, woebegone interlude, what was there to say?" — Wesley Morris, The New York Times, 2 Aug. 2016

"On a 68-degree afternoon, the Giants (71-59) took out their frustrations on the Braves' woebegone pitching staff in record-setting fashion. Denard Span added a solo homer and Eduardo Núñez also went deep, giving the Giants their first four-homer game at AT&T Park in six years." — Andrew Baggarly, The Mercury News (San Jose, California), 28 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

At first glance, woebegone looks like a word that has its meaning backwards; after all, if begone means "to go away," shouldn't woebegone mean "devoid of woe," or "happy"? Not exactly. The word derives from the Middle English phrase wo begon. The wo in this phrase simply means "woe," but begon (deriving from Old English began) is a past participle meaning "beset." Someone who is woebegone, therefore, is beset with woe. Since the early 19th century, the word has also been used to describe things that appear to express sadness, as in "a woebegone face."

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create an adjective that means "expressive of suffering or woe": p _ a _ n _ i _ e.

Merriam-Webster

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cabal - Word of the Day - 29/09/16

cabal

noun

Pronunciation

 kuh-BAHL

Definition

1 : the artifices and intrigues of a group of persons secretly united in a plot (as to overturn a government); also : a group engaged in such artifices and intrigues

2 : club, group

Examples

"A 'cabal' of wealthy conservatives has begun using New York State's campaign finance laws to sway local elections…." — Michael Gormley, Newsday (New York), 24 Aug. 2016    

"Looking back, it didn't take a vast conspiracy to replace truth with lies: only a greedy, shameless ghostwriter; another lazy biographer; and a couple of filmmakers who embraced shoddy reporting for its sensationalizing value. That small, self-serving cabal managed to misinform generations of Americans with malicious myths that misshaped history." — Dana D. Kelley, The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 19 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

In A Child's History of England, Charles Dickens associates the word cabal with a group of five ministers in the government of England's King Charles II. The initial letters of the names or titles of those men (Clifford, Arlington, Buckingham, Ashley, and Lauderdale) spell cabal, and Dickens dubbed them the "Cabal Ministry." These five men were widely regarded as invidious, secretive plotters and their activities may have encouraged English speakers to associate cabal with high-level government intrigue. But their names are not the source of the word cabal, which was in use decades before Charles II ascended the throne. The term can be traced back through French to cabbala, the Medieval Latin name for the Kabbalah, a traditional system of esoteric Jewish mysticism.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of cabal: ca _ ar _ l _ a.

Merriam-Webster

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vamoose - Word of the Day - 26/09/16

vamoose

verb

Pronunciation

vuh-MOOSS

Definition

: to depart quickly

Examples

With the sheriff and his posse hot on their tails, the bank robbers knew they had better vamoose.

"Five minutes later the police arrived, and of course there was no sign of illegal activity. The crooks monitored the police radio and knew when to vamoose." — The Rockford (Illinois) Register Star, 14 July 2016

Did You Know?

In the 1820s and '30s, the American Southwest was rough-and-tumble territory—the true Wild West. English-speaking cowboys, Texas Rangers, and gold prospectors regularly rubbed elbows with Spanish-speaking vaqueros in the local saloons, and a certain amount of linguistic intermixing was inevitable. One Spanish term that caught on with English speakers was vamos, which means "let's go." Cowpokes and dudes alike adopted the word, at first using a range of spellings and pronunciations that varied considerably in their proximity to the original Spanish form. But when the dust settled, the version most American English speakers were using was vamoose.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of vamoose: s _ i _ do _.

Merriam-Webster

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peculiar - Word of the Day - 27/09/16

peculiar

adjective

Pronunciation

pih-KYOOL-yer

Definition

1 : characteristic of only one person, group, or thing : distinctive
2 : special, particular
3 : odd, curious
4 : eccentric

Examples

"'I'm not like you. … I'm common, just like my grandfather.' Emma shook her head. 'Is that really what you think?' 'If I could do something spectacular like you, don't you think I would've noticed by now? … There's nothing peculiar about me. I'm the most average person you'll ever meet.'" — Ransom Riggs, Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, 2011

"It's not hard to spot players of the most popular smartphone game of all time. They have a peculiar way of carrying their devices in front of them with one hand, says John Hanke, the technology whiz behind Pokémon Go…." — Ryan Mac, Forbes, 23 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

Peculiar comes from Latin peculiaris, an adjective meaning "privately owned" or "special" that is derived from the word for "property," peculium. Those words are cognate with pecu, a word for "cattle" that is also etymologically linked to a few English words related to money. Among these are pecuniary ("of or relating to money"), peculate ("to embezzle"), and impecunious ("having very little or no money"). Peculiar borrowed the Latin meanings of peculiaris, but it eventually came to refer to qualities possessed only by a particular individual, group, or thing. That sense is commonly followed by the preposition to, as in "a custom peculiar to America." In time, peculiar was being used specifically for unusual qualities, as well as the individuals that possessed them, which led to the word's "odd," "curious," and "eccentric" senses.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of peculiar: s _ n _ _ _ ar.

Merriam-Webster

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tantivy - Word of the Day - 26/09/16

tantivy

adverb

Pronunciation

tan-TIV-ee

Definition

: at a gallop

Examples

The horse rushed tantivy over the dirt roads that wound through the fields and pastures.

"Thus it came about that Denby and his man, riding tantivy to the rescue, met the raiders two miles down the trail…." — Francis Lynde, The Helpers, 1899

Did You Know?

Tantivy is an adverb as well as a noun that refers to a rapid gallop. Although its precise origin isn't known, one theory has it that tantivy represents the sound of a galloping horse’s hooves. The noun does double duty as a word meaning "the blare of a trumpet or horn." This is probably due to confusion with tantara, a word for the sound of a trumpet that came about as an imitation of that sound. Both tantivy and tantara were used during foxhunts; in the heat of the chase, people may have jumbled the two.

Test Your Vocabulary

What 4-letter word beginning with "l" and ending with "e" is the name for a horse's easy, natural gait?

Merriam-Webster

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iota - Word of the Day - 25/09/16

iota

noun

Pronunciation

 eye-OH-tuh

Definition

1 : the 9th letter of the Greek alphabet
2 : an infinitesimal amount : jot

Examples

"The rooms were impeccably decorated, with not an iota of clutter." — Judy DiForte, AnnArbor.com, 21 Mar. 2011

"The 'my way or the highway' representatives couldn't care one iota about those who do not share their specific values and goals." — Diane W. Mufson, The Herald-Dispatch (Huntington, West Virginia), 21 July 2016

Did You Know?

The words iota and jot share a lot more than just a common meaning—both ultimately derive from the same word. When Latin scholars transcribed the Greek name of the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet, they spelled it as either iota or jota (the letters i and j were simply variants of each other), and these spellings eventually passed into English as iota and jot. Since the Greek letter iota is the smallest letter of its alphabet, both words eventually came to be used in reference to very small things.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of iota: s _ ru _ _ e.

Merriam-Webster

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reconcile - Word of the Day - 24/09/16

reconcile

verb

Pronunciation

REK-un-syle

Definition

1 a : to restore to friendship or harmony
   b : to settle or resolve (differences)
2 : to make consistent or congruous
3 : to cause to submit to or accept something unpleasant
4 : to check (a financial account) against another for accuracy

Examples

"The Korean War veteran—who once made a trip to Pyongyang, North Korea, with a former U.S. ambassador to South Korea to reconcile with his old adversaries—is now penning fundraising emails for Democrats trying to win the U.S. Senate." — Javier Panzar, The Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

Adapt, adjust, accommodate, conform, and reconcile all mean to bring one thing into agreement with another. Adapt implies a modification according to changing circumstances ("they adapted to the warmer climate"). Adjust suggests bringing something into a close and exact correspondence or harmony ("we adjusted the budget to allow for inflation"). Accommodate may suggest yielding or compromising to form an agreement ("he accommodated his political beliefs in order to win"). Conform suggests coming into accordance with a pattern, example, or principle ("she refused to conform to society's values"). Reconcile implies the demonstration of the underlying compatibility of things that seem to be incompatible ("I tried to reconcile what he said with what I knew").

Test Your Memory

Fill in the blank in this sentence from our August 29th Word of the Day: "Cartography is one of those ________ fields at which only a select few can actually earn a living."

Merriam-Webster

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mettle - Word of the Day - 23/09/16

mettle

noun

Pronunciation

MET-ul

Definition

1 a : vigor and strength of spirit or temperament
   b : staying quality : stamina
2 : quality of temperament or disposition

Examples

"People aren't trying to hide their prosthetics like they once did. There is a sense of community, being proud of who you are and showing off your mettle." — Rebekah Spielman, quoted in The San Diego Union Tribune, 21 Aug. 2016

"In the dozen years since Fantasia Barrino claimed victory on 'American Idol,' the singer has more than proved her mettle. She has sold millions of records, released a New York Times best-selling memoir, won a Grammy, anchored a hit reality series and become a Broadway star." — Gerrick D. Kennedy, The Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

Originally, mettle was simply a variant spelling of the word metal (which dates to at least the 13th century), and it was used in all of the same senses as its metallic relative. Over time, however, mettle came to be used mainly in figurative senses referring to the quality of someone's character. It eventually became a distinct English word in its own right, losing its literal sense altogether. Metal remained a term primarily used for those hard, shiny substances such as steel or iron, but it also acquired a figurative use. Today, both words can mean "vigor and strength of spirit or temperament," but only metal is used of metallic substances.

Merriam-Webster

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palpable - Word of the Day - 22/09/16

palpable

adjective

Pronunciation

PAL-puh-bul

Definition

1 : capable of being touched or felt : tangible
2 : easily perceptible : noticeable
3 : easily perceptible by the mind : manifest

Examples

The tension in the courtroom was palpable as the jury foreman stood to announce the verdict.

"The beautifully shot, meditative film takes on a palpable sense of urgency after Maria makes a fateful move, leaving both the young woman and her family in a quandary that forces them to deal with the outside world, including a harrowing trip to a hospital where no one understands their language." — David Lewis, The San Francisco Chronicle, 26 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

The word palpable has been used in English since the 14th century. It derives from the Latin word palpare, meaning "to stroke" or "to caress"—the same root that gives us the word palpitation. The Latin verb is also a linguistic ancestor of the verb feel. Palpable can be used to describe things that can be felt through the skin, such as a person's pulse, but even more frequently it is used in reference to things that cannot be touched but are still so easy to perceive that it is as though they could be touched—such as "a palpable tension in the air."

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create an adjective that refers to the palpable points or dots used for representing words for reading by the blind: p _ _cti _ _ rm.

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consigliere - Word of the Day - 21/09/16

consigliere

noun

Pronunciation

kohn-sil-YEH-reh

Definition

: counselor, adviser

Examples

"Luisi’s goal was to create his own family in Boston, with Guarente as his underboss and Gentile as his consigliere." — Stephen Kurkjian and Shelley Murphy, The Boston Globe, 26 July 2016

"In any event, it appears that Shari has turned her attention to removing the other impediments to absolute control. She booted Dauman from the Viacom board but kept his consigliere Tom Dooley, Viacom’s chief operating officer, in place." — William D. Cohan, Vanity Fair, 20 June 2016

Did You Know?

If you're a fan of The Godfather series of movies, the character Tom Hagen may have already come to mind. Hagen, the Corleones' family lawyer, is famously dismissed by the Don's successor and son Michael Corleone because he is not a "wartime consigliere." The word consigliere comes from Italian and has been a part our language since the 17th century; it was originally used of someone who served on a council in Italy. Currently, it is most commonly used to designate advisers to the Mafia—a use that first appeared in English in a document from a 1963 session of the U.S. Senate. It is also often used generally of a political or financial adviser, or any other trusted adviser for that matter.

Test Your Vocabulary

What word combines with "cabinet" to form a term denoting an informal group of advisers?

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nefarious - Word of the Day - 20/09/16

nefarious

adjective

Pronunciation

nih-FAIR-ee-us

Definition

: flagrantly wicked or impious : evil

Examples

"The company will not call you to ask for your Social Security or account number, but nefarious scammers might." — Ellen Marks, The Albuquerque Journal, 31 July 2016

"Mention the word 'drugs,' and most people think of nefarious, evil substances bought in the dead of night from shadowy figures who carry guns and feed off of the weaknesses of addicts who seek out their poison with shaking, trembling hands." — Steve Wildsmith, The Daily Times (Maryville, Tennessee), 25 July 2016

Did You Know?

Vicious and villainous are two wicked synonyms of nefarious, and, like nefarious, both mean "highly reprehensible or offensive in character, nature, or conduct." But these synonyms are not used in exactly the same way in all situations. Vicious may imply moral depravity or it may connote malignancy, cruelty, or destructive violence. Villainous applies to any evil, depraved, or vile conduct or characteristic, while nefarious (which derives from the Latin noun nefas, meaning "crime") suggests flagrant breaching of time-honored laws and traditions of conduct.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of nefarious: f _ a _ it _ _ _ s.

Merriam-Webster

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eclogue - Word of the Day - 19/09/16

eclogue

noun

Pronunciation

 ECK-log

Definition

: a poem in which shepherds converse

Examples

Modern critics tend to have little tolerance for the idealized world of the old eclogues, in which poverty is bathed in golden light.

"[Matt] Pavelich begins his novel with an excerpt from W. H. Auden's Pulitzer Prize-winning poem, 'Age of Anxiety.' Auden's is a fascinating and hair-raising eclogue that affects the novel throughout its long journey." — The Missoula (Montana) Independent, 27 May 2004

Test Your Vocabulary

What -logue word can refer to a speech at the end of a play or a concluding section of a musical composition?

Merriam-Webster


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loll - Word of the Day - 18/09/16

loll

verb

Pronunciation

LAHL

Definition

1 : to hang or let hang loosely : droop

2 : to recline, lean, or move in a lax, lazy, or indolent manner : lounge

Examples

"'Ginny, please wake up,' Harry muttered desperately, shaking her. Ginny's head lolled hopelessly from side to side." — J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 1999

"We took the subway to the vast English Garden, where we cooled our feet in a stream and lolled around on wide couches at the Seehaus Beer Garden, quaffing from massive steins of German beer while chatting it up with new friends." — Jeanne Potter, The San Luis Obispo (California) Tribune, 12 Oct. 2015

Did You Know?

Loll has origins similar to those of another soothing verb, lull, which means "to cause to rest or sleep." Both words can be traced back to 14th-century Middle English and probably originated as imitations of the soft sounds people make when resting or trying to soothe someone else to sleep. Loll has also been used in English as a noun meaning "the act of lolling" or "a relaxed posture," but that use is now considered archaic. In its "recline" or "lean" sense, loll shares synonyms with a number of "l" verbs, including loaf, lounge, and laze.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of loll: s _ o _ _ h.

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gadarene - Word of the Day - 17/09/16

gadarene

adjective

Pronunciation

GAD-uh-reen

Definition

: headlong, precipitate

Examples

The chairman was worried that in the company's gadarene rush to go public its original obligation to the customer would be forgotten.

"Virginia's innate conservatism has spared it from foolishly joining many a Gadarene rush. But its glacial embrace of change has also kept it from adopting necessary and beneficial reforms, such as charter schools and new revenue for transportation." — The Richmond (Virginia) Times Dispatch, 3 Feb. 2013

Did You Know?

Gadara, in Biblical times, was a town just southeast of the Sea of Galilee. In the account given in the book of Matthew (8:28), Jesus, on a visit there, exorcised the demons from two possessed people and sent the demons into some nearby swine. The possessed swine ran in a mad dash down a steep bank into the Sea and drowned. Gadarene, an adjective used to describe a headlong rush (and often capitalized in recognition of its origin), made its first known plunge into our lexicon in the 1920s. The swine sometimes make an appearance as well, as when an imprudently hasty act is compared to "the rush of the Gadarene swine."

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to form a 2-word synonym of hypocrite that originates from a simile in the book of Matthew: w _ _ ted s _ _ u c _er.

Merriam-Webster

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implacable - Word of the Day - 15/09/16

implacable

adjective

Pronunciation

im-PLAK-uh-bul

Definition

: not placable : not capable of being appeased, significantly changed, or mitigated

Examples

"I am studying physics at a small graduate school because the implacable laws of the universe are of interest to me." — Fiona Maazel, Ploughshares, Summer 2015

"Through his audacity, his vision, and his implacable faith in his future success, Philip Michael Thomas can say that he gave the most accomplished artists in history something to strive for." — Sophie Gilbert, The Atlantic, 9 June 2016

Did You Know?

Implacable is based on the Latin verb placare, meaning "to calm" or "to soothe." It joins the negative im- to the root to describe something that cannot be calmed or soothed or altered. The root placare also gave us placate. You may ask, what about the similar-looking words placid and placebo? These words are related to implacable and placate, but not as closely as you might suspect. They come from the Latin verb placēre, a relative of placare that means "to please."

Name That Antonym

Unscramble the letters to create an antonym of implacable: TLAIABES.

Merriam-Webster

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hare - Word of the Day - 14/09/16

hare

verb

Pronunciation

HAIR

Definition

: to go swiftly : tear

Examples

Andrew hared along the country road on his motorbike.

"Pilgrims to the holy site now have to pay for the privilege of leaving their cars at the bottom, taking off their shoes and socks and haring up the mountain." — Nuala McCann, The Irish News, 22 May 2010              

Did You Know?

No doubt you've heard Aesop's fable about the speedy hare and the plodding tortoise. The hare may have lost that race due to a tactical error (stopping to take a nap before reaching the finish line), but the long-eared mammal's overall reputation for swiftness remains intact. It's no surprise, then, that hare is used as a verb meaning "to move quickly." The noun hare (which refers, in its most specific zoological sense, to a member of the genus Lepus, whose young are usually able to hop a few minutes after birth) is a very old word. It first appeared as hara in a Latin-Old English glossary around the year 700. The verb was in use by the end of the 19th century, and people have been "haring off" and "haring about" ever since.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of hare: _ c _ d.


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kibosh - Word of the Day - 13/09/16

kibosh

noun

Pronunciation

KYE-bahsh

Definition

: something that serves as a check or stop

Examples

Heavy rains put the kibosh on many of the activities scheduled for the day.

"Yet every time a new idea takes root, old-guard companies that feel threatened, and politicians and regulators who like to control things, put the kibosh on the upstarts. They don't always succeed." — Steven Greenhut, The Orange County Register (California), 3 July 2016

Did You Know?

For almost two centuries, kibosh has taxed the ingenuity of etymologists. It was prominent enough in lower-class London speech to attract the attention of Charles Dickens, who used it in 1836 in an early sketch, but little else is certain. Claims were once made that it was Yiddish, despite the absence of a plausible Yiddish source. Another hypothesis points to Gaelic caidhp bháis—pronounced similarly to, and meaning, "coif of death"—explained as headgear a judge put on when pronouncing a death sentence, or as a covering pulled over the face of a corpse when a coffin was closed. But evidence for any metaphorical use of this phrase in Irish is lacking, and kibosh is not recorded as spoken in Ireland until decades after Dickens' use.

Test Your Memory

Fill in the blank in this sentence from our August 11th Word of the Day: "Margaret's sense of ______ responsibility is only part of her motivation for carrying on her parents' business; she also loves the work."

Merriam-Webster

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

flippant

adjective

Pronunciation

FLIP-unt

Definition

: lacking proper respect or seriousness

Examples

The singer's fans were not amused by his flippant remark in response to the tragedy.

"Earlier this year, [Hope] Solo said she might not take part in the Olympics because of the [Zika] virus. She ultimately decided that she would, but more recently she put up a couple of Twitter posts that seemed to take a flippant attitude toward the problem. One post showed a picture of Solo in what looked like a beekeeper’s mask. Another showed an assortment of repellents spread out on a bed." — Jay Schreiber, The New York Times, 3 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

Flippant did something of a flip-flop shortly after it appeared in English in the late 16th century. The word was probably created from the verb flip, which in turn may have originated as an imitation of the sound of something flipping. The earliest senses of the adjective were "nimble" and "limber." One could be flippant not only on one's feet, but also in speech—that is, someone flippant might have a capacity for easy, flowing speech. Such flippancy was considered a good thing at first. But people who speak freely and easily can sometimes seem too talkative, and even impertinent. By the end of the 18th century, the positive sense of flippant had slipped from use, and the "disrespectful" sense had taken its place.

Name That Antonym

Unscramble the letters to create an antonym of flippant: ASTREEN.

Merriam-Webster

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

myrmidon

noun

Pronunciation

MER-muh-dahn

Definition

: a loyal follower; especially : a subordinate who executes orders unquestioningly or unscrupulously

Examples

"… when [Howard] Cosell came to TV he was utterly in contrast to the toothy myrmidons who reigned at the microphone and who spoke no evil save for the mayhem they regularly perpetrated upon the English language." — Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 8 Aug. 1983

"Britain's National Health Service is a socialized system, and Marsh chafes at new rigid rules imposed by its administrators. He … is shadowed on ward rounds by a bureaucrat who takes notes on his dress and behavior. The reign of the emperor is ending, but Marsh refuses to comply and serve as a myrmidon." — Jerome Groopman, The New York Times, 24 May 2015

Did You Know?

The Myrmidons, legendary inhabitants of Thessaly in Greece, were known for their fierce devotion to Achilles, the king who led them in the Trojan War. Myrmex means "ant" in Greek, an image that evokes small and insignificant workers mindlessly fulfilling their duties. Whether the original Myrmidons were given their name for that reason is open to question. The "ant" association is strong, however. Some say the name is from a legendary ancestor who once had the form of an ant; others say the Myrmidons were actually transformed from ants. In any case, since the 1400s, we've employed myrmidon in its not-always-complimentary, ant-evoking, figurative sense.

Name That Synonym

Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of myrmidon: NYLFKU.

Merriam-Webster
 
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devolve - Word of the Day - 10/09/16

devolve

verb

Pronunciation

dih-VAHLV

Definition

1 a : to pass by transmission or succession
   b : to fall or be passed usually as a responsibility or obligation
2 : to come by or as if by flowing down
3 : to degenerate through a gradual change or evolution

Examples

Over time, the weekly book club meeting devolved into mean-spirited gossip sessions.

"… with whiplash speed, this heart-warming tale has devolved into an internet-fueled soap opera." — Craig Schneider, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 31 July 2016

Did You Know?

Devolve evolved from Latin volvere, a word that means "to roll." The prefix de- means "down." (Other words that revolve around volvere are the five other words containing -vol- found in this paragraph.) Knowing which preposition to use with devolve can seem a bit involved, but it's really not all that convoluted. Responsibility or rights devolve "on," "upon," or "to" someone. When something comes into a present state by flowing down from a source, either literally or figuratively, we say "devolve from," as in "customs that devolve from old beliefs." And when the devolving is a downward evolution to a lower state we say "devolves into" (or sometimes "devolves to"), as in "order devolves into chaos."

Word Family Quiz

Fill in the blanks to create a noun derived from Latin volvere that refers to a spiral or scroll-shaped form: v _ lu _ _.

Merriam-Webster

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sylvan - Word of the Day - 09/09/16

sylvan

Pronunciation

SILL-vun

Definition

1 a : living or located in the woods or forest
b : of, relating to, or characteristic of the woods or forest
2 a : made from wood : wooden
b : abounding in woods, groves, or trees : wooded

Examples

"The climb up the hill … was a short, hot pilgrimage to a sylvan glade, where the reading tents and outlets for drinks, falafels, crêpes and so on were situated." — Hugo Williams, The Times Literary Supplement, 13 Aug. 2004

"With Serenbe’s strong focus on sustainability and organic farming, Claudia and Rod Hoxsey wanted their new cottage there to be a modern version of a classic farmhouse. … The open floor plan embraces its sylvan setting, seen through 16-foot-tall metal windows." — Lisa Mowry, The Atlanta Magazine, August 2016

Did You Know?

In Latin, sylva means "wood" or "forest," and the related Sylvanus is the name of the Roman god of the woods and fields—a god sometimes identified with the Greek god Pan. These words gave rise to English sylvan in the 16th century. The English word was first used as a noun meaning "a mythological deity of the woods," eventually taking on the broader meaning "one who frequents the woods." The adjective sylvan followed soon after the noun and is now the more common word. Some other offspring of sylva (which can also be spelled silva) include silviculture ("a branch of forestry dealing with the development and care of forests"), sylvatic (a synonym of sylvan that can also mean "occurring in or affecting wild animals"), and the first name Sylvia.

Test Your Vocabulary

What 5-letter word beginning with "t" and ending in "n" is the collective name for small wooden articles used in the kitchen?

Merriam-Webster

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bevy - Word of the Day - 08/09/16

bevy

noun

Pronunciation

BEV-ee

Definition

1 : a large group or collection
2 : a group of animals and especially quail

Examples

"… Prince William admits his son George is 'far too spoiled' after getting a bevy of gifts for his 3rd birthday." — The Daily News (New York), 25 July 2016

"Many cereals contain whole grains and a bevy of nutritious ingredients, but many are also high in sugar and other refined grains that aren’t nutritionally sound." — The Laramie (Wyoming) Boomerang, 21 July 2016

Did You Know?

What do you call a group of crows? Or swine? Or leopards? Well-educated members of the medieval gentry seem to have been expected to know the answers: a murder of crows, a sounder of swine, and a leap of leopards. They would also have been expected to know that bevy referred specifically to a group of deer, quail, larks, or young ladies. Scholars aren't certain why bevy was chosen for those groups (though they have theories). What is known for sure is that bevy first appeared in the 15th century and was used as a highly specific collective for many years. Today, however, bevies can include anything from football players to toaster ovens.

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create a word for a flock of birds in flight: s _ e _ n.

Merriam-Webster

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

untoward - Word of the Day - 07/09/16

untoward

adjective

Pronunciation

un-TOH-erd

Definition

1 : difficult to guide, manage, or work with : unruly, intractable
2 a : marked by trouble or unhappiness : unlucky
b : not favorable or propitious : adverse
3 : improper, indecorous

Examples

I eyed the stranger suspiciously, but I had to admit that there was nothing untoward about his appearance.

"The circulation staff will no longer be able to process credit card payments at the front desk…. There are too many possible legal and financial fraud issues for the library if something untoward were to occur." — The Milford (Massachusetts) Daily News, 5 July 2016

Name That Synonym

Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of untoward meaning "unruly": YRWAADW.

Merriam-Webster

http://creatingcharactersforfictionwriters.blogspot.com.au/

will-of-the-wisp- Word of the Day - 06/09/16

will-of-the-wisp

noun

Pronunciation

will-uh-thuh-WISP

Definition

1 : a light that appears at night over marshy ground
2 : a misleading or elusive goal or hope

Examples

"Why don't you try to communicate with your boyfriend and see if you can find the root of the dissatisfaction? Perhaps you can repair it before you go and dismantle your life. If the relationship has run its course, you know what you have to do. But do it for yourself, not for a 23-year-old will-o’-the-wisp." — Molly Ringwald, The Guardian, 12 December 2014

"While a company's purpose generally doesn't change, strategies and organizational structures do, which can make chasing 'alignment' between strategy and the organization feel like chasing an elusive will-o'-the-wisp." — Jonathan Trevor and Barry Varcoe, Harvard Business Review (hbr.org), 16 May 2016

Did You Know?

The will-o'-the-wisp is a flame-like phosphorescence caused by gases from decaying plants in marshy areas. In olden days, it was personified as "Will with the wisp," a sprite who carried a fleeting "wisp" of light. Foolish travelers were said to try to follow the light and were then led astray into the marsh. (An 18th-century fairy tale described Will as one "who bears the wispy fire to trail the swains among the mire.") The light was first known, and still also is, as ignis fatuus, which in Latin means "foolish fire." Eventually, the name will-o’-the-wisp was extended to any impractical or unattainable goal.

Name That Synonym

What word for a type of lantern is also a synonym of ignis fatuus?

Merriam-Webster


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sagacious - Word of the Day - 05/09/16

sagacious

adjective

Pronunciation

suh-GAY-shus

Definition

1 : of keen and farsighted penetration and judgment : discerning
2 : caused by or indicating acute discernment

Examples

"Star's limitless patience and unconditional support …, coupled with the sagacious advice and guidance he gave me through the many years, elevates him to a very special position on my list." — Vincent Bugliosi, Four Days in November, 2007

"… I would like to be young again—for the obvious dermatological advantages, and because I would like to recapture who I was before the clutter of experience made me a bit more sagacious and exhausted." — Andrew Solomon, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2015

Test Your Vocabulary

Fill in the blanks to create a word meaning "possessing or expressing great sagacity": sa _ i _ _ t.

Merriam-Webster

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

asperse - Word of the Day - 04/09/16

asperse

verb

Pronunciation

uh-SPURSS

Definition

1 : sprinkle; especially : to sprinkle with holy water
2 : to attack with evil reports or false or injurious charges

Examples

"Though my opponent's supporters have aspersed my character, I think my record speaks for itself," said the candidate.

"[Andrew] Jackson, a short-tempered warrior who had killed a man in a duel for aspersing his wife, had to endure scurrilous attacks on his wife as a bigamist." — Sid Moody, The Associated Press, 21 June 1992

Did You Know?

You may be more familiar with the idea of "casting aspersions" than with aspersing, although they mean essentially the same thing; the word aspersion can mean "a sprinkling with water" or, more commonly, "a false or misleading charge meant to harm someone's reputation." Both asperse and aspersion are descendants of the Latin verb aspergere, meaning "to sprinkle." Asperse is the older word, dating to at least 1490; aspersion is known to have first appeared in print in English in the latter half of the 1500s.

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of asperse, meaning "to attack with false charges": c _ _ um _ i _ te.

Merriam-Webster

http://creatingcharactersforfictionwriters.blogspot.com.au/

quodlibet - Word of the Day - 03/09/16

quodlibet

noun

Pronunciation

KWAHD-luh-bet

Definition

1 : a philosophical or theological point proposed for disputation; also : a disputation on such a point

2 : a whimsical combination of familiar melodies or texts

Examples

"In Part II the orchestral interlude is Happy Voices, which Del Tredici took in punning fashion and created a raucous fugue followed by a 'quodlibet' of all the tunes from the piece." — Vance R. Koven, The Boston Musical Intelligencer, 27 Mar. 2016

"Of the many musicals I've attended in recent years, among the most enjoyable and perhaps the funniest was Monty Python's Spamalot. The music cues come fast and furious, and in all varieties, from classical quodlibets to Spike Jones-like punctuations—a true challenge for the music director to keep up and maintain the comic timing." — Joseph Church, OUPBlog, 15 Feb. 2015

Did You Know?

"Whatever." Try to get philosophical nowadays and that may be the response you hear. We don't know if someone quibbling over a minor philosophical or theological point 600 years ago might have gotten a similar reaction, but we do know that Latin quodlibet, meaning "any whatever," was the name given to such academic debates. Quodlibet is a form of quilibet, from qui, meaning "what," and libet, meaning "it pleases." We can't say with certainty how quodlibet went from disputations to musical conglomerations, but English speakers have been using quodlibet for light musical mélanges since the early 19th century.

Test Your Memory

What former 5-letter Word of the Day begins with "a" and refers specifically to friendly relations between nations?

Merriam-Webster

http://writingforchildrenstage.blogspot.com.au/

adjuvant - Word of the Day - 02/09/16

adjuvant

adjective

Pronunciation

AJ-uh-vunt

Definition

1 : serving to aid or contribute : auxiliary

2 : assisting in the prevention, amelioration, or cure of disease

Examples

The study showed caffeine to have an adjuvant effect when combined with certain pain relievers, increasing the potency of the latter.

"Kidney cancer has long been resistant to chemotherapy, but researchers are finding more success with targeted drug treatments (called adjuvant therapy) delivered after surgery, which attack the genetic mutations underlying a tumor's growth." — Ryan Bradley, The New York Times, 15 May 2016

Did You Know?

Things that are adjuvant rarely get top billing—they're the supporting players, not the stars. But that doesn't mean they're not important. An adjuvant medicine, for example, can have a powerful healing effect when teamed up with another medicine or curative treatment. Adjuvant descends from the Latin verb adjuvare ("to aid"), which also gave English the nouns coadjutor ("assistant") and aid. These days, adjuvant tends to turn up most often in medical contexts, but it can also be used in the general sense of "serving to aid." Likewise, the noun adjuvant can mean "a drug or method that enhances the effectiveness of medical treatment" or simply "one that helps or facilitates."

Name That Synonym

Fill in the blanks to create a synonym of adjuvant: a _ _ i _ l _ ry.

Merriam-Webster

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

oenophile - Word of the Day - 01/09/16

oenophile

noun

Pronunciation

EE-nuh-fyle

Definition

: a lover or connoisseur of wine

Examples

Serious oenophiles will not be impressed with this particular wine, but it should be up to the standards of less-discriminating consumers.

"Founded in 1992, New Orleans Wine and Food Experience has definitely earned its place as an event that oenophiles, gourmets and any combination thereof mark on their to-do list each year." — Sue Strachan, The Times-Picayune (New Orleans, Louisiana), 28 May 2016

Did You Know?

"It has become quite a common proverb that in wine there is truth," wrote the 1st-century A.D. Roman scholar, Pliny the Elder. The truth about the word wine is that it goes back to Latin vinum, but it is also a distant relative of the Greek word for wine, which is oinos. Indeed, Latin borrowed from the Greek to create a combining form that means "wine," oeno-. Modern French speakers combined oeno- with -phile (Greek for "lover of") to create oenophile before we adopted it from them in the mid-1800s. Oenophiles are sure to know oenology (now more often spelled enology) as the science of wine making and oenologist (now more often enologist) for one versed in oenology.

Test Your Vocabulary

Unscramble the letters to create a word for someone who loves classical music: GRIOLHAN.

Merriam-Webster

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