assiduous: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The Web's biggest language site is getting bigger! Check out the
new features in Merriam-Webster Unabridged with a free preview today!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/unabridged_sub.pl?refr=U_wod
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 30 is:

assiduous \uh-SIJ-uh-wus\ adjective
: marked by careful unremitting attention or persistent application

Example sentence:
It's no surprise that my neighbor Jeanne's assiduous tending of her garden results in a good crop -- but you'd be surprised how well I do with my haphazardly tended plot.

Did you know?
Judges presiding over assizes (former periodical sessions of the superior courts in English counties) had to be assiduous in assessing how to best address their cases. Not only were their efforts invaluable, but they also served as a fine demonstration of the etymologies of "assiduous," "assess," and "assize." All three of those words derive from the Latin verb "assidere," which is variously translated as "to sit beside," "to take care of," or "to assist in the office of a judge." "Assidere," in turn, is a composite of the prefix "ad-" (in this case, meaning "near" or "adjacent to") and "sedere," meaning "to sit."

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

madeleine: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The Web's biggest language site is getting bigger! Check out the
new features in Merriam-Webster Unabridged with a free preview today!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/unabridged_sub.pl?refr=U_wod
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 29 is:

madeleine \MAD-uh-lun\ noun
1 : a small rich shell-shaped cake
*2 : one that evokes a memory

Example sentence:
The crack of the bat and the sight of his son running the bases were madeleines for Tom, calling up memories of the great times he had playing the game in his youth.

Did you know?
The madeleine is said to have been named after a 19th-century French cook named Madeleine Paumier, but it was the French author Marcel Proust who immortalized the pastry in his 1913 book _Swann's Way_, the first volume of his seven-part novel _Remembrance of Things Past_. In that work, a taste of tea-soaked cake evokes a surge of memory and nostalgia. As more and more readers chewed on the profound mnemonic power attributed to a mere morsel of cake, the word "madeleine" itself became a designation for anything that evokes a memory.
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

ruminate: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The Web's biggest language site is getting bigger! Check out the
new features in Merriam-Webster Unabridged with a free preview today!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/unabridged_sub.pl?refr=U_wod
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 28 is:

ruminate \ROO-muh-nayt\ verb
*1 : meditate, muse
2 : to chew repeatedly for an extended period

Example sentence:
After meeting with her counselor, Meg passed the afternoon ruminating on the question of what to do with her life.

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 1500s and actual chewing since the early 1600s. 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).

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

corollary: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The Web's biggest language site is getting bigger! Check out the
new features in Merriam-Webster Unabridged with a free preview today!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/unabridged_sub.pl?refr=U_wod
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 27 is:

corollary \KOR-uh-lair-ee\ noun
1 : a deduction from a proposition already proved true
*2 : something that naturally follows : result
3 : something that incidentally or naturally accompanies or parallels

Example sentence:
As a corollary of the factory shutdown, a number of people are struggling financially.

Did you know?
"Corollary" comes from the Late Latin noun "corollarium," which can be translated as "a garland given as a reward." "Corollarium" comes from the Latin "corolla," meaning "small crown or garland." If you know that a garland or small crown was sometimes given to actors in addition to their pay, it makes sense that another sense of "corollarium" is "gratuity." Later, "corollarium" developed the philosophical sense of a supplementary proposition that follows directly from one that has been proved. (You can think of a corollary as a "bonus" that follows from the proof of something else.) The broader modern sense, "something that naturally follows,? evolved from the philosophical one.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

rowel: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
We've got the perfect dictionary to help you make the grade--
from elementary to graduate school. Come on in and browse!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/products/
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 26 is:

rowel \ROW-ul ("OW" as in "cow")\ verb
1 : to goad with or as if with the pointed disk at the end of a spur
*2 : vex, trouble

Example sentence:
With one of the best fastballs in the league combined with a wicked changeup, Lester roweled the opposing line-up for his second career no-hitter.

Did you know?
If you've seen Western movies, you've seen rowels. The noun "rowel" names the circular, point-covered disk on the end of a spur that is used to urge powerful steeds to maximum speeds. But cowboys didn't invent rowels; knights in shining armor were sporting them even before the 12th century. English speakers of yore picked up the noun "rowel" from the Anglo-French "roele," meaning "small wheel" ("roele" is also an ancestor of the word "roulette"). By the end of the 1500s, "rowel" was also being used as a verb for any process of prodding or goading that was as irritating as being poked in the side with a rowel.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

gadarene: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
We've got the perfect dictionary to help you make the grade--
from elementary to graduate school. Come on in and browse!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/products/
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 25 is:

gadarene \GAD-uh-reen\ adjective
: headlong, precipitate

Example sentence:
Ross has criticized his company for joining the gadarene rush into the global market.

Did you know?
Gadara, in Biblical times, was a steep hill 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 persons 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, made its first 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."

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

pontificate: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
We've got the perfect dictionary to help you make the grade--
from elementary to graduate school. Come on in and browse!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/products/
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 24 is:

pontificate \pahn-TIF-uh-kayt\ verb
: to speak or express opinions in a pompous or dogmatic way

Example sentence:
Joan didn't tell Harry about her decision to sell her house herself, knowing she'd have to listen to him pontificate at length on all the reasons people use real estate agents.

Did you know?
In ancient Rome, the pontifices were powerful priests who administered the part of civil law that regulated relationships with the deities recognized by the state. Their name, "pontifex," derives from the Latin words "pons," meaning "bridge," and "facere," meaning "to make," and some think it may have developed because the group was associated with a sacred bridge over the river Tiber (although there is no proof of that). With the rise of Catholicism, the title "pontifex" was transferred to the Pope and to Catholic bishops. "Pontificate" derives from "pontifex," and in its earliest English uses it referred to things associated with such prelates. By the early 1800s, "pontificate" was also being used derisively for individuals who spoke as if they had the authority of an ecclesiastic.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

firebrand: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
We've got the perfect dictionary to help you make the grade--
from elementary to graduate school. Come on in and browse!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/products/
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 23 is:

firebrand \FYRE-brand\ noun
1 : a piece of burning wood
*2 : one that creates unrest or strife (as in aggressively promoting a cause) : agitator

Example sentence:
John views himself as a relentless firebrand who stands up for his beliefs even when they are not popular.

Did you know?
The original firebrands were incendiary indeed; they were pieces of wood set burning at the fire, perhaps for use as a light or a weapon. English speakers started brandishing those literal firebrands as long ago as the 13th century. (Robinson Crusoe held one high as he rushed into a cave on his deserted island and saw "by the light of the firebrand... lying on the ground a monstrous, frightful old he-goat.") But the burning embers of the wooden firebrand quickly sparked figurative uses for the term, too. By the early 14th century, "firebrand" was also being used for one doomed to burn in hell, and by 1382, English writers were using it for anyone who kindled mischief or inflamed passions.

*Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

lotusland: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
We've got the perfect dictionary to help you make the grade--
from elementary to graduate school. Come on in and browse!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/products/
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 22 is:

lotusland \LOH-tus-land\ noun
*1 : a place inducing contentment especially through offering an idyllic living situation
2 : a state or an ideal marked by contentment often achieved through self-indulgence

Example sentence:
With its white sands, stunningly blue water, and beautiful sunsets, the island is a lotusland for beach lovers.

Did you know?
In the _Odyssey_, Odysseus and his men discover a magical land of lotus-eaters. Some of the sailors eat the delicious "lotus" and forget about their homeland, pleading to stay forever in this "lotusland." (It is likely that the lotus in question was the fruit of a real plant of the buckthorn family, perhaps the jujube, whose sweet juice is used in candy making and which has given its name to a popular fruity candy.) The label "lotusland" is now applied to any place resembling such an ideal of perfection, but it also carries connotations of indolence and self-indulgence, possibly derived from the way the sailors refused to work once they reached the original lotusland. The dreamy unreality of a lotusland is a nice place to visit, but you wouldn't want to live there.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

fortuitous: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
We've got the perfect dictionary to help you make the grade--
from elementary to graduate school. Come on in and browse!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/products/
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 21 is:

fortuitous \for-TOO-uh-tus\ adjective
1 : occurring by chance
2 : fortunate, lucky
*3 : coming or happening by a lucky chance

Example sentence:
How fortuitous it was that the day before the rattlesnake bit little Jessica, her Dad had completed a first aid course!

Did you know?
For some 250 years, until the early part of the 20th century, "fortuitous" meant one thing only: "happening by chance." This was no accident; its Latin forebear, "fortuitus," derives from the same ancient root as the Latin word for "chance," which is "fors." But the fact that "fortuitous" sounds like a blend of "fortunate" and "felicitous" (meaning "happily suited to an occasion") may have been what ultimately led to a second meaning: "fortunate." That use has been disparaged by critics, but it is now well established. Perhaps the seeds of the newer sense were planted by earlier writers applying overtones of good fortune to something that is a chance occurrence. In fact, today we quite often apply "fortuitous" to something that is a chance occurrence but has a favorable result.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

insuperable: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
We've got the perfect dictionary to help you make the grade--
from elementary to graduate school. Come on in and browse!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/products/
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 20 is:

insuperable \in-SOO-puh-ruh-bul\ adjective
: incapable of being surmounted, overcome, passed over, or solved

Example sentence:
The battalion's strong defensive position proved to be an insuperable obstacle for the enemy.

Did you know?
"Insuperable" first appeared in print in the 14th century, and it still means now approximately what it did then. "Insuperable" is a close synonym to "insurmountable." In Latin, "superare" means "to go over, surmount, overcome, or excel." The Latin word "insuperabilis" was formed by combining the common prefix "in-" (meaning "not" or "un-") with "superare" plus "abilis" ("able"). Hence "insuperabilis" means "unable to be surmounted, overcome, or passed over," or more simply, "insurmountable." The word "insuperabilis" was later anglicized as "insuperable." Related words such as "superable," "superably," and even "superableness" have also found a place in English.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

camaraderie: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 19 is:

camaraderie \kahm-RAH-duh-ree\ noun
: a spirit of friendly good-fellowship

Example sentence:
The sense of camaraderie among colleagues in the sales department is the main reason Julie enjoys coming to work each day.

Did you know?
"Camaraderie" comes from "camarade," the French word whose Middle French ancestor was also the source for our word "comrade." "Camaraderie" made its first appearance in English in the middle of the 19th century. In Middle French, "camarade" was used to mean "roommate," "companion," or "a group sleeping in one room." It derived by way of Old Spanish from the Late Latin "camera," meaning "chamber." We also have the word "comradery," which means the same thing as "camaraderie" but did not take the same etymological route as its synonym. That word, formed by attaching the "-ry" suffix (as found in "wizardry" and "citizenry") to "comrade," didn't appear in English until almost 40 years after "camaraderie."

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

delectation: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 18 is:

delectation \dee-lek-TAY-shun\ noun
: delight, enjoyment

Example sentence:
"To summarize the plot in a 'novel of suspense' is usually to deny ... the pleasures hidden for the reader's delectation and surprise...." (Nicholas Meyer, _The New York Times Book Review_, January 10, 1988)

Did you know?
"Pleasure," "delight," and "enjoyment" are all synonyms and all signify the agreeable emotion accompanying the possession or expectation of what is good or greatly desired. Why, then, use "delectation," that not-so-familiar synonym? Because, as with most synonym groups, each word has its own subtle distinctions. "Pleasure" stresses satisfaction or gratification of the senses. "Delight" adds the idea of liveliness or obviousness in that satisfaction, often less enduring than pleasure. "Enjoyment" suggests a wide range of deep pleasure, from merely transient though complete gratification to deep-seated happiness. "Delectation" (which is from the Latin word for "delight") suggests a reaction to pleasurable experience consciously sought or provided. More than all the others, it connotes mere amusement or diversion.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

solicitous: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 16 is:

solicitous \suh-LIS-uh-tus\ adjective
1 : full of concern or fears : apprehensive
*2 : meticulously careful
3 : full of desire : eager

Example sentence:
"She nursed him, she read to him, she anticipated his wants, and was solicitous about his feelings." (George Eliot, _Middlemarch_)

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."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

solicitous: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 16 is:

solicitous \suh-LIS-uh-tus\ adjective
1 : full of concern or fears : apprehensive
*2 : meticulously careful
3 : full of desire : eager

Example sentence:
"She nursed him, she read to him, she anticipated his wants, and was solicitous about his feelings." (George Eliot, _Middlemarch_)

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."

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

bilk: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 15 is:

bilk \BILK\ verb
1 : to block the free development of : frustrate
2 *a : to cheat out of something valuable : defraud b : to evade payment of or to
3 : to slip away from

Example sentence:
"I've been bilked of my food rights as a human member of this family!" protested Jason, when he heard the dog had been given the last hamburger.

Did you know?
Initially, "bilking" wasn't considered cheating -- just good strategy for cribbage players. Language historians aren't sure where "bilk" originated, but they have noticed that its earliest uses occur in contexts referring to cribbage. Part of the scoring in cribbage involves each player adding cards from his or her hand to a pile of discards called the "crib." At the end of a hand, the dealer gets any points in the crib. Strategically, then, it's wisest for the dealer's opponent to discard non-scoring cards -- the ones most likely to "balk," or put a check on, the dealer's score. Etymologists theorize that "bilk" may have originated as an alteration of that card-game "balk."

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

notorious: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 14 is:

notorious \noh-TOR-ee-us\ adjective
: generally known and talked of; especially : widely and unfavorably known

Example sentence:
That particular model of car is notorious for quickly developing a number of irritating mechanical problems.

Did you know?
"Notorious" was adopted into English in the 16th century from Medieval Latin "notorius," itself from Late Latin's noun "notorium," meaning "information" or "indictment." "Notorium," in turn, derives from the Latin verb "noscere," meaning "to come to know." Although "notorious" can be a synonym of "famous," meaning simply "widely known," it long ago developed the additional implication of someone or something unpleasant or undesirable. _The Book of Common Prayer Offices_ of 1549 includes the first known use of the unfavorable meaning in print, referring to "notorious synners."

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

endemic: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 13 is:

endemic \en-DEM-ik\ adjective
1 a : belonging or native to a particular people or country *b : characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment
2 : restricted or peculiar to a locality or region

Example sentence:
Today, cybercafes are endemic to the downtown areas of big cities.

Did you know?
If you translate it literally, "endemic" means "in the population." It derives from the Greek "endemos," which joins "en," meaning "in," and "demos," meaning "population." "Endemic" is often used to characterize diseases that are generally found in a particular area; malaria, for example, is said to be endemic to tropical and subtropical regions. This use differs from that of the related word "epidemic" in that it indicates a more or less constant presence in a particular population or area rather than a sudden, severe outbreak within that region or group. The word is also used by biologists to characterize the plant and animal species that are only found in a given area.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

endemic: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 13 is:

endemic \en-DEM-ik\ adjective
1 a : belonging or native to a particular people or country *b : characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment
2 : restricted or peculiar to a locality or region

Example sentence:
Today, cybercafes are endemic to the downtown areas of big cities.

Did you know?
If you translate it literally, "endemic" means "in the population." It derives from the Greek "endemos," which joins "en," meaning "in," and "demos," meaning "population." "Endemic" is often used to characterize diseases that are generally found in a particular area; malaria, for example, is said to be endemic to tropical and subtropical regions. This use differs from that of the related word "epidemic" in that it indicates a more or less constant presence in a particular population or area rather than a sudden, severe outbreak within that region or group. The word is also used by biologists to characterize the plant and animal species that are only found in a given area.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

visceral: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 12 is:

visceral \VISS-uh-rul\ adjective
1 a : felt in or as if in the viscera : deep b : of, relating to, or located on or among the viscera
*2 : not intellectual : instinctive, unreasoning
3 : dealing with crude or elemental emotions : earthy

Example sentence:
The story about the abandoned dogs elicited such a visceral reaction in Amy that within minutes she was on the phone offering to adopt one.

Did you know?
The "viscera" are the internal organs of the body -- especially those located in the large cavity of the trunk (e.g., the heart, liver, and intestines). The word "viscera" comes from Latin, in which it has essentially the same meaning. Something "visceral" has to do with the viscera. In a more figurative sense, something "visceral" is felt "deep down." Even in the early years of its use, "visceral" often referred to things emotional rather than physiological. For example, in 1640, an English bishop named Edward Reynolds wrote, "Love is of all other the inmost and most visceral affection." This figurative use is the most common use of "visceral," but the word continues to be used in medical contexts as well.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

rechauffe: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 11 is:

rechauffe \ray-shoh-FAY\ noun
*1 : rehash
2 : a warmed-over dish of food

Example sentence:
"[It] is a rechauffe, ... lifted and stitched from 'The Gastronomical Me' and other books." (Victoria Glendinning, _The New York Times Book Review_, June 9, 1991)

Did you know?
We borrowed "rechauffe" in the early 19th century from the French; it is the past participle of their verb "rechauffer," which means "to reheat." Nineteenth-century French speakers were using it figuratively to designate something that was already old hat -- you might say, "warmed over." English speakers adopted that same meaning, which is still our most common. But within decades someone had apparently decided that leftovers would seem more appealing with a French name. The notion caught on. A recipe for "Rechauffe of Beef a la Jardiniere," for example, instructs the cook to reheat "yesterday's piece of meat" in a little water with some tomatoes added, and serve it on a platter with peas and carrots and potatoes. "Rechauffe" shares its root with another English word, "chafing dish," the name of a receptacle for keeping food warm at the table.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

poltroon: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 10 is:

poltroon \pahl-TROON\ noun
: a spiritless coward : craven

Example sentence:
In the end, their leader proved to be a traitorous poltroon whose main concern was saving his own skin.

Did you know?
When you get down to synonyms, a "poltroon" is just a "chicken." Barnyard chickens are fowl that have long been noted for timidity, and the name "chicken" has been applied to human cowards since the 17th century. "Poltroon" has been used for wimps and cravens for even longer, since the early 16th century at least. And if you remember that chickens are dubbed "poultry," you may guess that the birds and the cowards are linked by etymology as well as synonymy. English picked up "poltroon" from Middle French, which in turn got it from Old Italian "poltrone," meaning "coward." The Italian term has been traced to the Latin "pullus," a root that is also an ancestor of "pullet" (a young hen) and "poultry."

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

upbraid: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 9 is:

upbraid \up-BRAYD\ verb
1 : to criticize severely : find fault with
*2 : to reproach severely : scold vehemently

Example sentence:
After being late to class for the third time in a week, Marshall was upbraided by his teacher and given detention.

Did you know?
"Upbraid," "scold," and "berate" all mean to reproach angrily, but with slight differences in emphasis. "Scold" usually implies rebuking in irritation or ill temper, either justly or unjustly. "Upbraid" tends to suggest censuring on definite and usually justifiable grounds, while "berate" implies scolding that is prolonged and even abusive. If you're looking for a more colorful term for telling someone off, try "tongue-lash," "bawl out," "chew out," or "wig" -- all of which are fairly close synonyms of "berate." Among these synonyms, "upbraid" is the senior member in English, dating from the 12th century. "Upbraid" derives via Middle English from the Old English "upbregdan," believed to be formed from a prefix meaning "up" and the verb "bregdan," meaning "to snatch" or "to move suddenly."

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

cracker-barrel: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 8 is:

cracker-barrel \KRAK-er-bair-ul\ adjective
: suggestive of the friendly homespun character of a country store

Example sentence:
"One thing I like about the South," she said, "is that total strangers will often start up cracker-barrel conversations in places like elevators and waiting rooms."

Did you know?
In the days before pre-packaged food and huge supermarkets, a trip to the nearest store was more than just an errand; it was also a chance to socialize and keep up with goings-on. The country store of yesteryear was the focal point of many rural communities, and the heart of the country store was the cracker barrel. Literally a barrel containing crackers, the cracker barrel -- which afforded a seat for at least one person -- was the spot where folks would gather to chat about weather and politics, or to swap stories, jokes, and gossip. Today, cracker barrels are largely a thing of the past, but the flavor of those friendly exchanges lives on in the adjective "cracker-barrel."

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

picaresque: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
The dictionary of the future has arrived! Check out the 3-in-1
format of the Eleventh Edition of our Collegiate Dictionary!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?c11.htm&1
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 7 is:

picaresque \pik-uh-RESK\ adjective
: of or relating to rogues or rascals; also : of, relating to, suggesting, or being a type of fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of a usually roguish protagonist

Example sentence:
Kirk's first novel was a picaresque tale of a young orphan boy coping with life in the big city.

Did you know?
"Picaresque" derives from Spanish "picaresco," which means "of or relating to a picaro." What is a picaro? This word, which also derives from Spanish, means "rogue" or "bohemian." "Picaro" describes a type of character that has long been a popular subject for fictional narrative. Typically, the picaresque novel centers around a wandering individual of low standing who happens into a series of adventures among people of various higher classes, often relying on his wits and a little dishonesty to get by. The first known novel in this style is _Lazarillo de Tormes_ (ca. 1554), an irreverent work about a poor boy who works for a series of masters of dubious character. The novel has been attributed to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, but his authorship is disputable.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

mimesis: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
You dont have to go back to school to gain access to the latest language information! Try a free trial subscription to Merriam-Webster Unabridged!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/unabridged_sub.pl?refr=U_wod
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 6 is:

mimesis \muh-MEE-sis\ noun
: imitation, mimicry

Example sentence:
Late in her career, the painter became less interested in mimesis and began to experiment in styles of abstraction.

Did you know?
"Mimesis" is a term with an undeniably classical pedigree. Originally a Greek word, it has been used in aesthetic or artistic theory to refer to the attempt to imitate or reproduce reality since Plato and Aristotle. "Mimesis" is derived from the Greek verb "mimeisthai," which means "to imitate" and which itself comes from "mimos," meaning "mime." The English word "mime" also descends from "mimos," as do "mimic" and "mimicry." And what about "mimeograph," the name of the duplicating machine that preceded the photocopier? We can't be absolutely certain what the folks at the A. B. Dick Company had in mind when they came up with "Mimeograph" (a trademark name that has since expired), but influence from "mimos" and its descendants certainly seems probable.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

confrere: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
Gearing up for back-to-school? Be sure to check out our line
of updated age-specific school references!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?scholref.htm
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 5 is:

confrere \KAHN-frair\ noun
: colleague, comrade

Example sentence:
Although Sam is a gifted poet in his own right, he's most often recognized as the confrere of a much more famous author.

Did you know?
"Confrere" arrived in English from Anglo-French in the 15th century, and ultimately derives from the Medieval Latin "confrater," meaning "brother" or "fellow." ("Frater," the root of this term, shares an ancient ancestor with our word "brother.") English speakers also began using another descendant of "confrater" in the 15th century: "confraternity," meaning "a society devoted to a religious or charitable cause." In the past, "confrere" was often used specifically of a fellow member of a confraternity," but these days it is used more generally.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

dexterous: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
Gearing up for back-to-school? Be sure to check out our line
of updated age-specific school references!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?scholref.htm
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 4 is:

dexterous \DEK-strus\ adjective
1 : mentally adroit and skillful : clever
2 : done with dexterity : artful
*3 : skillful and competent with the hands

Example sentence:
As a shortstop, Alex is a dexterous fielder, adept at catching any ground ball or line drive hit at him.

Did you know?
"Dexterous" comes from the Latin word "dexter," meaning "on the right side." Since most people are right-handed, and therefore do things more easily with their right hand, "dexter" developed the sense of "skillful." English speakers crafted "dexterous" from "dexter" and have been using the resulting adjective for anyone who is skillful -- in either a physical or mental capacity -- since at least the early 1600s. The adjective "ambidextrous," which combines "dexter" with the Latin prefix "ambi-," meaning "both," describes one who is able to use both hands in an equally skillful way.

*Indicates the sense illustrated by the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

hinterland: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
Gearing up for back-to-school? Be sure to check out our line
of updated age-specific school references!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?scholref.htm
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 3 is:

hinterland \HIN-ter-land\ noun
1 : a region lying inland from a coast
2 a : a region remote from urban areas *b : a region lying beyond major metropolitan or cultural centers

Example sentence:
Ty and Saja spent a few days in the capital before setting off for the hinterland.

Did you know?
When you're dealing with geography, it helps to know your hinterland from your umland. In 1888, geographer George Chisholm borrowed the German word "Hinterland" (literally, "land in back of") and applied it specifically to the region just inland from a port or coastal settlement. (Chisholm spelled the word "hinderland," but English-speakers eventually settled on "hinterland.") Early in the 20th century, another geographer adopted the German "Umland" ("land around") to refer to the territory around an inland town. What "hinterland" and "umland" have in common is a reference to a region economically tied to a nearby city. But nowadays "hinterland" has a less technical use as well; it's used for land that's simply out in the sticks.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

orotund: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
Gearing up for back-to-school? Be sure to check out our line
of updated age-specific school references!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?scholref.htm
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 2 is:

orotund \OR-uh-tund\ adjective
1 : marked by fullness, strength, and clarity of sound : sonorous
*2 : pompous, bombastic

Example sentence:
Josh cleared his throat dramatically, then did a dead-on impression of the professor's orotund, patronizing speech.

Did you know?
The Latin roots of "orotund" are related to two more common English words -- "oral" and "rotund." Latin "or-" means "mouth," and "rotundus" means "round" or "circular." The Roman poet Horace joined forms of those Latin terms to create the phrase "ore rotundo," literally meaning "with round mouth," and figuratively meaning "with well-turned speech." "Ore rotundo" was modified to "orotund" and adopted into English in the late 18th century. It can indicate either strength of delivery or inflated wording.

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102

savvy: M-W's Word of the Day

****************************************************************
Gearing up for back-to-school? Be sure to check out our line
of updated age-specific school references!
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/book.pl?scholref.htm
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for September 1 is:

savvy \SAV-ee\ verb
: understand

Example sentence:
Although I savvied little Spanish, I could hear the urgency in the woman's voice and immediately sought a translator.

Did you know?
You may be familiar with the noun "savvy," meaning "practical know-how" (as in "he has political savvy"), and the adjective use (as in "a savvy investor"). And if you've seen the blockbuster movie _Pirates of the Caribbean_, you also know that the verb is often used as an informal, one-word question meaning "Do you understand?" (as in "I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?"). But Jack Sparrow (i.e., Johnny Depp) didn't invent the term. Both the noun and the verb came into use around 1785. "Savvy" is based on the Portuguese term "sabe," meaning "he knows," which itself is from Latin "sapere," meaning "to be wise." Creole speakers interpreted the Portuguese term as "sabi" and began using it as one would "know." Eventually, the Creole's "sabi" evolved into today's word.

You Are Subscribed As: wordfortheday.9879@blogger.com
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2006 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102