Merriam-Webster's Word of the DayFree daily dose of word power from Merriam-Webster's expertssurly- September 17, 2008 Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 17, 2008 is: surly &149; SER-lee &149; adjective 1 : menacing or threatening in appearance 2 : irritably sullen and churlish in mood or manner : crabbed Example sentence: Vicki almost reported the surly cashier to the store manager, but then decided against doing so, telling herself that he was probably just having a bad day. Did you know In its very earliest uses in the 16th century, "surly" meant...http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Sep.17.2008 lout- September 16, 2008 Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 16, 2008 is: lout &149; LOUT &149; noun : an awkward brutish person Example sentence: Because the three louts behind him in the movie theater were being loud and obnoxious, Jonah decided to move to another seat. Did you know "Lout" belongs to the large group of words we use to indicate an undesirable person, a boor, a bumpkin, a dolt, a clod. We've used "lout" in this way since the mid-1500s. As...http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Sep.16.2008 culminate- September 15, 2008 Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 15, 2008 is: culminate &149; KUL-muh-nayt &149; verb 1 of a celestial body : to reach its highest altitude; also : to be directly overhead 2 : to rise to or form a summit 3 : to reach the highest or a climactic or decisive point Example sentence: Weeks of civil unrest culminated in a protest march of over 25,000 people in the capital square. Did you know "Culminate" was first used in English in the.http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Sep.15.2008 eponymous- September 14, 2008 Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 14, 2008 is: eponymous &149; ih-PAH-nuh-mus &149; adjective : of, relating to, or being one for whom or which something is or is believed to be named Example sentence: Fans of The Steve Mapplethorpe Comedy Hour waited outside the studio exit in hopes of catching a glimpse of its eponymous host. Did you know It's no coincidence that "eponymous" has to do with naming -- it comes to us from the Greek adjective...http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Sep.14.2008 danegeld- September 13, 2008 Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 13, 2008 is: danegeld &149; DAYN-gheld &149; noun : often captitalized an annual tax believed to have been imposed originally to buy off Danish invaders in England or to maintain forces to oppose them but continued as a land tax Example sentence: Today's lecture will be on the Danegeld and taxation in the Middle Ages. Did you know The subjects of King Ethelred II, who ruled England from 978-1016, didn't think much of...http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Sep.13.2008 replete- September 12, 2008 Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 12, 2008 is: replete &149; rih-PLEET &149; adjective 1 : fully or abundantly provided or filled 2 a : abundantly fedb : fat, stout 3 : complete Example sentence: The children were delighted to find that the costume trunk was replete with dresses, hats, capes, and all sorts of props to play make-believe. Did you know Given that one of the roots of "replete" is the Latin verb "pl&275;re,"...http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Sep.12.2008 arcanum- September 11, 2008 Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 11, 2008 is: arcanum &149; ar-KAY-num &149; noun 1 : mysterious or specialized knowledge, language, or information accessible or possessed only by the initiate -- usually used in plural 2 : elixir Example sentence: The author, a physicist, adeptly demystifies arcana of her field with lucid, accessible prose. Did you know The word "arcanum" (pluralized as "arcana") came from Latin...http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Sep.11.2008 kvell- September 10, 2008 Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 10, 2008 is: kvell &149; KVEL &149; verb : to be extraordinarily proud : rejoice Example sentence: Critics kvelled over the violinist's triumphant return to the stage where she had made her debut many years ago. Did you know We are pleased to inform you that the word "kvell" is derived from Yiddish "kveln," meaning "to be delighted," which, in turn, comes from the Middle High German word...http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Sep.10.2008 circumlocution- September 9, 2008 Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 09, 2008 is: circumlocution &149; ser-kum-loh-KYOO-shun &149; noun 1 : the use of an unnecessarily large number of words to express an idea 2 : evasion in speech Example sentence: Mr. Harvey was notorious for his tendency to engage in endless circumlocution when a simple, brief explanation would suffice. Did you know In The King's English, grammarian H.W. Fowler advised, "Prefer the single word to the...http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Sep.09.2008 usurp- September 8, 2008 Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 08, 2008 is: usurp &149; yoo-SERP &149; verb : to seize and hold by force or without right Example sentence: In her first managerial position, Hannah was hesitant to delegate critical tasks for fear that a subordinate might usurp her position. Did you know "Usurp" was borrowed into English in the 14th century from the Anglo-French word "usorper," which in turn derives from the Latin verb...http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/mwwodarch.pl?Sep.08.2008 |