Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 27, 2013 is: whelm \WELM\ verb 1 : to cover or engulf completely with usually disastrous effect 2 : to overcome in thought or feeling : overwhelm 3 : to pass or go over something so as to bury or submerge it Examples: The avalanche whelmed everything in its path. "Nevertheless, much will remain whelmed in mystery. Messrs Cameron and Clegg both promised before the general election that the new regime would cover Network Rail, an oddly constituted body laden with publicly backed debt that runs Britain's railway tracks." — From an article in The Economist, January 22, 2011 Did you know? "It is not overwhelming and it is not underwhelming. You leave the production feeling merely whelmed." Thus wrote Michael Phillips in the Los Angeles Times, February 6, 2001. Contemporary writers like Philips sometimes use "whelm" to denote a middle stage between "underwhelm" and "overwhelm." But that's not how "whelm" has traditionally been used. "Whelm" and "overwhelm" have been with us since Middle English (when they were "whelmen" and "overwhelmen"), and throughout the years their meanings have largely overlapped. Both words early on meant "to overturn," for example, and both have also come to mean "to overpower in thought or feeling." Around 1950, however, folks started using a third word, "underwhelmed," for "unimpressed," and lately "whelmed" has been popping up with the meaning "moderately impressed."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 26, 2013 is: provocateur \proh-vah-kuh-TER\ noun : one who incites or stimulates another to action Examples: The show's host is a notable provocateur who has made a career of creating controversy for its own sake. "The 66-year-old director has always fared best as a provocateur. His 1991 film, JFK, might not be great history, but it did prompt the release of thousands of pages of previously classified documents. [Oliver] Stone is a relentless stirrer who is never happier than when tipping buckets on the received wisdom." — From an article by Tim Elliott in the Sydney Morning Herald, December 15, 2012 Did you know? In "provocateur," a word borrowed directly from French, one sees the English verb "provoke." Both "provoke" and "provocateur" derive from Latin "provocare," meaning "to call forth." Why do we say "provocateur" for one who incites another to action, instead of simply "provoker"? Perhaps it's because of "agent provocateur," a term of French origin that literally means "provoking agent." Both "agent provocateur" and the shortened "provocateur" can refer to someone (such as an undercover police officer or a political operative) whose job is to incite people to break the law so that they can be arrested, but only "provocateur" is used in English with the more general sense of "one who provokes."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 25, 2013 is: satiate \SAY-shee-ayt\ verb : to satisfy (as a need or desire) fully or to excess Examples: After eating three pieces of pie and one of cake at the potluck, Jamie's sweet tooth was finally satiated. "Consequently, I have to satiate my craving for Louisiana citrus at Hollygrove Market and Farm or the Crescent City Farmers Market in Mid-City where locally grown fruits and vegetables abound. If you haven't treated yourself to a market visit lately, do." — From an article by Melinda Shelton in the Times-Picayune (New Orleans), October 31, 2012 Did you know? "Satiate," "sate," "surfeit," "cloy," "pall," "glut," and "gorge" all mean to fill to repletion. "Satiate" and "sate" sometimes imply only complete satisfaction but more often suggest repletion that has destroyed interest or desire, as in "Years of globe-trotting had satiated their interest in travel" and "Readers were sated with sensationalistic stories." "Surfeit" implies a nauseating repletion, as in "They surfeited themselves with junk food," while "cloy" stresses the disgust or boredom resulting from such surfeiting, as in "The sentimental pictures cloyed after a while." "Pall" emphasizes the loss of ability to stimulate interest or appetite: "A life of leisure eventually began to pall." "Glut" implies excess in feeding or supplying, as in "a market glutted with diet books." "Gorge" suggests glutting to the point of bursting or choking, as in "They gorged themselves with chocolate."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 24, 2013 is: engagé \ahn-gah-ZHAY\ adjective : committed to or supportive of a cause Examples: Our next-door neighbor Michael, an engagé environmental activist, uses solar power to heat his home and drives a hybrid automobile. "George MacDonald was a Scottish Congregationalist who pastored an English Congregationalist chapel for a while, drifted away into freelance preaching, but stayed true to his desire to bring an engagé Christianity to workers stuck in the industrial heartland." — From Valentine Cunningham's 2011 book Victorian Poetry Now Did you know? "Engagé" is the past participle of the French verb "engager," meaning "to engage." The French have used "engagé" since the 19th century to describe socially or politically active people. The term became particularly fashionable in the wake of World War II, when French writers, artists, and intellectuals felt it was increasingly important for them to take a stand on political or social issues and represent their attitudes in their art. By 1946, English speakers had adopted the word for their own politically relevant writing or art, and within a short time "engagé" was being used generally for any passionate commitment to a cause.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 23, 2013 is: fanfaronade \fan-fair-uh-NAYD\ noun : empty boasting : bluster Examples: Having grown weary of the former governor's fanfaronade and lack of concrete action, voters sent a clear message at the polls and elected his opponent by a landslide. "I don't intend this as an article about how to divorce oneself from conceit, narcissism and fanfaronade...." — From an article by Phil Guarnieri in the Floral Park Dispatch (New York), August 10, 2012 Did you know? If we tell you that fanfaronade is what fanfarons do, you'll easily guess that "fanfaron" means "braggart." Both "fanfaron" (a fairly uncommon word found in unabridged dictionaries) and "fanfaronade" derive from "fanfarrón," a Spanish word for a boaster that probably developed in imitation of the verbal claptrap blared by blowhards. "Fanfarrón" gave Spanish speakers "fanfarronada," which the French borrowed with the spelling "fanfaronnade"; English speakers further modified the French term into "fanfaronade" in the mid-1600s. Some etymologists believe English speakers borrowed "fanfaron" directly from Spanish, but others think that word also passed through French before reaching our language. It isn't clear whether "fanfaron" and "fanfaronade" are directly related to the similar "fanfare" or if that term arose as yet another transliteration of the sound of a showy or pompous display.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 22, 2013 is: euchre \YOO-ker\ verb 1 : to prevent from winning three tricks in the card game euchre 2 : to cheat or trick Examples: "'You fooled us good,' Frank confessed. 'After Northfield, Jesse knew we'd been euchred somehow. But I wouldn't have suspected you in a thousand years.'" — From Matt Braun's 2008 novel Manhunter / Deadwood "He'd never held a pick or shovel in those waxy white hands. His principal business was euchring anyone who was sucker enough to do business with him." — From Richard S. Wheeler's 2005 novel Seven Miles to Sundown Did you know? Euchre is a card game for four players that is played in tricks, or rounds, with a deck of 32 cards. Etymologists aren't sure where we got the name for the game, though they do know that it first appeared in English in the mid-19th century. The first sense of the verb "euchre" arose from an action that takes place during the game: a player is "euchred" when an opponent blocks him or her from winning three or more tricks after making trump. Deception can often be key to a winning strategy, and sure enough it took almost no time at all for "euchre" to develop a sense meaning "cheat" or "trick."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 21, 2013 is: zarzuela \zahr-ZWAY-luh\ noun : a usually comic Spanish operetta Examples: "The first major trip was leaving Spain, with my sister and our aunt, to travel by ship to Mexico, where my parents had set up their own zarzuela company." — From an interview with Placido Domingo in the Chicago Tribune, October 14, 2012 "In Napa, Calif., the Jarvis Conservatory presents one or two zarzuelas during the month of June and produces the only DVD of zarzuelas." — From an article by Alicia Garcia Clark in The Hispanic Outlook in Higher Education, October 23, 2006 Did you know? "Zarzuela" is connected with the Spanish opera La Zarzuela, which entranced audiences with its different vocal and musical styles. The word toured into English in the 18th century. Alfred Einstein (the musicologist cousin of Albert) assisted in its establishment in the language by including it in his 1947 work Music in the Romantic Era. More recently, the word has begun to appear on the Spanish culinary stage as a term for a rich and savory seafood dish. A couple of the specific entrées that have emerged are the piebald "zarzuela de maiscos," a mixture of seafood, and the "zarzuela de pescados," a potpourri of fish.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 20, 2013 is: preen \PREEN\ verb 1 of a bird : to groom with the bill 2 : to dress or smooth up : primp 3 : to pride or congratulate (oneself) on an achievement : to behave or speak with obvious pride or self-satisfaction Examples: Even though he was particularly thrilled about the promotion, Jeff tried hard not to preen in front of his coworkers. "Both birds seem to be in very good condition. They will perch on a branch and preen themselves after some of their work periods." — From an article by Bud Simpson in The Logan Daily News, November 23, 2012 Did you know? The incubation of "preen" began in 14th-century Middle English with the spelling "prenen," which can itself be traced to the Anglo-French forms "pur-," meaning "thoroughly," and "uindre" or "oindre," meaning "to anoint or rub." One of the first writers to apply "preen" to the human act of primping was Geoffrey Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales. It took a long time—around 500 years—for the prideful meaning of "preen" to hatch, but another bird-related word, "plume," was available for use with the meaning "to pride or congratulate (oneself)" from the first half of the 17th century.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 19, 2013 is: mentor \MEN-tor\ noun 1 : a trusted counselor or guide 2 : tutor, coach Examples: The young man regarded the professor not only as a mentor, but as a good friend as well. "Every time a Strong Women Strong Girls (SWSG) group from Point Park speaks to an after-school program full of elementary school girls, they introduce them to a positive female role model in society. Every time, they encourage going to college. Every time, both young girls and mentors end up laughing. And every time, the girls have a hard time saying goodbye." — From an article by Marina Weiss in The Globe (Point Park University, Pennsylvania), December 4, 2012 Did you know? We acquired "mentor" from the literature of ancient Greece. In Homer's epic The Odyssey, Odysseus was away from home fighting and journeying for 20 years. During that time, Telemachus, the son he left as a babe in arms, grew up under the supervision of Mentor, an old and trusted friend. When the goddess Athena decided it was time to complete the education of young Telemachus, she visited him disguised as Mentor and they set out together to learn about his father. Today, we use the word "mentor" for anyone who is a positive, guiding influence in another (usually younger) person's life.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 18, 2013 is: traduce \truh-DOOSS\ verb 1 : to expose to shame or blame by means of falsehood and misrepresentation 2 : violate, betray Examples: At the apex of the journalist's career, a jealous rival attempted to traduce her name with false allegations. "In his introductory remarks, Stuart Proffitt, publishing director of Penguin Press and chairman of the prize committee, praised the BBC as the greatest cultural institution in the history of the world.... Here, at last, was someone prepared publicly to speak up for the BBC when so many others were seeking to traduce and destroy it." — From an article by Jason Cowley in New Statesman, November 19, 2012 Did you know? "Traduce" is one of a number of English synonyms that you can choose when you need a word that means "to injure by speaking ill of." Choose "traduce" when you want to stress the deep personal humiliation, disgrace, and distress felt by the victim. If someone doesn't actually lie, but makes statements that injure by specific and often subtle misrepresentations, "malign" may be the more precise choice. To make it clear that the speaker is malicious and the statements made are false, "calumniate" is a good option. But if you need to say that certain statements represent an attempt to destroy a reputation by open and direct abuse, "vilify" is the word you want.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 17, 2013 is: vernissage \vair-nih-SAHZH\ noun : a private showing or preview of an art exhibition Examples: Before the art auction, there will be a vernissage during which people can mingle with the artists and preview their work. "Art Basel officially opens with its vernissage Nov. 30 and runs through Dec. 4, but Miami Art Week—as it is being called—sprawls across the calendar with events from Nov. 27 on, basically Sunday to Sunday." — From an article by Beth Dunlop in The Miami Herald, September 18, 2011 Did you know? "Vernissage" has its roots in the old practice of setting aside a day before an exhibition's opening for artists to varnish and put finishing touches to their paintings—a tradition that reportedly dates to at least 1809, when it was instituted by England's Royal Academy of Arts. (One famous member of the Academy, Joseph Mallord William Turner, was notorious for making major changes to his paintings on this day.) English speakers originally referred to this day of finishing touches simply as "varnishing day," but sometime around 1912 we also began using the French term "vernissage" (literally, "varnishing"). Today, however, you are more likely to encounter vino than varnish at a vernissage, which is often a gala event marking the opening of an exhibition.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 16, 2013 is: inchmeal \INCH-meel\ adverb : little-by-little, gradually Examples: The fog that had been concentrated over the valley dissipated inchmeal, revealing a quiet busyness in the small village below. "I glanced at my Luminox wristwatch. The glowing dial showed 6:10.... Light came inchmeal, like torture. Another flock [of ducks] blew like rocket chaff across the gray-black sky. I sneaked another peek. 6:20." — From an article by Joe Doggett in The Houston Chronicle, December 19, 2012 Did you know? "All the infections that the sun sucks up / From bogs, fens, flats, on Prosper fall, and make him / By inch-meal a disease!" So goes one of the curses the hated and hateful Caliban hurls in the direction of Prospero in Shakespeare's The Tempest. The origin of "inchmeal" is simple; the "inch" half is the familiar measurement, and the "meal" is the suffix we know from the more common word "piecemeal" (which shares the "gradually" meaning of "inchmeal," and has several other meanings as well). "Meal" is an old suffix that means "by a (specified) portion or measure at a time"; it is related to the modern German word "mal," meaning "time," as in the German word "manchmal," meaning "sometimes."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 15, 2013 is: kanban \KAHN-bahn\ noun : a manufacturing strategy wherein parts are produced or delivered only as needed Examples: "To stay competitive," Rob said, "we need to reduce our manufacturing costs by switching to a kanban system." "The inbox and calendar are used to generate kanban and schedules. This helps to discriminate between what you are doing and what you should be doing." — From an article by Marc A. Feldman in the Quality Progress, November 2012 Did you know? Toyota Motor Company is credited with developing the kanban system of manufacturing, which takes its name from the Japanese word for "sign" or "placard." In the kanban system, each shipment of parts used in making a product comes with a "kanban," or sign. When the parts are nearly exhausted, the sign is sent to suppliers, who ship new ones to the assembly line. In the early 1980s, "kanban" became a buzzword in the American business community—offering a perfect example of how languages often reflect larger societal trends … and how trading partners often trade more than durable goods.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 14, 2013 is: taradiddle \tair-uh-DID-ul\ noun 1 : a trivial or childish lie : fib 2 : pretentious nonsense Examples: "Even parents with the very best of intentions find themselves telling taradiddles to their offspring." — From a blog post by Ben Schott at nytimes.com, November 12, 2010 "As truths go, the history of Miss Rossiter she had laid out was unimpressive: a forked-tongue taraddidle of the highest order and if I were to serve it up to Hardy and be found out afterwards I should be lucky to escape arrest, if not a smack on the legs with a hairbrush for the cheek of it." — From Catriona McPherson's 2009 novel Danny Gilver and the Proper Treatment of Bloodstains Did you know? The true origin of "taradiddle" is unknown, but that doesn't mean you won't encounter a lot of balderdash about its history. Some folks try to connect it to the verb "diddle" (meaning "to cheat"), but that hasn’t been proven and may turn out to be poppycock. You may hear some tommyrot about it coming from the Old English verb "didrian," which meant "to deceive," but that couldn’t be true unless "didrian" was somehow suddenly revived after eight or nine centuries of disuse. No one even knows when "taradiddle" was first used. It must have been long before it showed up in a 1796 dictionary of colloquial speech (where it was defined as a synonym of "fib"), but if we claimed we knew who said it first, we’d be dishing out pure applesauce.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 13, 2013 is: abhor \ub-HOR\ verb : to regard with extreme repugnance : loathe Examples: She is a strict vegetarian who abhors the consumption of meat. "In fairness, Darwin mostly refrained from extrapolating natural selection to human society. And he abhorred slavery at a time when many justified it as the natural order of things." — From an article by Shankar Vedantam in The Washington Post, February 5, 2006 Did you know? "Abhor" implies strong feelings of repugnance, disgust, and aversion. This degree of distaste is seen in the word's history. In earlier use, "abhor" sometimes implied an actual shrinking away from something in horror or repugnance. Appropriately, the word's Latin source, the verb "abhorrēre," comes from the prefix "ab-" ("from, away") and the verb "horrēre" ("to shudder"). As you may have guessed, Latin "horrēre" is also the source of the English words "horror," "horrify," and "horrible."