Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 12, 2012 is: intersperse \in-ter-SPERSS\ verb 1 : to place something at intervals in or among 2 : to insert at intervals among other things Examples: The author has interspersed the guidebook with illustrations of the different birds we might encounter on the safari tour. "Students attend from 8:35 a.m. to 4:06 p.m., in 10-period days that intersperse traditional classes like math and English with technology and business-centric courses like 'workplace learning,' which teaches networking, critical thinking and presentation skills." — From an article by Al Baker in the New York Times, October 21, 2012 Did you know? "Intersperse" derives from Latin "interspersus," formed by combining the familiar prefix "inter-" ("between or among") with "sparsus," the past participle of "spargere," meaning "to scatter." In "sparsus" one finds an ancestor to our adjective "sparse," as well as a relative of "spark." (The relationship of "spark" to a word that describes something being scattered about makes sense when you think of sparks bursting or scattering off a flame.) "Intersperse" is often followed by the preposition "with," as in "a straggling street of comfortable white and red houses, interspersed with abundant shady trees." (H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds)

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 11, 2012 is: disport \dih-SPORT\ verb 1 : divert, amuse 2 : frolic 3 : display Examples: "Dracula builds a five-stake resort for his monster friends to disport themselves unbothered on vacation, but his daughter falls in love with a somewhat dopey human." — From a review of the movie Hotel Transylvania by Jeff Simon, Buffalo News (New York), September 28, 2012 "A hulking, forbidding terrace, unlike anything else in town, rears up out of nowhere. In its heyday, it was the home of the wealthy with cast iron balconies for them to disport themselves on." — From an article by Chris Lloyd, The Northern Echo (England), October 24, 2012 Did you know? Geoffrey Chaucer was one of the first writers to amuse the reading public with the verb "disport." Chaucer and his contemporaries carried the word into English from Anglo-French, adapting it from "desporter," meaning "to carry away, comfort, or entertain." The word can ultimately be traced back to the Latin verb "portare," meaning "to carry." "Deport," "portable," and "transport" are among the members of the "portare" family.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 10, 2012 is: pomander \POH-man-der\ noun 1 : a mixture of aromatic substances enclosed in a perforated bag or box and used to scent clothes and linens or formerly carried as a guard against infection; also : a clove-studded orange or apple used for the same purposes 2 : a box or hollow fruit-shaped ball for holding pomander Examples: Tuck a homemade pomander in a gift basket to lend it that wonderful holiday aroma. "Apple pomanders are still much used to scent linen closets and store with furs to prevent moths." — From an article by Ellen Probert Williamson in the Roane County News (Kingston, Tennessee), October 1, 2012 Did you know? In earlier times, there was more at stake in the use of an "apple of amber" (the literal meaning of Anglo-French "pomme de ambre," modified to "pomander" in Middle English) than the addition of holiday spirit. Pomanders were used to offset foul odors and were also believed to protect against disease. Early pomanders were usually mixtures of fragrant spices, herbs, etc. in small metal containers, and they were often worn on chains, as jewelry, around the neck or at the waist. Today, we no longer believe pomanders ward off infections, but we still like nice-smelling things, and the word "pomander" survives to name the modern version of this aromatic, decorative object.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 09, 2012 is: tutelary \TOO-tuh-lair-ee\ adjective 1 : having the guardianship of a person or a thing 2 : of or relating to a guardian Examples: The ancient Romans revered certain gods and goddesses as tutelary deities. "You can see a similar restlessness in the range of C.K.'s influences.... Indie film pioneer John Cassavettes may be another tutelary spirit." — From a review by Adam Wilson in Salon.com, September 25, 2012 Did you know? "Tutelary" derives from the Latin noun "tutelarius," meaning "guardian." "Tutelarius," in turn, was formed by combining the word "tutela" ("protection" or "guardian") and "-arius," a suffix that implies belonging and connection. A more familiar descendant of "tutela" in English might be "tutelage," which initially described an act or process of serving as a guardian or protector but has also come to refer to teaching or influence. If you suspect that "tutor" is also related, you are correct. "Tutelary" can also be a noun referring to a power (such as a deity) who acts as a guardian.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 08, 2012 is: hypermnesia \hye-perm-NEE-zhee-uh\ noun : abnormally vivid or complete memory or recall of the past Examples: "When I heard Peyton Manning might have hypermnesia, I was going to buy him a get-well card. Then I learned that it's a fancy way of saying he's got an abnormally sharp memory." — From an article by Bob Molinaro in the Virginian-Pilot, January 30, 2010 "'Funes, His Memory' tells the evocative tale of Ireneo Funes, a Uruguayan boy who suffers an accident that leaves him immobilized along with an acute form of hypermnesia, a mental abnormality expressed in exceptionally precise memory." — From John Brockman's 2011 book Is the Internet Changing the Way You Think? Did you know? Perhaps the most famous individual to exhibit hypermnesia was a Russian man known as "S," whose amazing photographic memory was studied for 30 years by a psychologist in the early part of the 20th century. "Hypermnesia" sometimes refers to cases like that of "S," but it can also refer to specific instances of heightened memory (such as those brought on by trauma or hypnosis) experienced by people whose memory abilities are unremarkable under ordinary circumstances. The word "hypermnesia," which has been with us since at least 1882, was created in New Latin as the combination of "hyper-" (meaning "beyond" or "super") and "-mnesia" (patterned after "amnesia"). It ultimately derives from the Greek word "mnasthai," meaning "to remember."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 07, 2012 is: tamale \tuh-MAH-lee\ noun : cornmeal dough rolled with ground meat or beans seasoned usually with chili, wrapped usually in corn husks, and steamed Examples: "The Mexican Dinner has a little of everything; the moist tamale and cheese enchilada, both with chili, are especially good." — From a restaurant review in Texas Monthly, November 2012 "You think I'm full of shame and regret for what I've done now, Sister? You could shave me bald as a cue ball and I'll still be the hottest tamale in this joint." — Chloë Sevigny in the television series American Horror Story, October 2012 Did you know? "Hot tamale" is sometimes used figuratively, as in our second example, to suggest sexual attractiveness, but it's the word's literal use that puts it in an interesting category. How many English food words can you name that derive from Nahuatl, a group of languages spoken by native peoples of Mexico and Central America? You've probably guessed that "tamale" gives you one; it came to us (by way of Mexican Spanish) from the Nahuatl "tamalli," a word for steamed cornmeal dough. Add to the menu "chili" (from "chīlli," identifying all those fiery peppers); "chocolate" (from "chocolātl," first used for a beverage made from chocolate and water); "guacamole" (from "āhuacatl," meaning "avocado," plus "mōlli," meaning "sauce"); and "tomato" (from "tomatl"). Top it all off with "chipotle" (a smoked and dried pepper), from "chīlli" and "pōctli" (meaning "something smoked").

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 06, 2012 is: nobby \NAH-bee\ adjective : cleverly stylish : chic, smart Examples: "[Mrs. Vance] ... reappeared, stunningly arrayed in a dark-blue walking dress, with a nobby hat to match." — From Theodore Dreiser's 1900 novel Sister Carrie "This 'Members Only' club was where Chicago's nobbiest [people] gathered to shut out people who were not like them in order to lead the good life of golf, horses, bathing on a private beach, and social events." — From an article by Henry Kisor in the Chicago Sun-Times, November 4, 2001 Did you know? "Nobby" comes from the noun "nob," which is used in British English to mean "one in a superior position in life." ("Nob" may have begun as a slang word for "head," but etymologists aren't completely sure. A possible connection to "noble" has been suggested as well.) Appearing in English in 1788, "nobby" was first used to describe people of strikingly exquisite appearance. It has since extended in usage to describe the places frequented by such people, as well as their genteel customs. Charles Dickens, for example, wrote in Bleak House (1853) of "[r]especting this unfortunate family matter, and the nobbiest way of keeping it quiet."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 05, 2012 is: connive \kuh-NYVE\ verb 1 : to pretend ignorance of or fail to take action against something one ought to oppose 2 a : to be indulgent or in secret sympathy : wink b : to cooperate secretly or have a secret understanding 3 : to engage in secret scheming : conspire Examples: He is not above conniving against his own co-workers if he thinks it will benefit his own career. "Families fare badly in Western drama. Oedipus kills his father, Lear's daughters connive against one another, and Ibsen's Nora walks out on her husband and their three young children." — From a theater review by Steven G. Kellman in Current (San Antonio), August 22-28, 2012 Did you know? "Connive" may not seem like a troublesome term, but it was to Wilson Follett, a usage critic who lamented that the word "was undone during the Second World War, when restless spirits felt the need of a new synonym for plotting, bribing, spying, conspiring, engineering a coup, preparing a secret attack." Follett thought "connive" should only mean "to wink at" or "to pretend ignorance." Those senses are closer to the Latin ancestor of the word ("connive" comes from the Latin "connivēre," which means "to close the eyes" and which is descended from "-nivēre," a form akin to the Latin verb "nictare," meaning "to wink"). But many English speakers disagreed, and the "conspire" sense is now the word's most widely used meaning.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 04, 2012 is: cloche \KLOHSH\ noun 1 : a transparent plant cover used outdoors especially for protection against cold 2 : a woman's close-fitting hat usually with deep rounded crown and narrow brim Examples: You may be able to extend your own garden's growing season considerably by using cloches to protect plants from colder temperatures. "Another popular hat is the cloche, which rose to fame in the 1920s. The bell-shaped hats come in a variety of patterns, colors and textures." — From an article by Julia Hatmaker in the Patriot News (Harrisburg, Pennsylvania), September 23, 2012 Did you know? The word "cloche" refers to very different things but the connection between them is apparent in the word's meaning: "cloche" is French for "bell," and both the gardening cloche and the hat cloche are typically shaped like the archetypal bell. The gourmands among you may be aware of another kind of cloche as well. Covered in our unabridged dictionary, Webster's Third New International, "cloche" also refers to a bell-shaped cover placed over food in cooking or serving. The French word "cloche" comes from Medieval Latin "clocca," which is also the source of the words "cloak" and "clock."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 03, 2012 is: hotdog \HAHT-dawg\ verb : to perform in a conspicuous or often ostentatious manner; especially : to perform fancy stunts and maneuvers (as while surfing or skiing) Examples: The wide receiver hotdogged in the end zone after catching the touchdown pass. "Benson hotdogged with her usual flair..." — From Matt Warshaw's 2010 book The History of Surfing Did you know? The verb "hotdog" first appeared in the 1960s as slang for surfing with fast turns and quick movements. Surfers adopted it from the use of the noun "hot dog" for someone who is very good at something, which was popularized around the turn of the 19th century along with the interjection "hot dog" to express approval or gratification. In time, the noun became mainly associated with people who showed off their skills in sports, from basketball to skiing, and the verb form came to be used for the spectacular acts of these show-offs. (As a side tidbit to chew on, the word for the frankfurter that might be eaten while watching athletes perform is believed to have been first used by college students. That "hot dog" was current at Yale in 1895.)

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 02, 2012 is: campestral \kam-PESS-trul\ adjective : of or relating to fields or open country : rural Examples: "Santiago's proximity to ski resorts, beach resorts, and the idyllic countryside, with its campestral and ranching traditions and colonial estates, offer plenty for the traveler to see and do." — From Frommer’s Chile and Easter Island, 2011 "Just about any amateur naturalist who pays attention to the birds, beasts, flowers and seasons in campestral Maine will find an eye-opener or two here." — From a book review by Dana Wilde in the Bangor (Maine) Daily News, October 26, 2009 Did you know? Scamper across an open field, then, while catching your breath, ponder this: "scamper" and "campestral" both ultimately derive from the Latin noun "campus," meaning "field" or "plain." Latin "campester" is the adjective that means "pertaining to a campus." In ancient Rome, a campus was a place for games, athletic practice, and military drills. "Scamper" probably started with a military association, as well (it is assumed to have evolved from the Latin verb "excampare," meaning "to decamp"). In English, "campestral" took on an exclusively rural aspect upon its introduction in the 18th century, while "campus," you might say, became strictly academic.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 01, 2012 is: scumble \SKUM-bul\ verb 1 a : to make (as color or a painting) less brilliant by covering with a thin coat of opaque or semiopaque color applied with a nearly dry brush b : to apply (a color) in this manner 2 : to soften the lines or colors of (a drawing) by rubbing lightly Examples: He scumbles his seascapes until they are suffused with, and nearly veiled by, a pale golden light. "Edouardo Vuillard's 'Woman Lighting a Stove in a Studio' ... trades the common impasto of Impressionism for a lighter scumbled texture." — From an art review by Evan Gillespie in the South Bend Tribune, August 2, 2012 Did you know? The history of "scumble" is blurry, but the word is thought to be related to the verb "scum," an obsolete form of "skim" (meaning "to pass lightly over"). Scumbling, as first perfected by artists such as Titian, involves passing dry, opaque coats of oil paint over a tinted background to create subtle tones and shadows. But although the painting technique dates to the 16th century, use of the word "scumble" is only known to have begun in the late 18th century. The more generalized "smudge" or "smear" sense appeared even later, in the mid-1800s.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 30, 2012 is: cathexis \kuh-THEK-sis\ noun : investment of mental or emotional energy in a person, object, or idea Examples: "The veil that hides Laura and her eyes, her hair, her smile (and its counterpart, the glove that veils her hand) becomes the object of Petrarch's cathexis...." — From an essay by Margaret Brose in the 2010 book The Body in Early Modern Italy "The plot of this French film diverges from ... most American film we are force-fed in that it deals powerfully with subject matter that counts. It treats an almost unrecognized aspect of WWII in Europe, eliciting a strong cathexis from the viewer, who learns so much that he never knew before this celluloid feast." — From an article by Marion DS Dreyfus in American Thinker, April 8, 2012 Did you know? You might suspect that "cathexis" derives from a word for "emotion," but in actuality the key concept is "holding." "Cathexis" comes to us by way of New Latin (Latin as used after the medieval period in scientific description or classification) from the Greek word "kathexis," meaning "holding." It can ultimately be traced back (through "katechein," meaning "to hold fast, occupy") to the Greek verb "echein," meaning "to have" or "to hold." "Cathexis" first appeared in print in 1922 in a book about Freud's psychological theories (which also established the plural as "cathexes," as is consistent with Latin), and it is still often used in scientific and specifically psychological contexts.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 29, 2012 is: famish \FAM-ish\ verb 1 : to cause to suffer severely from hunger 2 : to suffer for lack of something necessary Examples: "Set him breast-deep in earth and famish him, / There let him stand and rave and cry for food." — From Act V, Scene iii of William Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus, 1593-94 "In northern Wisconsin, snow is like a cold, wintry manna. Some hotels and resorts feast when it's plentiful. They famish when it's not." — From an article by McLean Bennett in The Leader-Telegram (Eau Claire, Wisconsin), December 28, 2011 Did you know? "Famish" likely developed as an alteration of Middle English "famen," meaning "to starve." The Middle English word was borrowed from the Anglo-French verb "afamer," which etymologists believe came from Vulgar Latin "affamare." We say "believe" because, while no written evidence has yet been found for the Vulgar Latin word "affamare," it would be the expected source for the Anglo-French verb based on the combination of the Latin prefix "ad-" ("to" or "toward") and the root noun "fames" ("hunger"). In contemporary English, the verb "famish" is still used on rare occasions, but it is considerably less common than the related adjective "famished," which usually means "hungry" or "starving" but can also mean "needy" or "being in want."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 28, 2012 is: hortative \HOR-tuh-tiv\ adjective : giving exhortation : serving to advise or warn Examples: The candidate's hortative style of speaking appealed to some voters but led others to dismiss him as a blowhard. "But it's important to remember that 'Jersey Shore' is on MTV, a youth-oriented cable channel that has a hortative streak: series like 'Teen Mom' and 'If You Really Knew Me' carry a strong 'don't try this at home' message." — From an article by Alessandra Stanley in The New York Times, August 20, 2010 Did you know? "We give nothing so freely as advice," observed French writer Duc de La Rochefoucauld in 1665. "Hortative" and "exhort" (meaning "to urge earnestly") are two words that testify to our eagerness to counsel others. Both trace to Latin "hortari," meaning "to urge." "Hortative" has been used as both a noun (meaning "an advisory comment") and an adjective since the 17th century, but the noun is now extremely rare. You may also encounter the adjectives "hortatory," "exhortatory," and "exhortative," all of which have the same meaning as "hortative."