Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 20, 2012 is: rebuff \rih-BUFF\ verb : to reject or criticize sharply Examples: I offered my sister several helpful suggestions, but she rebuffed them all. "A Nevada Legislative Committee studying the state's consolidated tax system agreed with its technical working group and rebuffed a request by the City of Fernley for a larger share of the C-Tax receipts that are given to Nevada counties, cities and special districts." — From an article in the Reno Gazette-Journal, August 8, 2012 Did you know? Occurring frequently in news articles and headlines, "rebuff" derives (via Middle French "rebuffer") from Old Italian "ribuffare," meaning "to reprimand," and ultimately from the imitative verb "buffare," meaning "to puff." (You might guess that the verb "buff," meaning "to polish," is a "buffare" descendant, but it is actually unrelated.) A similar word, "rebuke," shares the "criticize" sense of "rebuff," but not the "reject" sense (one can rebuke another's actions or policies, but one does not rebuke the advances of another, for example). Like "rebuke," "rebuff" can also be used as a noun, as in "His proposal was met with a stern rebuff from the Board of Trustees."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 19, 2012 is: tincture \TINK-cher\ noun 1 : color, tint 2 a : a characteristic quality : case b : a slight admixture : trace 3 : a solution of a medicinal substance in an alcoholic solvent Examples: The herbalist offered to mix up a tincture that would cure Katie's headaches. "A popular home-remedy suggestion making the rounds in Amish circles says a tincture of black walnut extract will cure what ails you, dentally speaking." — From an article by Tom Knapp in Intelligencer Journal/New Era (Lancaster, Pennsylvania), August 13, 2012 Did you know? "Tincture" derives from the same root as "tint" and "tinge"—the Latin verb "tingere," meaning "to moisten or dip." "Tincture" specifically derives via Middle English from the Latin "tinctus," the past participle of "tingere." When the word first appeared in English in the 14th century, "tincture" referred to a coloring matter or dye, but by the 17th century the word had acquired a number of additional meanings, including "a slight infusion or trace of something." "Tinge" and "shade" are two other words referring to color that can be used the same way. "Tincture" can also refer, among other things, to the colors used in a coat of arms or an herbal or medicinal solution.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 18, 2012 is: volatile \VAH-luh-tul\ adjective 1 : readily vaporizable at a relatively low temperature 2 : tending to erupt into violence : explosive 3 : characterized by or subject to rapid or unexpected change Examples: The country's unsteady economy is due to volatile global markets and the new government's rash economic reforms. "Beef prices, which are more volatile than food prices overall, will likely go down before they go up because farmers are finding it too expensive to feed some animals." — From an article by Harold Brubaker and Jeff Gelles in The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 15, 2012 Did you know? "Volatile" was originally for the birds—quite literally. Back in the 14th century, "volatile" was a noun that referred to birds (especially wild fowl) or other winged creatures, such as butterflies. That's not as flighty as it sounds. "Volatile" traces back to the Latin verb "volare," which means "to fly." By the end of the 16th century, people were using "volatile" as an adjective for things that were so light they seemed ready to fly. The adjective was soon extended to vapors and gases, and by the early 17th century, "volatile" was being applied to individuals or things as prone to sudden change as some gaseous substances. In recent years, "volatile" has landed in economic, political, and technical contexts far flown from its avian origins.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 17, 2012 is: futhark \FOO-thahrk\ noun : any of several alphabets used by the Germanic peoples from about the 3d to the 13th centuries — called also the runic alphabet Examples: The people used futhark, which was divided into three families of eight signs each. Did you know? The word "futhark" describes an alphabet originally of 24 and later of some 16 angular characters. It is suspected to be derived from both Latin and Greek and was used for inscriptions and magic signs by the Germanic peoples, and especially by the Scandinavians and Anglo-Saxons, from about the third to the 13th centuries. The spelling "futhark" is from the first six symbols of the runic alphabet: f, u, th, a, r, k. The alphabet did, however, encounter revision of letters over time resulting in the variants "futhorc" and "futhork."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 16, 2012 is: mercurial \mer-KYUR-ee-ul\ adjective 1 : characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood 2 : of, relating to, containing, or caused by mercury Examples: "Uncle Chris felt a touch of embarrassment. It occurred to him that he had been betrayed by his mercurial temperament into an attitude which, considering the circumstances, was perhaps a trifle too jubilant. He gave his moustache a pull, and reverted to the minor key." — From P.G. Wodehouse's 1921 novel, Jill the Reckless "The market, trendless and mercurial, had to digest conflicting news about the economy." — From an Associated Press article by Christina Rexrode, August 9, 2012 Did you know? The Roman god Mercury ("Mercurius" in Latin) was the messenger and herald of the gods and also the god of merchants and thieves. (His counterpart in Greek mythology is Hermes.) He was noted for his eloquence, swiftness, and cunning, and the Romans named what appeared to them to be the fastest-moving planet in his honor. The Latin adjective derived from his name, "mercurialis," meaning "of or relating to Mercury," was borrowed into English in the 14th century as "mercurial." Although the adjective initially meant "born under the planet Mercury," it came to mean also "having qualities of eloquence, ingenuity, or thievishness attributed to the god Mercury or the influence of the planet Mercury," and then "unpredictably changeable."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 15, 2012 is: quail \KWAIL\ verb 1 : to give way : falter 2 : to recoil in dread or terror : cower Examples: Douglas quailed when the dentist told him that he would need a root canal. "There's an already notorious scene in a bathtub, involving the extraction of toenails, which would send Mary Whitehouse quailing ashen-faced for the exit, if she'd even made it that far." — From a film review by Tom Robey in The (London) Telegraph, November 17, 2011 Did you know? "Flinch," "recoil," and "wince" are all synonyms of "quail," but each word has a slightly different use. When you flinch, you fail to endure pain or to face something dangerous or frightening with resolution ("she faced her accusers without flinching"). "Recoil" implies a start or movement away from something through shock, fear, or disgust ("he recoiled at the suggestion of stealing"). "Wince" usually suggests a slight involuntary physical reaction to something ("she winced as the bright light suddenly hit her eyes"). "Quail" implies shrinking and cowering in fear ("he quailed before the apparition").

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 14, 2012 is: disapprobation \dis-ap-ruh-BAY-shun\ noun : the act or state of disapproving : the state of being disapproved : condemnation Examples: The man talking loudly on his cell phone garnered several looks of disapprobation before the movie even began. "This is a classic soft-serve palace where not much has changed in decades, including the sticky picnic tables and the owner who tends toward silent disapprobation." — From a review by Laura Reiley in the Tampa Bay Times, August 2, 2012 Did you know? "Disapprobation" is not only a synonym of "disapproval" but a relative as well. Both words were coined in the mid-17th century by adding the prefix "dis-," meaning "the opposite or absence of," to earlier and more "approving" words: synonyms "approbation" and "approval." The Latin verb "approbare," meaning "to approve," is an ancestor of both of those words. Another descendant of "approbare" in English is "approbate," which, as you may have guessed by now, means "to approve."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 13, 2012 is: undulate \UN-juh-layt\ verb 1 : to form or move in waves : fluctuate 2 : to rise and fall in volume, pitch, or cadence 3 : to present a wavy appearance Examples: From the window of our bed-and-breakfast, we had a gorgeous view of the green hills undulating into the distance. "Seeded with drought-tolerant California native plants, the 1.5-acre surface gently undulates, mimicking the surrounding hillsides." — From an article by Paul Sisson in the North County Times (Escondido, California), July 26, 2012 Did you know? "Undulate" and "inundate" are word cousins, sharing "unda," the Latin word for "wave," as their common ancestor. No surprise there. But would you have guessed that "abound," "surround," and "redound" are also "unda" offspring? The connection between "unda" and these words is easier to see when you learn that at some point in their early histories each of them essentially had the meaning of "to overflow"—a meaning that "inundate" still carries, along with its "overwhelm" sense.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 12, 2012 is: peripatetic \pair-uh-puh-TET-ik\ adjective 1 : of or relating to the Greek philosopher Aristotle or his philosophy : Aristotelian 2 : of, relating to, or given to walking 3 : moving or traveling from place to place : itinerant Examples: I was peripatetic throughout my twenties, but in my thirties I bought a house and began putting down roots in the community. "From the day Rousseau turned his back on his native city, these peripatetic writer-thinkers were bent on walking into a kind of alienated individuality." — From a book review by Billy Mills in Guardian Unlimited, August 9, 2012 Did you know? Are you someone who likes to think on your feet? If so you've got something in common with the followers of the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. Not only a thinker and teacher, Aristotle was also a walker, and his students were required to walk along beside him as he lectured while pacing to and fro. Thus it was that the Greek word "peripatētikos" (from "peripatein," meaning "to walk up and down") came to be associated with Aristotle and his followers. By the way, the covered walk in the Lyceum where Aristotle taught became known as the "peripatos" (which can either refer to the act of walking or a place for walking).

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 11, 2012 is: stravage \struh-VAYG\ verb : to roam Examples: "I was living at Gray's Inn in those days, and we stravaged up Gray's Inn Road on one of those queer, unscientific explorations of the odd corners of London in which I have always delighted." — From Arthur Machen's 1922 novella The House of Souls "Eleanor sees widowed Lindsay and single-mother Paula stravaging along the streets with their respective children, Noah and Toby, and invites them in...." — From a book review by Lucille Redmond in the Evening Herald (Ireland), January 10, 2009 Did you know? A synonym of "roam," "wander," and "ramble," "stravage" (also spelled "stravaig") isn't likely to pop up in your local newspaper—unless you're stravaging in Scotland or one of its neighbors. "Stravage" is not a new word; our earliest evidence of it dates to the late 18th century, when it likely developed by shortening and alteration from the now-archaic word "extravagate," a synonym for "stray" and "roam" that can also mean "to go beyond proper limits." Note that if you use it correctly, you won't be extravagating by using "stravage"—no matter where you call home.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 10, 2012 is: nuance \NOO-ahnss\ noun 1 : a subtle distinction or variation 2 : a subtle quality : nicety 3 : sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings (as of meaning, feeling, or value) Examples: The movie's dialogue didn't sound convincing, partly because none of the characters had mastered the nuances of a Midwestern accent. "This Scavenger Hunt will be more difficult than earlier ones, and it is expected to bring you into some new corners. Sharp eyes are key, so if I were you, I'd start looking around now and memorizing every nuance in downtown Ocala."— From an article by Dave Schlenker on Ocala.com (Florida), August 9, 2012 Did you know? The history of "nuance" starts in Latin with the noun "nubes," meaning "cloud." "Nubes" floated into Middle French as "nue," also meaning "cloud," and "nue" gave rise to "nuer," meaning "to make shades of color." "Nuer" in turn produced "nuance," which in Middle French meant "shade of color." English borrowed "nuance" from French, with the meaning "a subtle distinction or variation," in the late 18th century. That use persists today. Additionally, "nuance" is sometimes used in a specific musical sense, designating a subtle, expressive variation in a musical performance (such as in tempo, dynamic intensity, or timbre) that is not indicated in the score.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 09, 2012 is: lugubrious \loo-GOO-bree-us\ adjective 1 : mournful; especially : exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful 2 : dismal Examples: Katie's friends guessed immediately from her lugubrious expression that she and her boyfriend had broken up. "Then beneath that lugubrious lament comes a kind of gentle chugging rhythm, like the clickety-clack of a train, against which Sweeney thumbs his nose at the sentimentality established at the start of the song." — From a review by Steven Leigh Morris in LA Weekly, June 14, 2012 Did you know? "It is a consolation to the wretched to have companions in misery," wrote Publilius Syrus in the first century BC. Perhaps this explains why "lugubrious" is so woeful—it's all alone. Sure, we can dress up "lugubrious" with suffixes to form "lugubriously" or "lugubriousness," but the word remains essentially an only child—the sole surviving English offspring of its Latin ancestors. This wasn't always the case, though. "Lugubrious" once had a linguistic living relative in "luctual," an adjective meaning "sad" or "sorrowful." Like "lugubrious," "luctual" traced ultimately to the Latin verb "lugēre," meaning "to mourn." "Luctual," however, faded into obsolescence long ago, leaving "lugubrious" to carry on the family's mournful mission all alone.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 08, 2012 is: gallant \GAL-unt\ adjective 1 : showy in dress or bearing : smart 2 a : splendid, stately b : spirited, brave c : nobly chivalrous and often self-sacrificing 3 : courteously and elaborately attentive especially to ladies Examples: The climbers made a gallant attempt but failed to reach the summit of the great mountain. "Every year, crowds massed to watch a vivid reenactment of the 1777 Battle of Germantown, George Washington's gallant but failed attack on British troops holed up at Cliveden." — From an article by Stephan Salisbury in The Philadelphia Inquirer, July 3, 2012 Did you know? In the late 14th century, Middle English adopted "galaunt" (now spelled "gallant") from Middle French "galant," a participial form of the verb "galer," meaning "to have a good time." This origin is more apparent in the earliest uses of the English "gallant," both as a noun meaning "a man of fashion" and as an adjective meaning "marked by show, color, smartness, or splendor especially in dress." French "galer" is related to "gale" ("pleasure, merrymaking") which has also entered the language, by way of Italian, as "gala" ("a festive celebration"). Middle English also had a noun "gale" which meant "singing, merriment, or mirth" (and is unrelated to the "gale" used to indicate a strong current of air) which may also have been related to Old French "gale."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 07, 2012 is: jocose \joh-KOHSS\ adjective 1 : given to joking : merry 2 : characterized by joking : humorous Examples: Rachel has the kind of jocose personality that can liven up even the dullest of parties. "The information imparted doesn't run particularly deep, but in simple, mostly jocose language, he manages to explain the Electoral College, the dangers of being president and ... the roles of the president in foreign policy and as commander in chief, and how a presidential pardon works...." — From a book review in Kirkus Reviews, August 1, 2012 Did you know? When you need a word to describe something (or someone) that causes or is intended to cause laughter, you might pick "jocose" or a synonym such as "humorous," "witty," "facetious," or "jocular." Of those terms, "humorous" is the most generic and can be applied to anything that provokes laughter. "Witty" suggests cleverness and a quick mind, while "facetious" is a word for something that is not meant to be taken seriously. "Jocose" and "jocular" both imply a habitual waggishness and a fondness for joking.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 06, 2012 is: gainsay \gayn-SAY\ verb 1 : to declare to be untrue or invalid 2 : contradict, oppose Examples: There is no doubt that their work makes a useful contribution, but it does not provide enough evidence to gainsay the conclusions of earlier scholars. "And there was something childlike about Griffith, too, even in his Matlock days, as a deceptively sharp 'simple country lawyer,' a big-kid boyishness that did not mask his intelligence or gainsay his authority." — From an obituary for Andy Griffith in the Post & Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), July 7, 2012 Did you know? You might have trouble figuring out "gainsay" if you're thinking of our modern "gain" plus "say." It should help to know that the "gain-" part is actually related to "against"—specifically the Old English word for "against": "gēan-." From that came Middle English "gain-," which was joined with "sayen" ("say") to form "gainsayen," the Middle English predecessor of "gainsay." So when you see "gainsay," think "say against" — that is, "deny" or "contradict."