Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 23, 2013 is: Svengali \sven-GAH-lee\ noun : a person who manipulates or exerts excessive control over another Examples: In her tell-all autobiography, the singer portrays her former husband/manager as an abusive and controlling Svengali. "Not long before, he'd met Harvey Dorfman, a gruff, Bronx-born sports psychologist who was destined to become the pitcher's Svengali. The famously confrontational Dorfman drilled his self-help dictums into Moyer's head." — From an article by Frank Fitzpatrick on philly.com, October 13, 2013 Did you know? In George du Maurier's 1894 novel Trilby, a young artist's model named Trilby O'Ferrall falls under the spell of Svengali, a villainous musician and hypnotist. Svengali trains Trilby's voice through hypnosis and transforms her into a singing star, subjugating her completely in the process. Svengali's maleficent powers of persuasion made such an impression on the reading public that by 1919 his name was being used generically as a term for any wickedly manipulative individual.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 22, 2013 is: forfend \for-FEND\ verb 1 : to ward off : prevent 2 : protect, preserve Examples: The fort functioned as a place of refuge where the settlers could forfend themselves from attack. "'Sir!' Scotty sounded genuinely indignant. 'You're not suggesting that I would let any piece of equipment aboard my ship fall into disrepair, are you?' 'Heaven forfend, Scotty,' Kirk answered, successfully keeping the smile he wore from his voice." — From William Leisner's 2013 book Star Trek: The Original Series: The Shocks of Adversity Did you know? English speakers have been using "forfend" with the meanings "to forbid" and "to prevent" since the late 14th century, and the meaning "to protect" since the late 16th century. These days, however, the "forbid" sense is considered archaic; we only use it (as in our second example) in phrases like "heaven forfend" or "God forfend." "Forfend" comes from "for-" (an old prefix meaning "so as to involve prohibition, exclusion, omission, failure, neglect, or refusal") and Middle English "fenden" (a shorter variant of "defenden," meaning "to defend").

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 21, 2013 is: trumpery \TRUMP-uh-ree\ noun 1 : worthless nonsense 2 : trivial or useless articles : junk Examples: Moving to a new house has given me an excuse to toss out years of accumulated knickknacks and trumpery. "But there's so much trumpery on parade, including a relentless air of self-importance, that it's even hard to simply enjoy the performances of the two stars, who give more than the film deserves." — From a review by Walter Addiego in the San Francisco Chronicle, September 6, 2013 Did you know? "Trumpery" derives from the Middle English "trumpery" and ultimately from the Middle French "tromper," meaning "to deceive." (You can see the meaning of this root reflected in the French phrase "trompe-l'oeil"—literally, "deceives the eye"—which in English refers to a style of painting with photographically realistic detail.) "Trumpery" first appeared in English in the mid-15th century with the meanings "deceit or fraud" (a sense that is now obsolete) and "worthless nonsense." Less than 100 years later, it was being applied to material objects of little or no value. The verb phrase "trump up" means "to concoct with the intent to deceive," but there is most likely no etymological connection between this phrase and "trumpery."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 20, 2013 is: cubit \KYOO-bit\ noun : any of various ancient units of length based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger and usually equal to about 18 inches (46 centimeters) Examples: The teacher explained that the ancient Egyptians did not measure things in feet and yards as we do but rather calculated measurements using the cubit. "This kind of marketing probably goes back to Biblical times. Some unemployed shoemaker near the Sea of West Hollywood is heading out to the beach in his ratty old shoes and a surfboard (4 cubits long) when his wife, Sandy, stops him." — From an article by Tony Bender in Devils Lake Journal (North Dakota), August 1, 2013 Did you know? The cubit is an ancient unit of length that may have originated in Egypt close to 5,000 years ago. "Cubit" can refer to various units used in the ancient world, the actual length of which varied from time to time and place to place, but which was generally equivalent to the length of the human arm from elbow to fingertip—roughly about a foot and a half. (Appropriately, the word's source is a Latin word meaning "elbow.") Starting with the Wycliffe Bible in 1382, "cubit" has been used as the English translation for the measurement known in Biblical Hebrew as the "ammah" and in Koine as the "péchus."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 19, 2013 is: phosphene \FAHSS-feen\ noun : a luminous impression due to excitation of the retina Examples: "One way to see phosphenes is to close your eyes and rub them with your palms or fingers…." — From Andrew Neher's 1990 book Paranormal and Transcendental Experience "At the event, visitors will draw blindfolded to allow the phosphenes (patterns) to emerge and will be encouraged to draw what they see using charcoal and ochre." — From an article in ENP Newswire, April 4, 2013 Did you know? Phosphenes are the luminous floating stars, zigzags, swirls, spirals, squiggles, and other shapes that you see when closing your eyes tight and pressing them with your fingers. Basically, these phenomena occur when the cells of the retina are stimulated by rubbing or after a forceful sneeze, cough, or blow to the head. The word "phosphene" comes from the Greek words "phōs" (light) and "phainein" (to show). "Phainein" is also a contributing element in such words as "diaphanous," "emphasis," "epiphany," and "phenomenon," among others.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 14, 2013 is: gormless \GORM-lus\ adjective : lacking intelligence : stupid Examples: Her new assistant quickly proved himself to be completely gormless, forgetting to do half of the tasks she assigned to him and making a mess of the others. "And how many times have I stood up, precariously, trying to keep hold of my programme, glasses and coat, and pushed back hard against my seat, to have some gormless latecomers tread on my shoes on their way past without so much as a by-your-leave?" — From a commentary by Tim Walker in the Daily Telegraph (London), September 26, 2013 Did you know? "Gormless" began life as the English dialect word "gaumless," which was altered to the modern spelling when it expanded into wider use in the late 19th century. The origins of "gaumless" are easy to understand; the word derives from a combination of the dialect noun "gaum," meaning "attention" or "understanding," and the suffix "-less." "Gaum" also functions as a verb in some dialects, where it means "to pay attention to" and "to understand." An unrelated verb "gaum" means "to behave in a stupid or awkward manner." There's also a noun "gaum," meaning "a stupid doltish person." But none of these are as commonly used nowadays as "gormless," which itself is most frequently seen in British English.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 13, 2013 is: shard \SHAHRD\ noun 1 a : a piece or fragment of a brittle substance; broadly : a small piece or part : scrap b : shell, scale; especially : elytron 2 : fragments of pottery vessels found on sites and in refuse deposits where pottery-making peoples have lived 3 : highly angular curved glass fragments of tuffaceous sediment Examples: Julia was so startled that she dropped the bowl, and it shattered into china shards. "The machine stubbornly held together for much of the pounding, though shards of glass could be seen flying in different directions with a few of the swipes." — From an article by Tom Precious in the Buffalo News (New York), October 13, 2013 Did you know? "Shard" dates back to Old English (where it was spelled "sceard"), and it is related to the Old English word "scieran," meaning "to cut." English speakers have adopted the modernized "shard" spelling for most uses, but archeologists prefer to spell the word "sherd" when referring to the ancient fragments of pottery they unearth. Other specialized uses of the word "shard" include a sense referring to the thick front wings in beetles that protect a hind pair of wings and another sense used for the highly angular curved glass fragments of a type of volcanic rock formation.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 11, 2013 is: rectitudinous \rek-tuh-TOO-duh-nus\ adjective 1 : characterized by the quality of being honest and morally correct 2 : piously self-righteous Examples: The senatorial candidate's supporters insist that he is possessed of a rectitudinous character and a spotless record. "Hallie Foote is there, of course, excellent and rectitudinous as ever, playing a recent widow suddenly reconnected with her childhood flame." — From a theater review by Jesse Oxfeld in the New York Observer, September 17, 2013 Did you know? "Rectitudinous" comes to us straight from Late Latin "rectitudin-" (English added the "-ous" ending), which itself ultimately derived from the Latin word "rectus," meaning both "straight" and "right." (There are other "rectus" descendants in English, including "rectitude," of course, and "rectilinear," "rectangle," and "rectify.") When "rectitudinous" first appeared in print in 1897, it was in the phrase "notoriously and unctuously rectitudinous." Although "rectitude" often expresses an admirable moral integrity, "rectitudinous" has always had a less flattering side. It can suggest not only moral uprightness but also a displeasing holier-than-thou attitude.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 10, 2013 is: comprise \kum-PRYZE\ verb 1 : to include especially within a particular scope 2 : to be made up of 3 : compose, constitute Examples: The city developers' plans include a massive recreational complex that comprises a concert hall, four restaurants, two hotels and a theater. "One section of the report … concluded that cars built 10 or more years ago now comprise almost 40 percent of the U.S. vehicle fleet." — From an article by Ken Leiser in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 5, 2013 Did you know? "Comprise" has undergone a substantial shift in usage since first appearing in English in the 15th century. For many years usage commentators insisted that the usage of "comprise" meaning "to be made up of" (as shown in our first example) was correct and "comprise" meaning "to make up," as in our second example and in phrases like "the players who comprise the team" was not. (This disputed use is often used in passive constructions such as, "The album is comprised of ten classic songs.") Until relatively recently, this less-favored sense appeared mostly in scientific writing, but current evidence shows that it is now somewhat more common in general use than the word's other meanings.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 06, 2013 is: kinetic \kuh-NET-ik\ adjective 1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated with them 2 a : active, lively b : dynamic, energizing 3 : of or relating to kinetic art Examples: Polly's grandfather had a colorful kinetic sculpture in his garden that would rotate on windy days. "I've known John 30 years, and he's still the kinetic guy trying to find the next new thing." — Bill Gates, quoted in Forbes, May 27, 2013 Did you know? "Kinetic" comes from the Greek word "kinētikos," meaning "of motion," which in turn traces to the verb "kinein," meaning "to move." Compared to some other English words that have their roots in Greek, "kinetic" is a relatively young English word; the earliest evidence we have of its use is from 1864. Although it deals with the motion of images rather than material bodies, the word "cinema" can also be traced back to "kinein." The verb "kinein" is the source of the Greek "kinēma," meaning "movement," to which the French referred in the coining of their "cinématographe." "Cinématographe" is the word that gave rise to the English word "cinematograph," of which "cinema" is simply a shortened form.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 05, 2013 is: contraband \KAHN-truh-band\ noun 1 : illegal or prohibited traffic in goods : smuggling 2 : goods or merchandise whose importation, exportation, or possession is forbidden; also : smuggled goods 3 : a slave who during the American Civil War escaped to or was brought within the Union lines Examples: The border police searched the car for weapons, drugs, and other contraband. "The Tucson Sector Border Patrol is determined to prevent dangerous contraband … from being transported through Arizona." — From an article in the Douglas Dispatch (Arizona), July 3, 2013 Did you know? "Contraband" first appeared in English in the early 1500s as a borrowing of Italian "contrabbando." This Italian word can be traced to the Medieval Latin word "contrabannum," a combination of "contra-" ("against") and "bannum" ("decree"). "Bannum" is Germanic in origin and is related to Old High German "bannan" ("to command"). "Bannan" is also related to Middle English "bannen" ("to summon or to curse"), the source of the English verb "ban" (which now means "to prohibit" but which once also meant "to curse").

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 04, 2013 is: hoodwink \HOOD-wink\ verb : to deceive by false appearance : dupe Examples: By making it look like a fun, enjoyable privilege instead of an exhausting chore, Tom Sawyer hoodwinks Ben Rogers into helping him whitewash Aunt Polly's fence. "In Moliére's classic comedy, the religious fraud Tartuffe has hoodwinked rich merchant Orgon and is poised to marry his host's teenage daughter, to seduce his lovely wife and to take over his gullible patron’s fortune—unless someone stops him." — From an article in The Edmond Sun (Oklahoma), June 25, 2013 Did you know? A now-obsolete sense of the word "wink" is "to close one's eyes," and "hoodwink" once meant to cover the eyes of someone, such as a prisoner, with a hood or blindfold. ("Hoodwink" was also once a name for the game of blindman's buff.) This 16th-century term soon came to be used figuratively for veiling the truth. "The Public is easily hood-winked," wrote the Irish physician Charles Lucas in 1756, by which time the figurative use had been around for almost a century and a half. Over two hundred and fifty years later, this meaning of the word hasn't changed a wink.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 03, 2013 is: effusive \ih-FYOO-siv\ adjective 1 : marked by the expression of great or excessive emotion or enthusiasm 2 archaic : pouring freely 2 : characterized or formed by a nonexplosive outpouring of lava Examples: Lila's history teacher wrote an effusive letter of recommendation. "It's never easy for opponents from the opposite party to find specific praise at library unveilings, but Carter was effusive. 'Mr. President, let me say that I'm filled with admiration for you and deep gratitude for you about the great contributions you've made to the most needy people on Earth,' said the 39th president." — From an article by John Dickerson on Slate.com, July 2, 2013 Did you know? We've used "effusive" in English to describe excessive outpourings since the 17th century. In the 1800s, geologists adopted the specific sense related to flowing lava—or to hardened rock formed from flowing lava. "Effusive" can be traced to the Latin verb "effundere" ("to pour out"), which itself comes from "fundere" ("to pour") plus a modification of the prefix "ex-" ("out"). Our verb "effuse" has the same Latin ancestors. A person effuses when he or she speaks effusively. Liquids can effuse as well (as in "water effusing from a pipe").

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 02, 2013 is: footle \FOO-tul\ verb 1 : to talk or act foolishly 2 : to waste time : trifle, fool Examples: "La Queue exclaimed that they were just being lazy and footling about." — From Douglas Parmée's 1984 translation of Émile Zola's story "Coqueville on the Spree" (originally published in 1907) "Well, we could not possibly intervene ourselves. We are far too busy footling about online, bemoaning how the country has gone to the dogs." — From an article by Will Batchelor in the Liverpool Post (United Kingdom), March 14, 2013 Did you know? "Footle" may be an alteration of "footer," which an 1847 dictionary of archaic and provincial words says is a verb meaning "to idle." That word is connected with "fouter" (also spelled "foutra"), a word describing something of little value or someone worthless or bungling. But the link between "footle" and "footer" is speculative. What we can say with confidence is that "footle" is a verb of 19th century origin that—along with the adjective "footling" (as in "a footling amateur")—is still apt when discussing foolish or trifling people or things.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 01, 2013 is: boffin \BAH-fin\ noun : a scientific expert; especially : one involved in technological research Examples: The auto manufacturer's boffins have become a driving force in reshaping the company's product line. “Unlike 'innovation,' invention has escaped being stereotyped by management theorists, and still conjures cheerful images of idealistic boffins and amateur inventors showing off their contraptions at Maker Faires.” — From an article by Alice Rawsthorn in The New York Times, April 22, 2013 Did you know? "Boffin" is an informal word that is more common in the U.K. than in the U.S. It is a relative newcomer to the English language, only appearing toward the end of World War II. Despite its youth, however, the origins of "boffin" are a mystery to us. The term was probably first applied by British Royal Air Force members to the scientists and engineers working closely with radar technology. The term was soon being more broadly applied to scientists involved in technological research. British speakers also use "boffin" colloquially to refer to academics or intellectuals in general, often in a manner that is synonymous with "nerd" or "egghead."