Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 12, 2013 is: remuneration \rih-myoo-nuh-RAY-shun\ noun : compensation, payment Examples: She was hired on several occasions as a consultant and given generous remunerations for her services. "BSkyB CEO Jeremy Darroch saw his remuneration for the latest fiscal year ended in June rise around 7 percent…." — From an article by Georg Szalai in Hollywood Reporter, September 25, 2012 Did you know? Our evidence shows "remuneration" to be most at home in writing that concerns financial matters, especially when large amounts of money—or other forms of compensation—are involved. Whether it's because money denotes numerals, or simply because the "n" and "m" are adjacent to each other on our keyboards, "reMUNeration" appears misspelled as "reNUMeration" to a rather inordinate degree in an electronic database of published periodicals. ("Renumeration," a very rare word, means "to enumerate [to count or list] again.") It pays to know that the "-mun-" in "remuneration" is from Latin "munus," meaning "gift," a root it shares with "munificent," an adjective which means "very liberal in giving."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 11, 2013 is: realia \ree-AL-ee-uh\ noun plural : objects or activities used to relate classroom teaching to the real life especially of peoples studied Examples: Among the realia used for the class's lesson on World War II was a helmet and canteen that had belonged to one student’s great-grandfather. "It's common knowledge that eighth grade is one of life's low points. Here, it literally makes Ginny Davis sick. Photo-collages of poems, notes, text and chat messages, comics, realia of all sorts and, especially, food document the descent of Ginny's school year." — From a book review in Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 2012 Did you know? "Realia," as defined above, was first used in the late 19th century, and is still mostly used in the classroom by teachers, especially foreign language teachers. It is also used in library cataloguing (in reference to such bizarre things as an author's hair and teeth donated posthumously) and occasionally finds its way into other contexts as well. You might, for example, hear of someone putting "realia"—objects that represent present-day life—in a time capsule. "Realia" is also sometimes used philosophically to distinguish real things from the theories about them—a meaning that dates to the early 19th century. "Realia" is one of those plural formations without a corresponding singular form. Like "memorabilia" ("memorable things" or "mementos"), "juvenilia" ("works produced in an artist's or author's youth"), and "marginalia" ("marginal notes or embellishments"), it incorporates the Latin plural ending "-ia."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 10, 2013 is: Apollonian \ap-uh-LOH-nee-un\ adjective 1 : of, relating to, or resembling the god Apollo 2 : harmonious, measured, ordered, or balanced in character Examples: His paintings exhibit a stately and Apollonian elegance, but too often fail to engage the viewer emotionally. "[Pianist Andras] Schiff is described as cool, Apollonian, restrained, though this could be as much about his serene appearance than about the actual sound of the instrument." — From a review by Anne Midgette in The Washington Post, October 28, 2012 Did you know? To the ancient Greeks, Apollo represented the perfection of youthful manhood. He was the god of music, poetry, archery, prophecy, and healing, among other things. English speakers began using the adjective "Apollonian" for someone who resembled Apollo in physical beauty or talent as long ago as 1663. Due partly to the work of Nietzsche and other German scholars, we now associate Apollo with the forces of calm rationality (as opposed to the "Dionysian" forces, which are instinctive, frenzied, and uninhibited). Despite these associations, Apollo himself was not always a force of reason—he had a terrible temper and a lust for young girls as well.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 09, 2013 is: buttonhole \BUT-un-hohl\ verb : to detain in conversation by or as if by holding on to the outer garments of Examples: I'm sorry I'm late. I was buttonholed by a coworker just as I was leaving my office. "The school's administrative assistant, Kristine Silva, who attended Jefferson when she was a little girl, made a Facebook event that attracted about 9,000 people. And she buttonholed anyone she encountered who happened to be carrying a smartphone, including store clerks and a stranger in a food court in an Albuquerque mall." — From an article by Leslie Linthicum in the Albuquerque Journal, November 22, 2012 Did you know? "Buttonhole" is easy to pin down as a noun referring to the slit or loop through which a button is passed to fasten something, but its shift to a verb meaning "to detain in conversation" requires some explanation. "Buttonhole" is an alteration of another verb now long out of use: "buttonhold," which literally meant to hold on to the buttons or lapels of someone's coat when speaking to him or her. In the mid-19th century, English speakers altered the verb to "buttonhole," perhaps as a result of hearing "buttonhold" as "buttonholed." The overlap is apparent in an early instance of this spelling, an 1862 London publication called All Year Round: "The man who is button~holed, or held … and must listen to half an hour's harangue about nothing interesting."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 08, 2013 is: ramify \RAM-uh-fye\ verb 1 : to split up into branches or constituent parts 2 : to send forth branches or extensions 3 : to cause to branch Examples: "The people of Rafadh had decisions to make, ones that might soon ramify across all of Yemen's remote mountains and deserts and even half a world away in the Pentagon." — From an article by Robert F. Worth in the New York Times Magazine, July 6, 2010 "And most of these stories aren't over yet. They'll ripple and ramify for years to come, in ways that are destined to both shock and gratify us." — From a review by Armin Rosen of the top international news stories of 2012, in the Atlantic, December 7, 2012 Did you know? "Ramify" has been part of English since the 15th century and is an offshoot of the Latin word for "branch," which is "ramus." English acquired several scientific words from "ramus," including "biramous" ("having two branches"). Another English word derived from "ramus" is the now obsolete "ramage," meaning "untamed" or "wild." "Ramage" originated in falconry—it was initially used of young hawks that had begun to fly from branch to branch in trees. "Ramify" started out as a scientific word, at first referring to branching parts of plants and trees and later to veins and nerves, but it soon branched out into non-scientific and even figurative uses, as in "ideas that ramify throughout society."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 07, 2013 is: pedagogical \ped-uh-GAH-jih-kul\ adjective : of, relating to, or befitting a teacher or education Examples: New teachers will be evaluated on pedagogical skills such as lesson planning and classroom management. "The report suggests that the exam be multidimensional and include subject knowledge as well as pedagogical knowledge. In other words, in addition to having to know the subject they teach, teachers would have to demonstrate that they had the qualities to be 'caring, competent and confident.'" — From an article by Donna Krache at CNN's Schools of Thought blog, December 4, 2012 Did you know? "Pedagogical," which has the somewhat less common spelling variant "pedagogic," was coined in the early 17th century from a Greek adjective of the same meaning. That adjective, "paidagōgikos," in turn derives from the noun "paidagōgos," meaning "teacher." The English word "pedagogue" (which can simply mean "teacher" but usually suggests one who is particularly dull) derives from the same root. Though the words "educational" and "teacher" make the grade in most contexts, "pedagogical" and "pedagogue" are useful additions to the class.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 06, 2013 is: quintessence \kwin-TESS-unss\ noun 1 : the essence of a thing in its purest and most concentrated form 2 : the most typical example or representative Examples: Roasting marshmallows over an open fire is the quintessence of the camping experience. "A seven-minute cartoon ... containing the quintessence of frustration and despair, Froggy features a construction worker whose sanity begins to unravel when he discovers an ebullient performing frog that he might make a fortune from—if it didn't turn taciturn and morose the moment anyone else is watching." — From an article by Nick Pinkerton in The Village Voice, November 20, 2012 Did you know? Long ago, when people believed that the earth was made up of four elements—earth, air, fire, and water—they thought the stars and planets were made up of yet another element. In the Middle Ages, people called this element by its Medieval Latin name, "quinta essentia," literally, "fifth essence." Our forebears believed the quinta essentia was essential to all kinds of matter, and if they could somehow isolate it, it would cure all disease. We have since given up on that idea, but we kept "quintessence," the offspring of "quinta essentia," as a word for the purest essence of a thing. Some modern physicists have given "quintessence" a new twist—they use it for a form of so-called "dark energy," which is believed to make up 70 percent of the universe.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 05, 2013 is: imperturbable \im-per-TER-buh-bul\ adjective : marked by extreme calm, impassivity, and steadiness : serene Examples: The imperturbable pilot did not panic when her plane flew into an electrical storm. "But ZZ Top has always excelled when it lets notes growl and grooves simmer, relaxing rather than rushing, and maintaining a laid-back musical cool to parallel its imperturbable attitude." — From a review by Bob Gendron in the Chicago Tribune, October 12, 2012 Did you know? There is an interesting time lag between the appearance of "imperturbable" and its antonym, "perturbable." Although "imperturbable" is known to have existed since the middle of the 15th century, "perturbable" didn't show up in written English until 1800. The verb "perturb" (meaning "to disquiet" or "to throw into confusion") predates both "imperturbable" and "perturbable"; it has been part of English since the 14th century. All three words derive from Latin "perturbare" (also meaning "to throw into confusion"), which in turn comes from the combination of "per-" and "turbare," which means "to disturb." Other relatives of "imperturbable" include "disturb" and "turbid."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 04, 2013 is: doctrine of signatures \DAHK-trun-uv-SIG-nuh-cherz\ noun : a theory in old natural philosophy: the outward appearance of a body signals its special properties (as of magic or healing virtue) and there is a relationship between the outward qualities of a medicinal object and the diseases against which it is effective Examples: Among the documents are the notes of a 17th-century physician, who discusses his use of the doctrine of signatures to determine which medicinal plants to use for which ailments. "Lungwort (Pulmonaria) is legacy from the ancient doctrine of signatures, which included a belief that a plant resembling a part of the anatomy had medicinal properties for that part. The broad, elongated white-spotted leaves of this plant were thought to resemble the lung and used to treat pulmonary ailments." — From an article by Julie Finucane in The Argus-Press (Owosso, Michigan), November 12, 2012 Did you know? The idea that a plant's appearance might give clues to its healing capacities is an old one (it was advocated by the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder). The word "signature" (from Latin "signare," meaning "to sign or mark") has been used to refer to a plant feature that suggests its potential medicinal value since the 1600s. For instance, bloodroot, with its red sap, was considered effective against blood disorders, and liverwort, which has a three-lobed leaf that resembles the liver, was used to treat—you guessed it—liver diseases. Many examples of the variety of herbal medicine espoused by the doctrine of signatures can be found in Nicholas Culpeper's pseudo-scientific A Physicall Directory, published in 1649.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 03, 2013 is: festoon \fess-TOON\ noun 1 : a decorative chain or strip hanging between two points 2 : a carved, molded, or painted ornament representing a decorative chain Examples: Festoons of colored paper were draped along the classroom's walls. "Imagine how the parlor was created and decorated, and note the bright azalea color of the silk drapery with festoons lined in an apple green." — From an article by Carleton Varney in the Palm Beach Daily News, March 23, 2012 Did you know? "Festoon" can also be a verb that is used as a synonym of "decorate" or "adorn" (as in "the room was festooned with streamers and balloons"). The verb "festoon," which first appeared in the late 1700s, comes from the noun "festoon," which appeared over 100 years earlier. "Festoon" traces back (by way of French and Italian) to Latin "festa," the plural of "festum," meaning "festival." "Festa" is also an ancestor of the English noun "feast."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 02, 2013 is: heliacal \hih-LYE-uh-kul\ adjective : relating to or near the sun — used especially of the last setting of a star before and its first rising after invisibility due to conjunction with the sun's rising and setting Examples: The heliacal rising of Pleiades marked the beginning of summer in the old Julian calendar, which was introduced by Julius Caesar. "Nowadays, if you wish to watch the heliacal rising of Sirius, you've got to wait until August. This is because Earth wobbles on its axis ... and over several millennia, the positions of celestial objects shift slightly." — From an article by Dennis Mammana in Newsday (New York), July 14, 2012 Did you know? The word "heliacal" rose in the mid-16th century. Its source is the Greek word "hēlios," meaning "sun." Helios is also the Sun god of ancient Greece. "Heliacal" often suggests a relationship between a star and the sun as they appear to the human eye in the sky, as in our example sentences. It's also used in reference to the ancient Egyptian year, which began on the date when Sirius (or the Dog Star) first appeared on the eastern horizon at sunrise. English speakers have referred to this year as the heliacal year or the Sothic year. ("Sothic" comes from "Sōthōs," the Greek word for Sirius.)

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 01, 2013 is: hark back \HAHRK-BAK\ verb 1 : to turn back to an earlier topic or circumstance 2 : to go back to something as an origin or source Examples: The restaurant's art deco interior harks back to Paris in the 1920s. "The design features the city's iconic Spanish-style entryway, a large mission bell and two oxen pulling a bountiful cart of grapes, harking back to the days when the mission was known to produce wine." — From an article by Rosanna Xia in the Los Angeles Times, November 23, 2012 Did you know? "Hark," a very old word meaning "listen," was used as a cry in hunting. The master of the hunt might cry "Hark! Forward!" or "Hark! Back!" The cries became set phrases, both as nouns and verbs. Thus, a "hark back" was a retracing of a route by dogs and hunters, and "to hark back" was to turn back along the path. From its use in hunting, the verb soon acquired its current figurative meanings. In the early 20th century, English speakers began using "hearken back" and its variant "harken back" synonymously with the verb "hark back." (Like "hark," "hearken" and "harken" can mean "listen.") And since the 1980s, there's been another development: "harken" can now be used alone to mean "hark back."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 31, 2012 is: hangover \HANG-oh-ver\ noun 1 : something (as a surviving custom) that remains from what is past 2 a : disagreeable physical effects following heavy consumption of alcohol or the use of drugs b : a letdown following great excitement or excess Examples: "Keep at about one drink an hour, about three drinks maximum for an entire episode, and then you really will prevent hangovers." — Dr. Krista Lisdahl (neurologist), as quoted in the ABC News Transcript, September 21, 2012 "Pliny the Elder includes, in a list of rabies cures, a recipe for inserting the ashes from a biting dog's tail into the wound—the origin of our hangover cure 'hair of the dog.'" — From an article by Monica Murphy and Bill Wasik in Wired, August 2012 Did you know? The effects of hangovers have been hanging around for ages. The word itself, however, has only been fermenting since the late 19th century. Originally, "hangover" described someone or something that remained or simply survived, but it was later distilled into common use as a word for the effects of overconsumption of alcohol or drugs. These days, "hangover" can also suggest an emotional letdown or an undesirable prolongation of notes or sounds from a loudspeaker.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 30, 2012 is: promulgate \PRAH-mul-gayt\ verb 1 : to make (as a doctrine) known by open declaration : proclaim 2 a : to make known or public the terms of (a proposed law) b : to put (a law) into action or force Examples: Her ideas have been widely promulgated on the Internet. "Expectations are high that the EPA will act swiftly in Obama's second term to more aggressively promulgate a variety of new rules and regulations aimed at all forms of pollution, including greenhouse gases. These will almost certainly meet legal challenges of their own." — From an article by Tom Zeller, Jr. at The Huffington Post, November 28, 2012 Did you know? The origin of "promulgate" is a bit murky, or perhaps we should say "milky." It comes from Latin "promulgatus," which in turn derives from "pro-," meaning "forward," and "-mulgare," a form that is probably related to the verb "mulgēre," meaning "to milk" or "to extract." "Mulgēre" is an ancestor of the English word "emulsion" ("mixture of mutually insoluble liquids"), and it is also related to the Old English word that became "milk" itself. Like its synonyms "declare," "announce," and "proclaim," "promulgate" means to make known publicly. It particularly implies the proclaiming of a dogma, doctrine, or law.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 29, 2012 is: vacuous \VAK-yuh-wus\ adjective 1 : emptied of or lacking content 2 : marked by lack of ideas or intelligence : stupid, inane 3 : devoid of serious occupation : idle Examples: The student's vacuous facial expression suggested a lack of comprehension. "When the leaves begin to turn and the temperature calls for long sleeves, we stow the whites and rosés in favor of reds. It's easy but vacuous logic. Color is not the most significant factor in drinking [wine] seasonally. It's texture and weight." — From an article by Eric Asimov in the New York Times, October 24, 2012 Did you know? As you might have guessed, "vacuous" shares the same root as "vacuum"—the Latin adjective "vacuus," meaning "empty." This root also gave us the noun "vacuity" (the oldest meaning of which is "an empty space") as well as the verb "evacuate" (originally meaning "to empty of contents"). Its predecessor, the verb "vacare," is also an ancestor of the words "vacation" and "vacancy" as well as "void." All of these words suggest an emptiness of space, or else a fleeing of people or things from one place to another. "Vacuous" appeared in English in the middle of the 17th century, at first literally describing something that was empty. It acquired its figurative usage, describing one who is lacking any substance of the mind, in the mid-1800s.