In a year dominated by presidential campaigns and financial distress, it's no surprise that
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year for 2008 was one that impacted both arenas.
"Bailout"—defined in Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, Eleventh
Edition as "a rescue from financial distress"—received the highest intensity of lookups on
Merriam-Webster Online over the shortest period of time, ensuring its place at the top of the Word of the Year
rankings. Check out the rest of the Top Ten here.
Merriam-Webster Online is excited to announce the addition of SCRABBLE Sprint
to our expanding arsenal of free word games. SCRABBLE Sprint offers a new twist on one of America's
favorite board games: race against the timer and use up all 64 letters as quickly and creatively as you can.
Remember, points equal additional time on the clock and more chances to place all your letters. Challenge yourself
and beat your friends' scores at SCRABBLE Sprint!
What do these two seemingly disparate things have in common? They were both topics recently featured
on Merriam-Webster's Word for the Wise—an online treasure trove of
linguistic arcana created for the erudite and inquisitive. Check back five days a week for a fresh entry,
or peruse the archives for a full year’s worth of literary and
etymological fun facts.
Cross the moat and stroll the parapet in the architecture section of Merriam-Webster's Visual
Dictionary Online. This interactive site allows you to visit different continents, eras—even
other planets—all at the click of a button. Full-color illustrations and clear, concise definitions
make Visual Dictionary Online the perfect resource
for visual learners everywhere.
Bank assistant manager E.J. Blum is in trouble: he needs to get into the bank's vault but his boss
left for Brazil—and he took the vault combinations with him!
Word Vault is one of Merriam-Webster's amazing free word games. Find
the words hidden in the jumble, figure out the combination, and win a reward. Hurry up—Blum is impatient
and the clock's ticking!
Look up words instantly while browsing anywhere on the web.
