When:
Rancor was one of the top lookups on Merriam-Webster.com on August 11.
Why:
During the trial of former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich, jurors used the word in a note to the judge.
The jurors' note was quoted in The Washington Post:
"In a situation where jurors can't agree on given counts, what should the next logical step be?" the note said. "We've gone beyond reasonable attempts without rancor. We now ask for guidance."
Rancor's Latin root is a verb that means "to be rancid" or "to stink." Today, rancor means "bitter deep-seated ill will."
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
