Legendary figures and the words that define them
Celebrated writers share their quest to find the right words
We're gonna stop you right there
What about Day Tomorrow?
And how did it get that name?
Word Icons
New!
The best way to find information in the dictionary
37,346 views
And is one more correct than the others?
202,648 views
No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?
453,492 views
There, there. We'll sort it out.
103,512 views
The awkward case of 'his or her'
264,383 views
No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.
71,077 views
They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.
53,390 views
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
361,250 views
'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.
289,449 views
Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'
263,819 views
Why is pig meat called 'pork' and cow meat called 'beef?' Because English took on a big serving of French words following the Norman Conquest.
547,051 views
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
156,587 views
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
40,846 views
The story of those iconic illustrations.
24,214 views
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
161,972 views
We'll help you figure it out at once
886,251 views
791,317 views
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts
451,610 views
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
324,095 views
And who put it there, anyway?
319,902 views
We're intent on clearing it up
314,510 views
Face Your Fears
Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.
You can make only 12 words. Pick the best ones!