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!
And is one more correct than the others?
212,598 views
No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?
455,054 views
There, there. We'll sort it out.
104,294 views
The awkward case of 'his or her'
266,076 views
No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.
71,989 views
They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.
54,919 views
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
364,266 views
'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.
290,337 views
Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'
265,348 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.
547,891 views
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
157,166 views
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
41,368 views
The story of those iconic illustrations.
24,526 views
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
162,529 views
We'll help you figure it out at once
886,812 views
797,873 views
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts
453,302 views
And who put it there, anyway?
325,051 views
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
325,015 views
We're intent on clearing it up
315,440 views
Name That Flower
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Pick the best words!
