Word of the Day

: October 16, 2023

acronym

noun AK-ruh-nim

What It Means

An acronym is a word formed from the first letter or letters of each one of the words in a phrase.

// They came up with the perfect acronym, WORDS, as a name for their spelling team by using the first letters of each of their names: William, Owen, Rosie, Diana, and Sam.

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acronym in Context

"Despite the innate human capacity to wander—particularly when bolstered by walking sticks—things will still go wrong. Here are a few of the most common ailments pilgrims will face. Sprained ankles: Follow the RICE acronym to reduce swelling and support healing. Rest: Stop all activity and try not to put any weight on the ankle. Ice: Apply an ice pack—or a bag of frozen peas wrapped in a thin towel—for up to 20 minutes every two to three hours for about two days. Compression: Wrap a bandage around the injury or wear a compression sock to support it. Elevate: Keep it raised as much as possible." — James Jeffrey, CNN, 31 Aug. 2023

Did You Know?

The word acronym fuses together two combining forms: acr- ("beginning") and -onym ("name" or "word"), both of which trace back to Greek. You may recognize -onym in other familiar (and older) English words, such as pseudonym and synonym. When acronym first entered English in the mid-20th century (likely influenced by or borrowed from the German word Akronym or Akronymon), some usage commentators decreed that it should refer to combinations of initial letters that were pronounced as if they were whole words (such as radar and scuba), and be differentiated from an initialism, which is spoken by pronouncing the component letters (as in FBI and CEO). These days, however, that distinction is largely lost, and acronym is a common label for both types of abbreviation.