Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 16, 2012 is:
argot • \AHR-goh\ • noun
: an often more or less secret vocabulary and idiom peculiar to a particular group
Examples:
The town's selectmen decided to hire a consultant to sort through the bureaucratic argot of the community development grant application.
"What makes the play work, though, is that the rich insider's argot spoken by Mr. Leight's characters is used not to show how much he knows, but to set the scene for a stinging tale of youthful hope and bitter disappointment, one whose implications are universal." — From a theater review by Terry Teachout in The Wall Street Journal, April 13, 2012
Did you know?
We borrowed "argot" from French in the mid-1800s, although our language already had several words covering its meaning. There was "jargon," which harks back to Anglo-French by way of Middle English (where it meant "twittering of birds"); it had been used for specialized (and often obscure or pretentious) vocabulary since the 1600s. There was also "lingo," which had been around for almost a hundred years, and which is connected to the Latin word “lingua" ("language"). English novelist and lawyer Henry Fielding used it of "court gibberish" -- what we tend to call "legalese." In fact, the suffixal ending "-ese" is a newer means of indicating arcane vocabulary. One of its very first applications at the turn of the 20th century was for "American 'golfese.'"
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 15, 2012 is:
accident • \AK-suh-dunt\ • noun
1 a : an unforeseen and unplanned event or circumstance b : lack of intention or necessity : chance 2 : an unfortunate event resulting especially from carelessness or ignorance 3 : a nonessential property or quality of an entity or circumstance
Examples:
Following the second work-related accident in two weeks, operations at the factory were shut down so that a thorough safety review could be conducted.
"Too many kids — by accident of birth — start life with the odds against them, and too many schools don't do much to improve those odds." — From an article in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), December 9, 2011
Did you know?
"Accident" is just one of many words in the English language to come down to us from the Latin verb "cadere," meaning "to fall." Among the others are "deciduous" (an adjective used to describe something, such as leaves, which fall off or shed seasonally or at a certain stage of development in the life cycle), "cascade" (which can mean, among other things, "a steep fall of water" or "something falling or rushing forth"),"cadence" ("a falling inflection of the voice"), and "decay" ("to fall into ruin"). "Chance," which functions as a synonym of "accident" in one sense, is also a "cadere" descendant.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 14, 2012 is:
skulk • \SKULK\ • verb
1 : to move in a stealthy or furtive manner 2 : to hide or conceal something (as oneself) often out of cowardice or fear or with sinister intent b chiefly British : malinger
Examples:
"I sometimes met with hounds in my path prowling about the woods, which would skulk out of my way, as if afraid, and stand silent amid the bushes till I had passed." — From Henry David Thoreau's 1854 collection of essays, Walden
"These handsome gray birds … are usually found skulking amid the shadows of shrubs and thickets below a forest canopy." — From an article by Gary Phillips at MyrtleBeachOnline.com, April, 11, 2012
Did you know?
Here's one for the word-puzzle lovers. Can you name three things that the word "skulk" has in common with all of these other words: booth, brink, cog, flit, give, kid, meek, scab, seem, skull and wing? If you noticed that all of the terms on that list have just one syllable, then you've got the first (easy) similarity, but the next two are likely to prove a little harder to guess. Do you give up? All of the words listed above are of Scandinavian origin and all were first recorded in English in the 13th century. As for "skulk," its closest known Scandinavian relative is the Norwegian dialect word "skulka," which means "to lie in wait" or "lurk."
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 13, 2012 is:
hiatus • \hye-AY-tus\ • noun
1 a : a break in or as if in a material object : gap b : a gap or passage in an anatomical part or organ 2 a : an interruption in time or continuity : break; especially : a period when something (as a program or activity) is suspended or interrupted b : the occurrence of two vowel sounds without pause or intervening consonantal sound
Examples:
The band released several hit albums in the '90s and aughts, and then went on hiatus.
"Wasting no time, Joshua Michael Stern is set to begin principal photography in May while [Ashton] Kutcher is on hiatus from the CBS sitcom 'Two and a Half Men.' Kutcher is a natural to play Jobs; the resemblance between the two is unmistakable." — From an article by Pamela McClintock in The Hollywood Reporter, April 1, 2012
Did you know?
"Hiatus" comes from "hiare," a Latin verb meaning "to gape" or "to yawn," and first appeared in English in the middle of the 16th century. Originally, the word referred to a gap or opening in something, such as a cave opening in a cliff. In the 18th century, Laurence Sterne used the word humorously in his novel Tristram Shandy, writing of "the hiatus in Phutatorius's breeches." These days, "hiatus" is usually used in a temporal sense to refer to a pause or interruption (as in a song), or a period during which an activity is temporarily suspended (such as a hiatus from teaching).
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 12, 2012 is:
recalcitrant • \rih-KAL-suh-trunt\ • adjective
1 : obstinately defiant of authority or restraint 2 a : difficult to manage or operate b : not responsive to treatment c : resistant
Examples:
Anna's doctor ordered a week of complete bed rest, but, ever recalcitrant when it comes to doctors' orders, she was up and baking a cake after two days.
"Finally, he laid down the parental law: You will go on a hike and, gosh darn it, you will enjoy yourself. So the recalcitrant 14-year-old shrugged into her sweat shirt, slipped into her flimsy … canvas sneakers (totally hiking-inappropriate) and slumped in the back seat for the drive southwest to Vacaville, Calif., and Lagoon Valley Regional Park." — From an article by Sam McManis in Tri-City Herald (Washington), June 30, 2011
Did you know?
Long before any human was dubbed "recalcitrant" in English (that first occurred, as best we know, in one of William Thackeray's works in 1843), there were stubborn mules (and horses) kicking back their heels. The ancient Romans noted as much (Pliny the Elder among them), and they had a word for it — "recalcitrare," which literally means "to kick back." (Its root "calc-," meaning "heel," is also the root of "calcaneus," the large bone of the heel in humans.) Certainly Roman citizens in Pliny's time were sometimes willful and hardheaded — as attested by various Latin words meaning "stubborn" — but it wasn’t until later that writers of Late Latin applied "recalcitrare" and its derivative adjective to humans who were stubborn as mules.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 11, 2012 is:
pacify • \PASS-uh-fye\ • verb
1 : to allay the anger or agitation of : soothe 2 a : to restore to a tranquil state : settle b : to reduce to a submissive state : subdue
Examples:
Aunt Mabel claimed she had the magic touch to pacify a cranky baby, and indeed, as soon as she picked up her infant nephew he settled right down.
"Before Leon LaRue could pacify a rally outside the Augusta courthouse, a rock was thrown through a bus window, and the 1970 race riots exploded." — From an article by Meg Mirshak in the Augusta (Georgia) Chronicle, March 29, 2012
Did you know?
A parent who wants to win a little peace and quiet might give a fussy baby a pacifier. An employer seeking to avoid worker discontent might pay employees well. These actions may seem unrelated, but, etymologically speaking, they have a lot in common. Both "pacifier" and "pay" are ultimately derived from "pax," the Latin word for "peace." As you may have guessed, "pax" is also the source of our word "peace." "Pacify" comes to us through Middle English "pacifien," from the Latin verb "pacificare," which derives from "pax."
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 10, 2012 is:
tranche • \TRAHNSH\ • noun
: a division or portion of a pool or whole
Examples:
"The funds are doled out in tranches over time…." — From an article in The Economist, March 10, 2012
"The 1917 law … allowed $8 billion in national debt, the first tranche of an ultimate $30 billion debt to fund World War I, repayable in gold." — From an article by David Malpass in Forbes, February 27, 2012
Did you know?
In French, "tranche" means "slice." Cutting deeper into the word's etymology, we find the Old French word "trancer," meaning "to cut." The word emerged in the English language in the late 19th century to describe financial appropriations. Today, it is often used specifically of an issue of bonds that is differentiated from other issues by such factors as maturity or rate of return. Another use of the French word "tranche" is in the French phrase "une tranche de vie," meaning "a cross section of life." That phrase was coined by the dramatist Jean Jullien (1854-1919), who advocated naturalism in the theater.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 09, 2012 is:
agog • \uh-GAHG\ • adjective
: full of intense interest or excitement : eager
Examples:
Everyone was agog over the rumor that a famous actress would be coming to town to shoot her next movie.
"Throughout the hotel dolphins cavort in the details, a popular motif in the mansions of Newport, leaving anyone who appreciates interior design agog." — From an article by Kathleen Pierce in The Boston Globe, April 8, 2012
Did you know?
English speakers have been clamoring over the word "agog" for over 450 years; it derives from the Middle French phrase "en gogues," meaning "in a state of mirth." The "-gog" part of the word might make one wonder if "agog" has a connection to the verb "goggle," meaning "to stare with wide or protuberant eyes," as in the manner of one who is intensely excited about something. That word actually has a different origin: the Middle English "gogelen," meaning "to squint." In many instances, "agog" is followed by a preposition, such as "over" or "about."
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 08, 2012 is:
torrid • \TOR-id\ • adjective
1 a : parched with heat especially of the sun : hot b : giving off intense heat : scorching 2 : ardent, passionate
Examples:
As she cleaned out the attic, Monica was shocked to find a box filled with torrid love letters that her grandfather had written to her grandmother.
"The deodar cedar, although really a cool climate tree, has adjusted very nicely to the South's torrid climate." — From an article by Joe W. White in The Times (Shreveport, LA), April 20, 2011
Did you know?
"Torrid" derives from the Latin verb torrēre, which means "to burn" or "to parch" and is an ancestor of our word "toast." Despite the dry implications of this root, it is also an ancestor of "torrent," which can refer to a violent stream of liquid (as in "a torrent of rain"). "Torrid" first appeared in English in the 16th century, and was originally used to describe something burned or scorched by exposure to the sun. The term "torrid zone" later came about to refer to tropical regions of the Earth. By the end of that century the word had taken on the extended meaning that we know today — suggesting fiery passion.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 07, 2012 is:
satiety • \suh-TYE-uh-tee\ • noun
1 : the quality or state of being fed or gratified to or beyond capacity : surfeit, fullness 2 : the revulsion or disgust caused by overindulgence or excess
Examples:
Enjoying his satiety after a hearty meal of roast beef, mashed potatoes, carrots, and gravy, Bill sat down in his recliner for a brief nap.
"Yes, avocado is high in fat, but it's the good, monounsaturated kind that helps increase satiety so you feel full with fewer calories." — From a recipe column by Georgia Downard in Self, June 2011
Did you know?
You may have guessed that "satiety" is related to "satisfy," "satiate" (meaning "to satisfy fully or to excess"), or "sate" (which means "to glut" or "to satisfy to the full"). If so, you guessed right. "Satiety," along with the others, ultimately comes from the Latin word "satis," which means "enough." English speakers apparently couldn’t get enough of "satis-" derived words in the 15th and 16th centuries, which is when all of these words entered the language. "Satiety" itself was borrowed into English in 1541 from the Middle French word "satieté" of the same meaning.
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 06, 2012 is:
validate • \VAL-uh-dayt\ • verb
1 a : to make legally valid : ratify b : to grant official sanction to by marking c : to confirm the validity of (an election); also : to declare (a person) elected 2 a : to support or corroborate on a sound or authoritative basis b : to recognize, establish, or illustrate the worthiness or legitimacy of
Examples:
The student pointed out that these days it was easy enough to find evidence on the Internet to validate almost any conclusion.
"'There is a misinformed tendency to think that the emphasis on the exterior will dilute the importance of what lies within,' said Mr. [Charles] Pocock, referring to the Gulf’s museums. 'However, any art historian will validate that architecture is the most visible expression of a culture.'" — From an article by Vinita Bharadwaj, in the New York Times, March 20, 2012
Did you know?
"Validate," "confirm," "corroborate," "substantiate," "verify," and "authenticate" all mean to attest to the truth or validity of something. "Validate" implies establishing validity by authoritative affirmation or factual proof ("a hypothesis validated by experiments"). "Confirm" implies the removing of doubts by an authoritative statement or indisputable fact ("evidence that confirmed the reports"). "Corroborate" suggests the strengthening of what is already partly established ("witnesses who corroborated the story"). "Substantiate" implies the offering of evidence that sustains the contention ("claims that have yet to be substantiated"). "Verify" implies the establishing of correspondence of actual facts or details with those proposed or guessed at ("statements of fact that have been verified"). "Authenticate" implies establishing genuineness by legal or official documents or expert opinion ("handwriting experts who authenticated the diaries").