SINCE 1828

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

national guardsman

noun, often capitalized

Definition of national guardsman

:a member of a national guard

First Known Use of national guardsman

1831

Seen and Heard

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WORD OF THE DAY

shofar

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a ram's-horn trumpet used in Judaism

Words at Play

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The Ambiguity of Pushing 'Up' and 'Back'

When you push a meeting, where does it go?

Silent Letters

When each letter can be seen but not heard

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'So Long': A Common But Mysterious Goodbye

Its origins are surprisingly murky.

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"Immune to" or "Immune from"?

Nobody is immune to this question.

Ask the Editors

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Words of the Year: 1066

Or, Why Pig Meat is Called 'Pork' and Cow Meat is Called 'Beef'

How Often Is 'Biweekly'?

Don't get us started on 'bimonthly'

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Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

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Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

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Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz—Fall 2017 Edition!

You're going to have to memorize the dictionary again.

Take the quiz

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Challenging Vocabulary Quiz Returns!

No tricks, just difficult words.

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True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

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Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

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