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
37,587 views
And is one more correct than the others?
204,682 views
No one calls it the Merriam-Webster comma. Why?
454,218 views
There, there. We'll sort it out.
103,781 views
The awkward case of 'his or her'
265,143 views
No other common verb follows the pattern of _sneak_…_snuck_. And no one's quite sure why.
71,411 views
They started as the same word, but their meanings have drifted apart over time.
53,858 views
Editor Emily Brewster clarifies the difference.
362,338 views
'Poets laureate'? 'Court-martials'? The curious history of postpositive adjectives in English.
289,688 views
Why does it sound strange to say 'funner' or 'funnest?'
264,350 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.
547,259 views
Our research turned up two archaic literal meanings
156,723 views
How an ancient philosophical movement devoted to the pursuit of virtue came to describe eye-rolling criticism.
40,993 views
The story of those iconic illustrations.
24,285 views
Soop, wimmen, and headake did not make the cut
162,115 views
We'll help you figure it out at once
886,477 views
793,527 views
How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts
452,382 views
Some imitative words are more surprising than others
324,384 views
And who put it there, anyway?
321,108 views
We're intent on clearing it up
314,904 views
Name That Flower
Test your vocabulary with our 10-question quiz!
Pick the best words!