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Words of the Year: 1066

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

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Bannon: One of Us is Going to be a 'Hegemon'

"Something having dominant influence over others"

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We're Down With You Being—or Your Being?—a Square

It's about (you? your?) having your say.

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Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which word entered the English language first?

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Devilish Words

Don't blame a word use error on the devil.

Videos

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Words of the Year: 1066

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

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The Serial Comma

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

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2016 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'surreal'

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Alright vs. All Right

Is 'alright' all right?

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Is None Singular or Plural?

Or both? Or neither?

Latest Videos

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Grammar and Usage

Word History

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TRENDING NOW

  1. hegemon "Something having dominant influence over others"

  2. repugnant Trump clarifies his position on racism

  3. white nationalist, white supremacist Trending in 2017

  4. bereft "Lacking something needed, wanted, or expected"

  5. impanel "To choose people to serve on a jury"

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Test Your Vocabulary

Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

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  • Which came first?
True or False

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

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Bee Cubed

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

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Words at Play

watercolor-squares
We're Down With You Being—or Your Being?—a Square

It's about (you? your?) having your say.

image1489982902
Devilish Words

Don't blame a word use error on the devil.

alt-599492594f435
How 'Wonderful' Lost Its Sense of Wonder

A case of semantic bleaching

dog-covering-face
Don't Let Reading This Be Another 'Coulda' 'Shoulda' 'Woulda'

PSA: They're three separate words.

Word Games

time-traveler-quiz-which-word-came-first
Time Traveler Quiz: Which Word Came First?

Which word entered the English language first?

Take the quiz
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Name More Food!

Test your knowledge of food vocabulary!

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

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

Take the quiz
Bee Cubed
Bee Cubed

Listen to the words and spell through all three levels.

Play the game