Wordplay

Arts & Culture

'Dumbledore', 'Hippogriff', and 11 More Real Words from Harry Potter

Muggles welcome.

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

And why isn't it 'bury the lead'?

17 Words for Dog Breeds

If you love dogs and words, you’re barking up the right tree

10 Words Conjuring Hell and the Devil

Going beyond the fire and brimstone

If You Like to Complain About 'Decimate'...

You'll love to hate these other words!

What exactly is a 'liberal'?

No one wants a 'servile arts' degree

15 Cheffy Words for Chefs (and Everyone Else)

Including 'cheffy'

Stay Woke

Tracing the history of 'woke'

7 Words from Political Scandals

Behind the smoke-filled rooms

10 Phrases from Shakespeare

Where the "wild goose chase" comes from

Has ‘supper’ always meant ‘dinner?'

Your grandmother might answer differently.

11 Words Used to Great Effect by Edgar Allan Poe

The Vocabulary in the Rue Morgue

How a Word Gets into the Dictionary

What our editors are looking for when they enter words in Merriam-Webster.

What do SCOTUS, POTUS, and FLOTUS mean?

The acronyms began as telegraph codes

A Guide to British Noble Titles

Know your Duchess from your Baroness

When is ‘cuffing season'?

Something to do during the cold, dark months.

17 Tasty Names of Appetizers

Enjoy. They're complimentary.

The History of 'Nuclear Family'

Getting at the core of it.

12 Star Wars Words

Enjoy this listicle, you will

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Our maraca shake brings all the hautbois to the yard

8 Words and Phrases from U.S. Presidents

How to sound presidential

The Changing Meaning of 'Elope'

Read this before you elope. Or 'elope.'

What does 'eighty-six' mean?

We won't refuse you service
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