Merriam-Webster's Daily Buzzword

ferocious

Fri, 24 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 05/24/2013 is:

ferocious (adjective)

\fuh-ROH-shus\

What does it mean?

1 : fierce, savage

2 : very great : extreme

How do you use it?

The storm came on quickly with dramatic lightning and ferocious winds, followed by fist-sized hail.

Are you a word wiz?

"Ferocious" is Latin in origin. What do you think the two Latin roots that make up "ferocious" mean?

A. wild-looking

B. life-taking

C. hair-raising

D. blood-curdling

Check your answer on Word Central.

nebula

Thu, 23 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 05/23/2013 is:

nebula (noun)

\NEB-yuh-luh\

What does it mean?

1 : any of many huge clouds of gas or dust in deep space

2 : galaxy

How do you use it?

Astronomer Edwin Hubble discovered that some nebulae lie outside the Milky Way galaxy, a discovery that encouraged important new research about the universe.

Are you a word wiz?

Science fiction films let you discover new galaxies, worlds, and creatures. We'll give you a chance to discover the origin of the word "nebula." Where do you think that word came from?

A. Edwin Hubble made up the name for the clouds of gas and dust he studied.

B. It developed from the Latin word for "mist."

C. It comes from the name of a Greek goddess who could change into a cloud.

D. It derived from the much older word "nebulous."

Check your answer on Word Central.

importunate

Wed, 22 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 05/22/2013 is:

importunate (adjective)

\im-POR-chuh-nut\

What does it mean?

: making a nuisance of oneself with requests or demands

How do you use it?

The hotel staff never had a peaceful moment in the entire week that the importunate singing star stayed at their establishment.

Are you a word wiz?

Which one of these sentences do you think uses "importunate" correctly?

A. When Jordan's parents lost their jobs, the family was left in an importunate condition.

B. Countries with cold climates are usually forced to importunate citrus fruits from warmer regions.

C. Experienced diners know how to special order meals without appearing importunate.

D. Because the playoff game and the band competition were scheduled for the same day, Monica had to decide which was the more importunate for her to attend.

Check your answer on Word Central.

tolerate

Tue, 21 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 05/21/2013 is:

tolerate (verb)

\TAH-luh-rayt\

What does it mean?

1 : to allow something to be or be done without making a move to stop it : put up with

2 : to withstand the action of

How do you use it?

Desert plants are able to tolerate long periods of drought.

Are you a word wiz?

What do you think was happening when the word "tolerate" was first being used in English?

A. England's King John, unable to tolerate his barons' pressure for greater liberties, signed the Magna Carta (early 1200s).

B. Suleiman I ruled the Ottoman Empire, bringing military power, legal reform, cultural achievement, and religious tolerance (early 1500s).

C. The British Parliament passed the Toleration Act, granting freedom of worship to various religious groups (late 1600s).

D. The Intolerable Acts were passed, leading to the convening of the first Continental Congress in Philadelphia (late 1700s).

Check your answer on Word Central.

baleful

Mon, 20 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 05/20/2013 is:

baleful (adjective)

\BAIL-ful\

What does it mean?

1 : deadly or harmful in influence

2 : threatening harm or evil

How do you use it?

In the museum's armory, there was a wall of medieval weapons that made me shiver, including a particularly baleful, heavily-spiked mace.

Are you a word wiz?

What do you think the root word of "baleful" means?

A. "evil"

B. "a bundle"

C. "avenging"

D. "a bucket or pail"

Check your answer on Word Central.

oops

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 05/19/2013 is:

oops ()

\OOPS\

What does it mean?

: used to express mild apology, surprise, or distress (as at spilling something or saying the wrong thing)

How do you use it?

Whispering "oops," the little girl backed away as the supermarket's entire display of cereal boxes tumbled to the ground.

Are you a word wiz?

Oops! We forgot to include the part of speech for today's Buzzword. What part of speech do you think "oops" is?

A. adjective

B. interjection

C. preposition

D. adverb

Check your answer on Word Central.

dissident

Sat, 18 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 05/18/2013 is:

dissident (noun)

\DISS-uh-dunt\

What does it mean?

: a person who disagrees with an opinion or a group

How do you use it?

The refugee fled his country, noting that as a dissident of his country's government, he would have been jailed.

Are you a word wiz?

"Dissident" comes from two Latin words, the prefix "dis-," meaning "opposite" or "apart," and "sedere," meaning "sit." Which other words have "sedere" as a root?

A. objecter, complainer

B. opposite, possible

C. cede, succeed

D. preside, obsess

Check your answer on Word Central.

muse

Fri, 17 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 05/17/2013 is:

muse (verb)

\MYOOZ\

What does it mean?

: ponder, meditate

How do you use it?

During the bus ride home, Kendra mused upon the new writing assignment that her teacher called "The World According to Me."

Are you a word wiz?

We've shown you how "muse" can be used as a verb, but "muse" can also function as another part of speech. What other role do you think "muse" can have?

A. It's an adjective that means "sounding like a cat."

B. It's a noun that means "a cause of laughter."

C. It's an adjective that means "as if in a trance."

D. It's a noun that means "a source of inspiration."

Check your answer on Word Central.

funnel

Thu, 16 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 05/16/2013 is:

funnel (noun)

\FUN-ul\

What does it mean?

1 : a utensil usually shaped like a hollow cone with a tube extending from the point and used to catch and direct a downward flow (as of liquid)

2 : something shaped like a funnel

3 : a large pipe for the escape of smoke or for ventilation (as on a ship)

How do you use it?

We use a funnel when we refill the empty hand soap containers in the bathroom and kitchen.

Are you a word wiz?

We trace "funnel" to the Latin root "fundere." What do you think "fundere" means?

A. to drink

B. to freeze

C. to pour

D. to splash

Check your answer on Word Central.

contour

Wed, 15 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 05/15/2013 is:

contour (noun)

\KAHN-toor\

What does it mean?

1 : the outline of a figure, body, or surface

2 : a line or drawing showing an outline

How do you use it?

"Her straight, well-formed nose, her finely-cut mouth, and the graceful contour of her head and neck, showed that she must once have been beautiful; but her face was deeply wrinkled with lines of pain, and of proud and bitter endurance." (Harriet Beecher Stowe, _Uncle Tom's Cabin_)

Are you a word wiz?

Which word do you think is a synonym of "contour"?

A. graph

B. profile

C. model

D. texture

Check your answer on Word Central.

emblematic

Tue, 14 May 2013 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 05/14/2013 is:

emblematic (adjective)

\em-bluh-MAT-ik\

What does it mean?

: of, relating to, or serving as an emblem : symbolic

How do you use it?

The bouquet of wildflowers we collected is emblematic of spring in this part of the country.

Are you a word wiz?

"Emblematic" traces back to the Greek root "emballein." Which of the following do you think is the correct meaning of "emballein"?

A. to divide

B. to replace

C. to insert

D. to prevent

Check your answer on Word Central.