Vocabulary
The 'Best' Way to Sign Off On An E-mail
You're staring blankly at a screen, contemplating the best way to sign off on an e-mail of a professional nature, and then it hits you: <i>Best</i> is a good …
F. Scott FitzgeraldTrending: An Interview Full Of 'Non Sequiturs'
<i>Non sequitur</i> was among our top lookups on July 20th, 2017, following the use of this Latin term in an article in <i>CNN</i>, about an interview given to <i>The</i> …
Donald TrumpWe lack a universal vocabulary when it comes to wine
I was having a frustrating conversation with a couple at Hugo’s a few weeks back. They weren’t annoying or obtuse. They were trying their level best …
Portland, MEDefinition of MACARON
There are sleek, white sectional sofas, circular Oriental carpets and silver trays laden with French <i>macarons</i>.<p>There were also stacks of <i>macarons</i> and …
DessertDefinition of YAWP
And, finally, the restatement of the American Dream for a new century, just the way Walt Whitman <i>yawped</i> it in the streets of Manhattan.
LanguageDifferent Ways to Say 'Nude'
<b>Definition:</b> unclothed skin; nakedness<p>Some people like to collect autoantonyms, words which mean a thing and its opposite, such as <i>splice</i> and <i>cleave</i>. No …
LanguageThe Difference Between 'Credulous' and 'Credible'
The Latin verb <i>credere</i>, meaning "to believe or trust," is the source of a plethora of English words pertaining to belief and trust, including <i>creed</i>,</i> …
J. K. RowlingBetter, Faster, Smarter
We’ve been collecting feedback for Grammarly Insights, a.k.a. your weekly statistics emails. We’ve been working on improvements for a while now, but …
WritingDefinition of IMPERSONATE
Their attorney pointed out it’s against the law to <i>impersonate</i> a soldier of the United States.<p>Once Horton was positively identified by the victim, he …
Kevin SpaceyPut This in Your Skill Set
Many words in the English language have more than one meaning (like <i>the</i>, <i>English</i>, and <i>language</i>). Our language and the people who use it are both very …
LanguageApril Ryan Learned a New Word Yesterday — She Was Really Excited About It Until People Started Laughing
Screenshot/YouTube<p>Since President Trump's Inauguration, American Urban Radio White House correspondent April Ryan made her name as an often combative …
Donald TrumpThink you’re not creative? You’re not alone
Creativity is a subject that can bring angst to some people because they think they aren't creative or that they don't know how to be creative. Of …
CreativityThe 1 Word That's Creeping Into Your Life And Destroying Its Very Meaning
Some words just shouldn't exist. This may well be one of them.<p><i>Absurdly Driven looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.</i><p>It's possible to escape certain words.<p>Not because you know they exist and quickly close your eyes when you see them, but because …
LanguageThe colorful vocabulary that helped Bannon influence Trump
A New York magazine excerpt of Josh Green's book on Trump and Bannon — "Devil's Bargain," out a week from tomorrow — argues that the White House …
PoliticsThis Expletives Article is SFW
Can you find the expletives in the following sentences?<p>There are 10 people in line.<br>It was the final goal that won the game.<br>There were delays that …
Language7 Good Stories That Just Aren't True : Doozy
<b>Definition:</b> a call or request for help or rescue<p><i>SOS</i> entered our vocabulary in 1910, and, despite what you may have heard/cleverly figured out on your …
LanguageEasily Create Vocabulary Quizzes With “Wordsmyth”
Wordsmyth seems like an exceptional online dictionary that lets you create several different types of vocabulary quizzes. Teachers can get accounts …
EducationDon't Blame Millennials for the Introductory 'Which'
Though lexicographers spend their days chasing down English, sometimes it's the less noticeable and more subtle shifts in language that catch their …
Andy WarholIs it Espresso or Expresso? Yes
At Merriam-Webster, we believe that coffee is the greatest invention in the world, perhaps short of the printing press. (The Internet loses a few …
CoffeeThe slang used in sports reporting – archive, 5 July 1910
5 July 1910: The way US writers describe baseball might be unfamiliar to British readers but that style is in demand<p><b>Editorial</b><br>Baseball slang has long been the wonder of those who see American papers but are not familiar with the game, and though its position is too strong to need a defender it has …
New York YankeesDefinition of EMBASSADOR
Phrases Related to EMBASSADOR<p>Related Phrases<p>Seen and Heard<p>What made you want to look up <i>embassador</i>? Please tell us where you read or heard it …
What's This in the Fridge?
We here at Merriam-Webster have a PSA-spelling does not always follow basic logic. In fact, most of the time it does not.<p>Photo: PhonlamaiPhoto<p>How, …
LanguageVocabulary Instruction
The abundance of domain-specific, Tier 3 vocabulary terms that are found in complex science texts can present a major comprehension obstacle for …
Natural HistoryTrending: 'Calumny': J.K Rowling Quotes Washington
<i>Calumny</i> ("an untrue statement that is made to damage someone's reputation") was among our top lookups on July 3rd, 2017, after a tweet by J. K. …
J. K. RowlingRepair A Broken Zipper Slider: DIY with Dritz Fix-A-Zipper
Your first step is to determine which kit you need for your zipper repair. Our test zipper was a nylon coil style. As you can see in the photos …
SewingIs This A Sandwich? Quiz: Weekly Challenge
https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-games/sandwich-not-serious-quiz<p>The most important sandwich quiz you'll take today.<p>article
QuizzesThe In-Betweens: 7 Words From the Middle
Photo: domoskanonos<p>When we say that someone or something is <i>in between</i> two other people or things, we mentally place them in the middle, with …
LanguageHow Do Words Get Added to the Dictionary?
New words, phrases, and definitions are added to the Oxford English Dictionary four times a year, and this month’s revision includes over 1,200 …
LanguageNew word has the last word in Oxford Dictionary
Zyzzyva, a genus of tropical weevils found in palm trees in South America, has knocked out zythum, an ancient Egyptian malt beer, as the very last …
LanguageLive Better Stories - Journal: We Need a New Word for Adventure
<i>Words and photos by Peter Amend.</i><p>“Are those the Northern Lights!?,” Joe screamed into the windshield, pulling into Canada’s Banff National Park at …
Language