Merriam-Webster's Daily Buzzword

obsolete

Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 07/03/2009 is:

obsolete (adjective)

\ahb-suh-LEET\

What does it mean?

1 : no longer in use

2 : of a kind or style no longer current : outmoded

How do you use it?

My mom insists that we buy an inexpensive digital camera because she thinks within a couple of years it will probably be obsolete and have to replaced.

Are you a word wiz?

Which of the following do you think is an example of something that is NOT obsolete?

A. telegraph

B. steam locomotive

C. telephone

D. eight-track tape

Check your answer on Word Central.

tissue

Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 07/02/2009 is:

tissue (noun)

\TISH-oo\

What does it mean?

1 : a fine lightweight fabric

2 : a piece of soft absorbent paper

3 : a mass or layer of cells usually of one kind together with the uniting or enclosing substance around and between them that form the basic structural materials of a plant or an animal

How do you use it?

"Kate was never 'wild' with Mrs. May, nor untidy, nor self-willed; and Mrs. May taught her many things besides crochet: how to wind wool into an egg-shaped ball; how to run-and-fell and plan a darn; how to tidy a drawer and to lay, like a blessing, above the contents, a sheet of rustling tissue against the dust." (Mary Norton, The Borrowers)

Are you a word wiz?

Which word do you think is related to "tissue"?

A. mixture

B. luxury

C. approximation

D. context

Check your answer on Word Central.

consign

Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 07/01/2009 is:

consign (verb)

\kun-SYNE\

What does it mean?

1 : to give over to another's care : entrust

2 : to give, transfer, or deliver to another

3 : to send or address (as goods) to an agent to be cared for or sold

How do you use it?

When Tanya could no longer button her favorite jacket, she was forced to admit that the time had come to consign it to the bin for the charity sale.

Are you a word wiz?

Which one of these words do you think is a synonym of "consign"?

A. commit

B. hurl

C. pardon

D. renew

Check your answer on Word Central.

skew

Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 06/30/2009 is:

skew (verb)

\SKYOO\

What does it mean?

1 : to take a slanting course : move or turn aside : twist, swerve

2 : to distort from a true value or symmetrical form

How do you use it?

"Seldom swerving or straggling or swaying or skewing, the smug slug shambled on." (Pamela Duncan Edwards, "Some Smug Slug")

Are you a word wiz?

Take a careful look at the meanings of "skew." Which of the following do you think is the meaning of the Middle English word it came from?

A. to crumble

B. to listen

C. to escape

D. to freeze

Check your answer on Word Central.

detest

Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 06/29/2009 is:

detest (verb)

\dih-TEST\

What does it mean?

: to dislike very strongly

How do you use it?

"I detest these parties," she sneered.

Are you a word wiz?

In which field of study do you think the word "detest" has its roots?

A. gastronomy

B. law

C. astronomy

D. electrical engineering

Check your answer on Word Central.

sabotage

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 06/28/2009 is:

sabotage (noun)

\SAB-uh-tahzh\

What does it mean?

1 : destruction of an employer's property or the action of making it difficult to work by discontented workers

2 : destructive or blocking action carried on by enemy agents or sympathizers to make a nation's war effort more difficult

How do you use it?

The workers' sabotage of the machinery forced the boss to finally give in to their demands for better pay.

Are you a word wiz?

From what language do you think English borrowed the word sabotage?

A. French

B. Bantu

C. Chinese

D. Spanish

Check your answer on Word Central.

calico

Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 06/27/2009 is:

calico (noun)

\KAL-ih-koh\

What does it mean?

1 : cotton cloth especially with a colored pattern printed on one side

2 : a blotched or spotted animal (as a piebald horse)

How do you use it?

Emma loved her new green calico dress, and she wore it everywhere she went.

Are you a word wiz?

"Calico" has a colorful origin! Let's see if you can spot it among the ones we list below. Where does the word "calico" come from?

A. from the French word "cliquer," meaning "to click"

B. from the name of the first company to make calico cloth, the Cally Company

C. from the Latin word "calix," meaning "cup"

D. from Calicut, India, where the first calico cloth was made

Check your answer on Word Central.

gardenia

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 06/26/2009 is:

gardenia (adjective)

\garh-DEE-nyuh\

What does it mean?

: any of various Old World tropical trees and shrubs with leathery leaves and fragrant white or yellow flowers; also : one of the flowers

How do you use it?

Gardenias are my grandmother's favorite flower not only because of their beautiful white petals but also their wonderful fragrance.

Are you a word wiz?

How do you think the plant and flower known as the "gardenia" got its name?

A. because the flowers were a favorite in gardens

B. from the French word for "garden"

C. from the name of the 18th century naturalist Alexander Garden

D. from Garden City, the city in which the flower was first discovered

Check your answer on Word Central.

game

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 06/25/2009 is:

game (adjective)

\GAYM\

What does it mean?

1 a : full of spirit or eagerness : determined b : willing or ready to go

2 : of or relating to animals that are hunted

How do you use it?

"Do you want to check out that new horror film with us?" "Sure, I'm game."

Are you a word wiz?

The history of the adjective "game" in its senses of "full of spirit" and "willing to go" involves an animal. Which animal do you think has special significance in the story of "game"?

A. deer

B. bird

C. fish

D. bear

Check your answer on Word Central.

prevail

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 06/24/2009 is:

prevail (verb)

\prih-VAIL\

What does it mean?

1 : to win against opposition : be successful

2 : to urge successfully

3 a : to be frequent b : to be or continue to be in use or fashion

How do you use it?

After promising to tidy their rooms and walk the dog, the children prevailed upon their parents to let them spend a day at the water park.

Are you a word wiz?

In order to prevail as a word wiz, you have to answer today's quiz. Which of these words do you think is a relative of "prevail"?

A. valor

B. conquer

C. vacant

D. prevent

Check your answer on Word Central.

introvert

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Buzzword of the Day for 06/23/2009 is:

introvert (noun)

\IN-truh-vert\

What does it mean?

1 : a person who is concerned or interested mostly in his or her own thoughts and ideas

2 : a person who is shy or restrained in speaking and behavior

How do you use it?

Mina has always been something of an introvert, but when she's with her close friends and family she can be quite outspoken.

Are you a word wiz?

Our example sentence shows the word "introvert" as it's defined at sense 2, the way it's most commonly used. Look at each of the following descriptions of a person to see just how well you understand this meaning. Which of the following is the best description of an introvert?

A. someone who hates to buy things easily made at home

B. someone who would prefer to cook a meal rather than to go to a restaurant

C. someone who likes to tell stories to small groups of people

D. someone who would rather read a book or listen to music than go to a party

Check your answer on Word Central.