Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

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Build your vocabulary with Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day! Each day a Merriam-Webster editor offers insight into a fascinating new word -- explaining its meaning, current use, and little-known details about its origin.

-22 H

raddled

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 14, 2024 is: raddled \RAD-uld\ adjective Someone described as raddled is in a confused or befuddled state (as from drinking). Raddled can also describe things that are broken-down or worn. // We were met at the door by a raddled old man who turned out to be the actor’s father, and who in his day had also been an estimable presence on the London stage. // Louisa was delighted to discover a raddled old radio in her grandparents’ attic, even though it didn’t work. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raddled) Examples: “There seems to be very little information out there about Krinkles, the star of a commercial so disturbing its eternal afterlife on the internet is guaranteed: it’s probably all in a heavily guarded facility in Area 51. In the ad, this raddled gentleman pokes his head out of what appears to be a kennel after what was clearly a heavy night, crashes his way through the scenery, then eats some cereal.” — Emma Beddington, The Guardian (London, England), 31 Jan. 2024 Did you know? The origins of raddled are a bit of a riddle, but they may have something to do with rodel, the Middle English precursor to [ruddle](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ruddle). Rattled? No need to get [red-faced](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/red-faced), we’re here to explain. Rodel, like ruddle, refers to [red ocher](https://bit.ly/4evNces), a red pigment used for (among other things) marking animals, and especially sheep. Etymologists believe that both the noun [raddle](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/raddle) (also meaning “red ocher”) and verb raddle (“to mark or paint with raddle”) come from a variant of rodel. A raddled sheep is a sheep marked with red dye (as at shearing or breeding time). Over time, the verb raddle was applied more broadly to the reddening of anything, and often to reddening by use (or overuse) of [rouge](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rouge) on a person’s face to conceal wrinkles caused by age or exhaustion. To be raddled thusly was not a compliment, and may have led to the “worn out” sense of the adjective raddled. The “confused” sense of raddled is often associated with the influence of alcohol, possibly due to the “reddening” effects of a [tipple](https://bit.ly/4evQIWc) on one’s visage.

3 min
-1 J

bevy

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 13, 2024 is: bevy \BEV-ee\ noun A bevy is a large group of people or things. Bevy is usually used in the singular form and accompanied by the word of. // The new streaming platform featured a bevy of new movies to choose from. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bevy) Examples: “Among several ‘moving murals’ currently displayed on select CTA trains is the picture of a young girl standing among daffodils, meant as a symbol of hope. Another train features a hand painting the phrase ‘New Ideas’ amid a bevy of flowers. A third includes the phrase ‘Help us bridge the gap’ while showing the juxtaposition of the city’s pristine downtown and the disrepair of certain neighborhoods.” — Erica Thompson, The Chicago Sun-Times, 18 Aug. 2024 Did you know? There’s no need to [quail](https://bit.ly/4f5DYG7) when confronted with a word of uncertain origins; some mysteries are simply destined to remain as such. Etymologists have a bevy of theories about the roots of bevy, for example, but little definitive evidence—and that’s okay! What we do know is that bevy emerged out of [Middle English](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Middle-English-language) as the [collective noun](https://www.merriam-webster.com/wordplay/a-drudge-of-lexicographers-presents-collective-nouns) for a number of birds and mammals that were commonly hunted, including pheasants, partridges, [roe deer](https://bit.ly/4eOOqC4), larks, and especially [quail](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quail). Bevy is still used in this way today, not only for wild game but for gulls, hens, etc. But bevies are now most often composed of a great many people and things, as in “a bevy of reporters” or “a bevy of menu options.”

2 min
-2 J

labile

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 12, 2024 is: labile \LAY-byle\ adjective Someone or something described as labile is readily open to change. Labile can also be used as a synonym of [unstable](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unstable) to describe things that are readily or continually undergoing chemical, physical, or biological change or breakdown. // The director was known for being exacting but also labile, open to actors' interpretations of characters. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/labile) Examples: "Amid this high level of acting skill, [musician Kate] Lindsey stood out with her wonderfully convincing gestures and facial expressions, filling out the character of the more labile younger sister with captivating [verisimilitude](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/verisimilitude)." — Jeremy Yudkin, The Boston Globe, 17 July 2023 Did you know? We are confident that you won't slip up or err in learning today's word, despite its etymology. Labile was borrowed into English from French and can be traced back (by way of Middle French labile, meaning "prone to err") to the Latin verb labi, meaning "to slip or fall." Indeed, the first sense of labile in English was "prone to slip, err, or lapse," but that use is now obsolete. Other labi descendants in English include [collapse](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collapse), [elapse](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/elapse), and [prolapse](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prolapse), as well as [lapse](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lapse) itself.

2 min
-3 J

armistice

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 11, 2024 is: armistice \AHR-muh-stus\ noun An armistice is an agreement to stop fighting a war, or in other words, a [truce](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truce). // Both sides in the conflict agreed to an armistice. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/armistice) Examples: "The year is 1918, and the armistice is just around the corner, but no one on the front line can possibly know that yet." — Damon Wise, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2024 Did you know? Armistice comes from the New Latin word armistitium, which in turn combines a stem of the Latin verb sistere, meaning "to make stand, halt, bring to a standstill," with arma, meaning "implements of war, weapons." An armistice, therefore, is literally a cessation of arms. [Armistice Day](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Armistice-Day) is the name that was given to the holiday celebrated in the United States on November 11 before it was renamed [Veterans Day]( https://www.britannica.com/topic/Veterans-Day) by Congress in 1954. The original name refers to the agreement between the [Allied](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/allied) Powers and Germany to end the hostilities that constituted the First World War—an agreement designated to take effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month.

2 min
-4 J

truncate

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 10, 2024 is: truncate \TRUNG-kayt\ verb To truncate something—such as a discussion or essay—is to make it shorter. // The interview was truncated and edited for clarity. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truncate) Examples: “I am a scholar and a student of the Arabic poetic tradition. I study poets from [Imru’ al-Qays](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Imru-al-Qays-Arab-poet) to [Mahmoud Darwish](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Mahmoud-Darwish), from al-Samaw’al to Hiba Abu Nada. I am not willing to chop up this tradition into palatable and digestible bites. I will not truncate a poem if the ending makes you uncomfortable.” — Huda Fakhreddine, LitHub.com, 29 Aug. 2024 Did you know? [Bushwhack](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bushwhack) your way deep enough into the literature of tree identification and you may come across references to trees with “truncate” leaves. Such leaves (as of the [tulip tree](https://bit.ly/4dgficw), for example) have bases that are straight and even, as though they’ve been cut or sheared away from something larger. The adjectival use of truncate isn’t common—it’s mostly found in technical writing (and can also describe feathers, etc., that appear squared or evened off), but the familiar verb doesn’t fall far from the tree: it is applied when something is shortened by literally or figuratively lopping part of it off, as when someone truncates a planned speech to fit time constraints. Both adjective and noun come from the Latin verb truncare, meaning “to shorten,” which in turn traces back to the noun truncus, meaning “trunk.” So next time you’re stumped about the meaning of truncate, try to picture, well, a stump.

2 min
-5 J

inchoate

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 9, 2024 is: inchoate \in-KOH-ut\ adjective Inchoate is a formal adjective that describes something that is not completely formed or developed yet. // In the podcast, the author described the process by which she took a series of inchoate vignettes and shaped them into her best-selling novel. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inchoate) Examples: "Graffiti inserts itself like the blade of a knife between creation and destruction, between publicity and furtiveness, between word and image, cartoon, icon, and hieroglyph. … That its meaning is inchoate is part of the point. If you can explain it, you probably don't understand." — Jonathan Lethem, Cellophane Bricks: A Life in Visual Culture, 2024 Did you know? Inchoate is most often used to describe something that is not, or not yet, completely formed or developed. It's a formal word that's sure to add pizzazz to any conversation—but only if you start working on pronouncing it correctly. The first two letters of inchoate do what you’d expect—exactly what the word in does. However, the choate in inchoate does not share the first sound of chair, nor does it rhyme with oat. Instead, it shares the first sound of cat, and rhymes with poet. Inchoate came to English in the 16th century from the Latin adjective incohātus, meaning "only begun, unfinished, imperfect," which in turn comes from a form of the verb incohāre, meaning "to start work on."

2 min
-6 J

feign

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 8, 2024 is: feign \FAYN\ verb To feign something (such as surprise, ignorance, or sleep) is to pretend to feel or be affected by it. // I would never feign illness just to get out of a test. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feign) Examples: “After Eric’s betrayal, Harper has landed at a fund dedicated to so-called impact investing in eco-friendly companies, a real-life financial trend that dovetails with a core ‘Industry’ theme: reflexive cynicism toward for-profit institutions that feign social consciousness.” — Alison Herman, Variety, 2 Aug. 2024 Did you know? Of the many ways Ferris Bueller feigns illness—that is, pretends to be sick—to avoid going to school in the 1986 comedy film [Ferris Bueller’s Day Off](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Ferris-Buellers-Day-Off), arguably the most ingenious involves tucking a mannequin version of himself under the blankets of his bed to fool his family. This method of deception provides not only entertaining hijinks but also clues to the origins of the word feign itself. Today, feign is all about faking it, but it hasn’t always been so. One of the word’s oldest meanings is “to fashion, form, or shape,” which echoes that of its Latin source, the verb fingere, meaning “to mold, fashion, make a likeness of, or pretend to be.” It’s one thing to fashion a likeness of oneself as an art project, and another to try and convince your family it’s really you in order to [play hooky](https://bit.ly/4eDG9Rt); it’s this element of deceit that infused other early meanings of feign including “to lie,” “to counterfeit,” and “to forge a document.” Today, people mostly use feign to suggest the act of forming, or giving shape to, false appearances—not of personas (such as, say, that of [the Sausage King of Chicago](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thqErnTLU1s)), but rather conditions or feelings, such as happiness, sleep, or outrage.

2 min
7 NOV.

dedication

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 7, 2024 is: dedication \ded-ih-KAY-shun\ noun Dedication refers to devotion, loyalty, or commitment to a person or cause. It can also refer to a message at the beginning of a book, song, etc., that expresses affection or gratitude for someone, or to a ceremony to mark the official completion or opening of something, such as a building. // It took a lot of hard work and dedication, but we managed to finish the project on time. // Her novel includes a brief dedication to her family. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dedication) Examples: “Friday and Saturday nights at the Whistle Stop, the Robert McCoy Trio performed two sets of drowsy, free-form jazz, a musical complement to the watered-down drinks that the bartender Lonnie served with amiable dedication.” — Colson Whitehead, Crook Manifesto: A Novel, 2023 Did you know? This one goes out to the word nerds we love. A simple word to occupy your time, but one dedicated to serving English users’ needs since the 14th century. Now that’s dedication! Dedication was first used for the solemn act of [dedicating](https://bit.ly/3zoCmIk) something, such as a calendar day or a church, to a deity or to a sacred use. The word hasn’t lost its religion in this respect; this sense is still very much in use today. But just as the verb dedicate (“to devote to the worship of a divine being”) has gained additional secular meanings over the centuries, so has dedication. By the 17th century it was being used for the act of devoting time and energy to a particular purpose (as when a band reveals its dedication to music by constantly rehearsing) as well as to a name or message [prefixed](https://bit.ly/4duxsaR) to a literary, musical, or artistic production in tribute to a person, cause, or really any part of life’s rich pageant. Nowadays, dedication commonly indicates the quality of being loyal or devoted to a cause, ideal, or purpose.

2 min
6 NOV.

a cappella

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 6, 2024 is: a cappella \ah-kuh-PEL-uh\ adverb or adjective When a song is performed a cappella, it is sung unaccompanied by instrumental music. // A hush fell over the audience as a voice from offstage began singing a cappella. // Several a cappella groups are slated to perform during the celebration. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/a%20capella) Examples: "In a video posted to Twitter ... [H.E.R.](https://www.britannica.com/biography/H-E-R) delivers a hauntingly beautiful cover of Coldplay’s classic 'Fix You,' which peaked at No. 59 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2005. Backed by four of her background singers, H.E.R. belts out the 2005 hit completely a cappella." — Kyle Denis, Billboard, 14 July 2022 Did you know? A cappella arrived in English in the 18th century via the Italian phrase a cappella, meaning "in chapel or choir style." (Medieval Latin capella, meaning "chapel," is the source of English chapel.) The a cappella style reached preeminence in the late 16th century in the music that composer [Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Giovanni-Pierluigi-da-Palestrina) wrote for the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican. Because no independent instrumental parts were written down, scholars once thought that the choir sang unaccompanied, but current evidence makes clear that an organ or other instruments doubled some or several of the vocal parts. Regardless, today a cappella describes a purely vocal performance.

2 min
5 NOV.

psephology

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for November 5, 2024 is: psephology \see-FAH-luh-jee\ noun Psephology is the scientific study of elections. // Brianna was excited to learn that a course on psephology on the schedule for next semester will coincide with local and state elections. [See the entry >](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psephology) Examples: "The high school-aged participants of the program partake in various aspects of psephology, from gaining support early in a campaign to debating fellow candidates." — James Barberis, The Tallahassee (Florida) Democrat, 28 Sept. 2020 Did you know? Psephology comes from the Greek word "psēphos," meaning "pebble." (One relative of psephology is [psephomancy](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/psephomancy), meaning "divination by pebbles.") Psephology merited election as the name for the work of election analysts, or psephologists, because pebbles were used by the ancient Greeks in voting. Similarly, the word [ballot](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ballot) was an excellent choice for a means of voting since it comes from ballotta, an Italian word meaning "little ball," and Italians once voted by placing such balls in a container.

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

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raddled

bevy

labile

armistice

truncate

inchoate

feign

dedication

a cappella

psephology

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Peter Sokolowski

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