A dictionary is a list of words with their definitions, a list of characters with their glyphs, or a list of words with corresponding words in other languages. In some languages, words can appear in many different forms, but only the lemma form appears as the main word or headword in most dictionaries. Many dictionaries also provide pronunciation information; grammatical information; word derivations, histories, or etymologies; illustrations; usage guidance; and examples in phrases or sentences. Dictionaries are most commonly found in the form of a book.

History

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The first monolingual English dictionary is usually considered to be Robert Cawdrey's 1604 A Table Alphabeticall (text).Micklethwait, David (2005). Noah Webster and the American Dictionary, 34. ISBN 0786421576. Cawdrey's dictionary only defined loanwords.

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Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

malleable
Thu, 24 Dec 2009 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 24, 2009 is: malleable • \MAL-ee-uh-bul\  • adjective *1 : capable of being extended or shaped by beating with a hammer or by the pressure of rollers 2 a : capable of being altered or controlled by outside forces or influences b : having a capacity for adaptive change Example sentence: Grandma took the cookie dough out of the refrigerator and allowed it to soften to a consistency that was firm yet malleable. Did you know? There is a hint about the origins of "malleable" in its first definition. The earliest uses of the word, which first appeared in English in the 14th century, referred primarily to metals that could be reshaped by beating with a hammer. The Middle English word "malliable" comes to us from Medieval Latin "malleabilis," which in turn derives from the Latin verb "malleare," meaning "to hammer." "Malleare" itself was created from the Latin word for "hammer": "malleus." If you have guessed that "maul" and "mallet," other English words for specific types of hammers, can also be traced back to "malleus," you have hit the nail on the head. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
baptism of fire
Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2009 is: baptism of fire • \BAP-tiz-um-uv-FYRE\  • noun *1 : an introductory or initial experience that is a severe ordeal; especially : a soldier's first exposure to enemy fire 2 : a spiritual baptism by a gift of the Holy Spirit Example sentence: Sandra got her baptism of fire as a babysitter when she spent the weekend taking care of her sister’s three rambunctious children. Did you know? In the 1981 volume Airmobility in Vietnam, Lt. General John Tolson used the military sense of "baptism of fire," writing, "Major George D. Hardesty, Jr. of the 8th Transportation Company and Major Robert J. Dillard of the 57th could report that their units performed outstandingly under their first baptism of fire." Tolson and other users of the phrase allude (knowingly or unknowingly) to a Biblical passage: "I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me . . . will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." (Matthew 3:11, RSV). Since at least 1857, "baptism of fire" has been used metaphorically in English for any initiation, especially a difficult one. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
veracity
Tue, 22 Dec 2009 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2009 is: veracity • \vuh-RASS-uh-tee\  • noun 1 : devotion to the truth : truthfulness *2 : conformity with truth or fact : accuracy 3 : something true Example sentence: English poet Thomas Gray wrote, "Any fool may write a most valuable book by chance, if he will only tell us what he heard and saw with veracity." Did you know? "Veracity" has been a part of English since at least 1623, and we can honestly tell you that it derives from the Latin adjective "verax" ("true" or "truthful"), which in turn comes from the earlier adjective "verus" ("true"). "Verus" also gives us "verity" ("the quality of being true"), "verify" ("to establish the truth of"), and "verisimilitude" ("the appearance of truth"), among other words. In addition, "verax" is the root of the word "veraciousness," a somewhat rarer synonym and cousin of "veracity." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
arbitrary
Mon, 21 Dec 2009 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2009 is: arbitrary • \AHR-buh-trair-ee\  • adjective 1 : autocratic, despotic *2 : determined by whim or caprice : existing or coming about seemingly at random or by chance Example sentence: The 10 p.m. deadline is arbitrary -- we could have easily selected another time for the contest to end -- but we had to pick a cutoff, and now it is set. Did you know? "Arbitrary" is derived from the same source as "arbiter." The Latin word "arbiter" means "judge," and English adopted it, via Anglo-French, with the meaning "one who judges a dispute"; it can now also be used for anyone whose judgment is respected. "Arbitrary" traces back to the Latin adjective "arbitrarius" ("done by way of legal arbitration"), which itself comes from "arbiter." In English "arbitrary" first meant "depending upon choice or discretion" and was specifically used to indicate the sort of decision (as for punishment) left up to the expert determination of a judge rather than defined by law. Today, it can also be used for anything determined by or as if by a personal choice or whim. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
groundling
Sun, 20 Dec 2009 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 20, 2009 is: groundling • \GROUND-ling\  • noun 1 a : a spectator who stood in the pit of an Elizabethan theater* b : a person of unsophisticated taste 2 : one that lives or works on or near the ground Example sentence: The movie was panned as mindless fodder for the groundlings. Did you know? In Elizabethan times, play-going audiences were a diverse bunch. In the upper gallery, the wealthier patrons fanned themselves and looked with disdain at those who could only afford the penny admission to the pit below. Pit spectators had to sit or stand in close proximity on the bare floor, exposed to the sweltering sun or the dampening rain. At times, they behaved less than decorously, and they reportedly emitted a less than pleasant odor. The pit was also called the "ground"; those in it were "groundlings." Today, we use "groundlings" to refer not only to the less than couth among us, but also (often with some facetiousness) to ordinary Janes or Joes. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
quadrennial
Sat, 19 Dec 2009 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 19, 2009 is: quadrennial • \kwah-DREN-ee-ul\  • adjective 1 : consisting of or lasting for four years *2 : occurring or being done every four years Example sentence: The 1990 U.S. soccer team was the first U.S team in 40 years to qualify for the championship tournament in the quadrennial World Cup. Did you know? Most things "quadrennial" occur every four years (that's the more common use). We can say, for example, that the U.S. presidential election is a quadrennial event. But we can also say that president's term in office is quadrennial, making good use of the "lasting four years" sense. The Latin combining form "quadri-" adds a factor of four to many English words: "quadriceps" (the thigh muscle, which has four parts), "quadrilateral" (a four-sided polygon), "quadragenarian" (a person in his or her 40s), and "quadricentennial" (a 400th anniversary), to name a few. The "-ennial" part of "quadrennial" has the same root as in "biennial" and "centennial"; all trace back to "annus," the Latin word for "year." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

MedTerms Word of the Day

Nasopharynx
Fri, 25 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700
Nasopharynx: The area of the upper throat that lies behind the nose. In contrast to the oropharynx, the area of the throat that lies behind the mouth. The word "nasopharynx" is a hybrid -- part Latin, part Greek. "Naso-" is a prefix that has to do with the nose. It comes from the Latin "nasus" for the nose (or snout). "Pharynx" is the Greek word for throat. The Greco-Roman term "nasopharynx" was coined in 1877. MedTerms (TM) is the Medical Dictionary of MedicineNet.com.We Bring Doctors' Knowledge To You

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