Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 31, 2020 is:

wraith • \RAYTH\  • noun

1 a : the exact likeness of a living person seen usually just before death as an apparition

b : ghost, specter

2 : an insubstantial form or semblance : shadow

3 : a barely visible gaseous or vaporous column

Examples:

"Walberswick is populated in part by refugees and retirees of London's artistic circles.... Just keep in mind that it's regarded as one of the most haunted villages in Suffolk. George Orwell reportedly saw a wraith in the church cemetery while visiting." — James Lileks, The Star Tribune (Minneapolis, Minnesota), 14 May 2020

"Noctilucent clouds have appeared after past launches of the Space Shuttle, and—more recently—after one of Elon Musk's Falcon 9 rockets was dispatched to space. And these clouds are becoming more common. A century ago, you may have had to wait years to spot one of these ghostly wraiths; now you are likely to see several over a single summer." — Nigel Henbest, The Independent (UK), 3 June 2020

Did you know?

If you see your own double, you're in trouble, at least if you believe old superstitions. The belief that a ghostly twin's appearance portends death is one common to many cultures. In German folklore, such an apparition is called a Doppelgänger (literally, "double goer"); in Scottish lore, they are wraiths. The exact origin of the word wraith is misty, however, and etymologists can only trace it back to the early 16th century—in particular to a 1513 translation of Virgil's Aeneid by Gavin Douglas (the Scotsman used wraith to name apparitions of both the dead and the living). In current English, wraith has taken on additional, less spooky, meanings; it now often suggests a shadowy—but not necessarily scary—lack of substance.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 30, 2020 is:

truculent • \TRUCK-yuh-lunt\  • adjective

1 : aggressively self-assertive : belligerent

2 : scathingly harsh : vitriolic

3 : feeling or displaying ferocity : cruel, savage

4 : deadly, destructive

Examples:

Warren's truculent demeanor made him unpleasant to work with, particularly as deadlines approached.

"We encounter the novel not as a relic, encrusted with renown and analysis, much revered and much handled, but in all its freshness and truculent refusal of fiction's tropes." — Parul Sehgal, The New York Times, 16 June 2020

Did you know?

Truculent derives from truculentus, a form of the Latin adjective trux, meaning "savage." It has been used in English since the 16th century to describe people or things that are cruel and ferocious, such as tyrannical leaders, and has also come to mean "deadly or destructive" (as in "a truculent disease"). In current use, however, it has lost much of its etymological fierceness. It now frequently serves to describe speech or writing that is notably harsh (as in "truculent criticism") or a person who is notably self-assertive and surly ("a truculent schoolboy"). Some usage commentators have criticized these extended uses because they do not match the savagery of the word's original sense, but they are well-established and perfectly standard.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 29, 2020 is:

rue • \ROO\  • verb

: to feel penitence, remorse, or regret for

Examples:

"He rued his small feet, which turned inwards ever so slightly. When standing still, he always had to remember to turn his feet out, to avoid looking pigeon-toed." — Natasha Solomons, Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English, 2010

"Yes, I rue the day when I am not allowed to squeeze my avocados to see if they are ripe. I don't want a grocery clerk selecting my corn on the cob. And I certainly want to be able to point toward that third piece of filet mignon in the second row because it is marbled just right." — Jay Heater, The East County Observer (Bradenton, Florida), 21 May 2020

Did you know?

If you remember your high school French, or if you've ever strolled down the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, you may have the notion that the English word rue is somehow connected to the French word for "street." In actuality, the French and English words are not related at all. The English rue is originally from the Old English word hrēow, meaning "sorrow." Used as both a noun and, more frequently, a verb, rue is very old, dating back to before the 12th century.