Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 18, 2024 is: tomfoolery • \tahm-FOO-luh-ree\ • noun Tomfoolery is a word with an old-fashioned sound to it that refers to playful or silly behavior. // The antics in the play itself apparently inspired tomfoolery behind the scenes as
The word for today is… melee (noun): : a confused struggle especially a hand-to-hand fight among several people Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : English has no shortage of words for confused and noisy fights, some (fray, brawl, scrap) more common than others (donnybrook, fracas). Melee tends to be encountered more
Florence Sperring Research Officer, Faculty of Science, School of Biological Sciences, Clarke Lab, Monash University Rohan Clarke Senior Lecturer, School of Biological Sciences When pest rats and mice decimate populations of native species, pest control is a no-brainer. But what if baiting rats protects threatened songbirds, while poisoning critically
Hollywood star Jack Black has announced the cancellation of his comedy rock band Tenacious D’s Australian and New Zealand tour and put “all future creative plans” on hold after his bandmate’s comment about the attempted assassination of Donald Trump sparked outrage. At the duo’s concert in Sydney
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 17, 2024 is: otiose • \OH-shee-ohss\ • adjective Otiose is a formal word typically used to describe either something that serves no useful purpose, or something that has no use or effect. // I enjoyed the storyline, but was bothered by
The word for today is… forfend (verb): 1a archaic : forbid b: to ward off : prevent 2: protect, preserve Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Forfend is an unusual word in that its most commonly used sense is considered archaic, meaning it survives in English chiefly in specialized uses. When forfend was first
Former All Blacks hooker and Dancing with the Stars winner Norm Hewitt has passed away. He was 55. It is understood he died last night after a battle with motor neurone disease. Growing up in Porangahau, southern Hawke’s Bay, Hewitt played 296 representative matches during a memorable first-class
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 16, 2024 is: harry • \HAIR-ee\ • verb To harry someone or something is to harass or torment them by or as if by constant attack. // The visiting team harried the home team relentlessly during the first quarter. See the entry
The word for today is… precision (noun, adjective): noun 1: the quality or state of being precise : exactness 2a: the degree of refinement with which an operation is performed or a measurement stated b: the accuracy (as in binary or decimal places) with which a number can be represented usually
Thomas Matthew Crooks, who tried to assassinate former US President Donald Trump, was rejected by his high school rifle club for being a bad shooter. Crooks opened fire at the former President at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania on Sunday (NZ time) killing one spectator and injuring two others. A
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 15, 2024 is: limpid • \LIM-pid\ • adjective Limpid describes things that are perfectly transparent or clear, or that are simple in style. // Though the stream was deep, flecks and shimmers in the sand shone up through its limpid water. // The
The word for today is… cohesive (noun): : exhibiting or producing cohesion or coherence Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :The Latin verb haerere has shown remarkable stick-to-itiveness in influencing the English lexicon, which is fitting for a word that means “to be closely attached; to stick.” Among its descendants are
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 14, 2024 is: coterie • \KOH-tuh-ree\ • noun Coterie refers to an intimate and often exclusive group of people with a unifying common interest or purpose. // The mayor arrived at the meeting with a coterie of advisors. See the entry
The word for today is… demagogue (noun, verb): noun 1: a leader who makes use of popular prejudices and false claims and promises in order to gain power 2: a leader championing the cause of the common people in ancient times verb : to behave like a demagogue Source : Merriam -Webster
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for July 13, 2024 is: eclectic • \ih-KLEK-tik\ • adjective Something described as eclectic, such as a collection or a person's tastes, includes things taken from many different sources. // The collection includes an eclectic mix of historical artifacts. See the
The word for today is… word (form): 1: secure from violation or profanation 2: secure from assault or trespass : unassailable Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Inviolable is a venerable word that has been with us since the 15th century. Its opposite, violable (“capable of being or likely to be violated”), appeared
