Merriam-Websters 2017 Words of the Year

Merriam-Websters 2017 Words of the Year Merriam-Webster’s 2017 Words of the Year Merriam-Webster’s 2017 Words of the Year By Mark Nichol Toward the end of each calendar year, around the winter holidays, various dictionaries trot out their annual Words of the Year feature. This year, as can be expected, the focus (according to Merriam-Webster) was predominantly on terms directly or indirectly associated with politics. Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Year, prompted by various events and incidents regarding gender equality and women’s right, is feminism. The term has various connotations, depending on one’s perspective about the concept, but the objective meanings, according to the company’s website, are â€Å"the theory of . . . equality of the sexes† and â€Å"organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests.† More unusual words that appeared in Merriam-Webster’s top ten include dotard, which refers to one in a state or period of dotage, or senility; the root word is dote, the verb form. (However, dote is more commonly employed for the sense of â€Å"give generous attention or affection.†) Like dotty (meaning â€Å"crazy or eccentric,† or â€Å"obsessed† or â€Å"ridiculous†), dote stems from a Germanic word meaning â€Å"foolish.† Another term prominent in online-dictionary surges earlier this year is the spelling bee participant’s bane, syzygy, which simply refers to a generally straight-line configuration of bodies in a solar system or other gravitational system, such as occurs during an eclipse. The word, by way of Latin, is from a Greek term meaning â€Å"yoked together.† Greek is also the source of gyro, which made the list in the sense of a type of sandwich of Greek provenance, rather than a spinning device such as a gyrocompass. Both senses relate to turning; the sandwich is so named because the meat filling is traditionally turned on a spit over flame to cook it. Then there’s gaffe (meaning â€Å"blunder or mistake†), sometimes erroneously spelled gaff, the word from which it is derived. A gaff is any one of several types of hooks or hooked implements, and as a verb it applies to using or applying a hook. As a slang term, it means â€Å"music hall or theater†- my guess is that it’s derived from the notion of the proverbial hook used to yank poorly received vaudeville performers off the stage- and it also informally pertains to abuse or an ordeal, or a trick or hoax. (It also serves as a verb associated with these senses.) Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Vocabulary category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:70 "Home" Idioms and ExpressionsHow to Punctuate Descriptions of ColorsRite, Write, Right, Wright