Merriam-Webster's Word for the Day on Monday, August 11th was anathema. I read the WOTD email and thought "Wow. That's a word I haven't heard used outside of Scripture."
Here is how M-W defined it:
1 a : one that is cursed by ecclesiastical authority b: someone or something intensely disliked or loathed 2 a : a ban or curse solemnly pronounced by ecclesiastical authority and accompanied by excommunication b : a vigorous denunciation : curse
The Merriam-Webster word of the day for Saturday, May 17th was "incandescent" a noun which M-W defined as such:
- a : white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat b : marked by brilliance especially of expression c : characterized by glowing zeal : ardent
- a : of, relating to, or being light produced by incandescence b : producing light by incandescence
The Merriam-Webster Word of the Day for Tuesday, May 13th was "attitudinize", a verb meaning to assume a certain posture. Here is what M-W had to say about it:
The English word "attitude" was first used in the 17th century to describe the posture of a sculptured or painted figure. The word was borrowed from French and formed from the Italian word "attitudine", meaning "aptitude" or "natural tendency". By the early 18th century, "attitude" was also being used for the posture a person assumed for a specific purpose. And by mid-century, "attitudinarians," people who study and practice attitudes, were being talked about. The verb "attitudinize" followed in 1784.