March TOP TWENTY

The list for March includes many words we've seen in the Top Twenty for quite some time (ubiquitous, integrity, naïve). Some words from the political news of the month did emerge. For example, socialism continues to be a word used in discussions of everything from the bank bailouts to health-care reform. And with the legalization of same-sex marriage in Iowa and Vermont, we see marriage making the list. See the complete March Top Twenty.

Happy Birthday: 1939

John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath was published in April 1939. That classic novel of the Joad family's struggles through the Great Depression remains beloved 70 years later. Of the 272 words first spotted in print in 1939, many have Depression-era associations.

Interested in viewing the full list? Select the Collegiate as your reference, click on Advanced Search, type 1939 into the Date field and click on Search.

Word History of the Month: egregious

Egregious has popped on and off the Top Twenty list in recent months (and is almost always found on the Top 100). But the definition tells only part of the story of this adjective that stands out from the herd.

Notable and Quotable: Charlotte Brontë

Charlotte Brontë, author of Jane Eyre, was born on April 21, 1816. The eldest of the three literary Brontë sisters, Charlotte Brontë is also the most-quoted Brontë sister in the Unabridged. We've collected our favorite usage quotations from her.

Interested in seeing examples from your favorite author in the dictionary? Select the Unabridged and click on Advanced Search. Type the author's last name in the Author field, and click Search.

Report from the Open Dictionary

Dictionary editors keep an eye out for new words, and so do readers. Merriam-Webster's Open Dictionary invites language watchers to pass along new or specialized words (or old words with new meanings) that have not yet made it into a standard print or online dictionary. Decide for yourself if any of these recent contributions will catch on.

From the Mail Server

We have once again been busy answering the mail. This month saw a question about naming rights for a new word. Next, we untangled why one that vs. one who is used in dictionary definitions. Finally, we answered a small, puzzling question of spelling.

In Case You Were Wondering

Seventy-five years ago this month, on April 12, 1934, scientists at New Hampshire's Mount Washington Observatory recorded the strongest ever naturally occurring wind: a blast measuring 231 mph. In case you were wondering, words about wind are blown throughout the dictionary.

Language Links

According to the folks at Poets.org, April was chosen for National Poetry Month at least in part to lessen the effects of T.S. Eliot's dubbing the fourth month the "cruelest month." The folks at Poets.org also found a way to credit Chaucer and Edna St. Vincent Millay in the selection process. Additionally, Shakespeare's birthday is in April. You can read more about National Poetry Month and see this year's poster, which features another famous line by Eliot.

Still want more poetry? You can find more than 300,000 poems at www.poemhunter.com — perfect for the second national Poem in Your Pocket Day.