''For the filmed segment set to a popular song, see music video.

Video is the technology of capturing, recording, processing, transmitting, and reconstructing moving pictures, typically using celluloid film, electronic signals, or digital media, primarily for viewing on television or computer monitors.

Description

---

More on [ Video ]

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

puckish
Fri, 16 May 2008 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 16, 2008 is: puckish • \PUCK-ish\  • adjective : impish, whimsical Example sentence: Ellen found Gabe's puckish antics quite appealing when they first started dating, but now she wishes he would be more serious. Did you know? We know Puck as "that merry wanderer of the night," the shape-changing, maiden-frightening, mischief-sowing henchman to the king of the fairies in Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. The Bard drew on English folklore in casting his character, but the traditional Puck was more malicious than the Shakespearean imp; he was an evil spirit or demon. In medieval England, this nasty hobgoblin was known as the "puke" or "pouke," names related to the Old Norse "pūki," meaning "devil." But it was the Bard's characterization that stuck, and by the time the adjective "puckish" started appearing regularly in English texts in the late 1800s the association was one of impishness, not evil.
titivate
Thu, 15 May 2008 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 15, 2008 is: titivate • \TIH-tuh-vayt\  • verb : to make or become smart or spruce Example sentence: "Work could undoubtedly be done on the show to titivate it for Broadway -- but the score will remain a problem, if not a liability." (Clive Barnes, The New York Post, August 13, 2000) Did you know? "Titivate," "spruce," "smarten," and "spiff" all mean "to make a person or thing neater or more attractive." "Titivate" often refers to making small additions or alterations in attire ("titivate the costume with sequins and other accessories") and can also be used figuratively, as in our example sentence. "Spruce up" is sometimes used for cosmetic changes or renovations that give the appearance of newness ("spruce up the house with new shutters and fresh paint before trying to sell it"). "Smarten up" and "spiff up" both mean to improve in appearance often by making more neat or stylish ("the tailor smartened up the suit with minor alterations"; "he needed some time to spiff himself up for the party"). The origins of "titivate" are uncertain, but it may have been formed from the English words "tidy" and "renovate."
foursquare
Wed, 14 May 2008 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 14, 2008 is: foursquare • \FOR-SKWAIR\  • adjective 1 : square *2 : marked by boldness and conviction : forthright Example sentence: The governor has been foursquare in his support for the education bill. Did you know? Early English speakers liked to use "foursquare" to describe a rectangle with four equal sides, even though they could also say it was simply "square." They also used "three-square" to describe a triangle with equal sides, "five-square" for "having five equal sides," "six-square" as an alternative to "hexagonal," and "eight-square" for "octagonal." Eventually "foursquare" also developed a second sense, which is used to describe persons and things that stand out "squarely" and forthrightly. One can now speak of "foursquare citizens" and "a foursquare response." "Foursquare" can also be an adverb meaning "solidly" or "forthrightly." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
attitudinize
Tue, 13 May 2008 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 13, 2008 is: attitudinize • \at-uh-TOO-duh-nyze\  • verb : to assume an affected mental attitude : pose Example sentence: "She kept her position; she seemed absorbed in the view. 'Is she posing -- is she attitudinizing for my benefit?' Longueville asked of himself." (Henry James, Confidence) Did you know? 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.
iconoclast
Mon, 12 May 2008 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 12, 2008 is: iconoclast • \eye-KAH-nuh-klast\  • noun 1 : a person who destroys religious images or opposes their veneration *2 : a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions Example sentence: Susan's irreverent opinion of Shakespeare made her an iconoclast in the eyes of many of her fellow English majors. Did you know? "Iconoclast" is a word that often shows up on vocabulary lists and College Board tests. How will you remember the meaning of this vocabulary-boosting term? If you already know the word "icon," you're halfway there. An "icon" is a picture that represents something, and is often a religious image. "Icon" comes from the Greek "eikōn," which is from "eikenai," meaning "to resemble." "Iconoclast" comes to us by way of Medieval Latin from Middle Greek "eikonoklastēs," which joins "eikōn" with a form of the word "klan," meaning "to break." "Iconoclast" literally means "image destroyer." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
treacle
Sun, 11 May 2008 01:15:01 -0500
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 11, 2008 is: treacle • \TREE-kul\  • noun 1 : a medicinal compound formerly in wide use as a remedy against poison 2 a chiefly British : molassesb : a blend of molasses, invert sugar, and corn syrup used as syrup *3 : something (as a tone of voice) heavily sweet and cloying Example sentence: The film is engaging for about an hour, but then it nose-dives into sentimental treacle and never recovers. Did you know? The long history of "treacle" begins in ancient Greece. The Greek word "thēriakos," meaning "of a wild animal," came from "thērion" ("wild animal"). Since wild animals are often known to bite, these words gave rise to "thēriakē," meaning "antidote against a poisonous bite." Latin borrowed "thēriakē" as "theriaca," and the word eventually entered Anglo-French -- and then Middle English -- as "triacle." The senses of "treacle" that refer to molasses developed from the earlier "antidote" sense. The "molasses" sense, in turn, was extended to give us a word for things excessively sweet or sentimental. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.

MedTerms Word of the Day

Meconium ileus
Fri, 16 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700
Meconium ileus: Obstruction of the intestine (ileus) due to overly thick meconium, the dark sticky stuff that is normally present in the intestine at birth and, after trypsin and other enzymes from the pancreas have acted on it, is normally passed in the feces after birth. Meconium ileus results from a deficiency of trypsin and other digestive enzymes from the pancreas, as in cystic fibrosis (fibrocystic disease of the pancreas, mucoviscidosis). MedTerms (TM) is the Medical Dictionary of MedicineNet.com.We Bring Doctors' Knowledge To You

Subscribe to Audio_and_Video RSS feed