lissome

****************************************************************
Introducing WORD SWEEP!, the first board game to feature Merriam-Webster 
definitions! Enjoy hours of challenging fun. Try it at:
http://www.wordsweep.com 
****************************************************************

The Word of the Day for June 23 is:

lissome   \LISS-um\   adjective 
     1 a : easily flexed *b : lithe
     2 : nimble

Example sentence: 
     Even though she hasn't danced in years, Maggie still has the lissome body 
of a ballerina.

Did you know? 
     "Lissome" (sometimes spelled "lissom") is a gently altered form of its 
synonym, "lithesome." While "lissome" tends to be the more popular choice these 
days, the two words have similar pasts. They both appeared in the second half 
of the 18th century, and they both trace back to the much older "lithe" 
("supple" or "graceful"), which first appeared in English during the 14th 
century and comes from an Old English word meaning "gentle." "Lissome" can also 
be an adverb meaning "in a supple or nimble manner," but this use is rare.  

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.





You Are Subscribed As: gclw-mw-wod7@xxxxxxxxx
To unsubscribe, change your e-mail address or to subscribe to the html
version of Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day, featuring audio
pronunciations, please visit:

http://mw.drhinternet.net/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml

(c) 2007 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

Merriam-Webster, Inc.
47 Federal Street
P.O. Box 281
Springfield, MA 01102