Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 28, 2011 is:

duckboard • \DUK-bord\  • noun
: a boardwalk or slatted flooring laid on a wet, muddy, or cold surface -- usually used in plural

Examples:
Someone had laid duckboards across the marshy area of the path so that it was passable.

"Much of the trail consists of duckboards to protect fragile eco-systems and hikers should be careful not to step off them." -- From an advertorial in The Australian Magazine, October 8, 2011

Did you know?
The word "duckboard" was created during the early 20th century to describe the boards or slats of wood laid down to provide safe footing for the soldiers of World War I across wet or muddy ground in trenches or camps. The original duckboards didn't always work as intended though. According to one soldier, duckboards came by their name because someone walking on wet duckboards was liable to slide off them much like water slides off a duck's back. Today's duckboards appear in all kinds of places -- from marshes to the floors of saunas. The word "duck" itself has been part of the English language since the days of Old English, when it had the form "dūce."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 27, 2011 is:

flagrant • \FLAY-grunt\  • adjective
: conspicuously offensive; especially : so obviously inconsistent with what is right or proper as to appear to be a flouting of law or morality

Examples:
The United Nations is investigating what seem to be flagrant violations of human rights by the junta.

"Wade missed the South Carolina game because of … a flagrant personal foul at Vanderbilt." -- From an article by Bob Holt and Tom Murphy in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, November 20, 2011

Did you know?
In Latin, "flagrare" means "to burn," and "flagrans" means "burning" or "fiery hot" (both literally and figuratively). When it was first used in the 16th century, "flagrant" had the same meaning as "flagrans," but by the 18th century it had acquired its current meaning of "conspicuously bad." Some usage commentators warn against using "flagrant" and "blatant" interchangeably. While both words denote conspicuousness, they are not exact synonyms. "Blatant" is usually used of some person, action, or thing that attracts disapproving attention (e.g., "a blatant grammatical error"). "Flagrant" is used similarly, but usually carries a heavier weight of violated morality (e.g., "flagrant abuse of public office").

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 26, 2011 is:

intrepid • \in-TREP-id\  • adjective
: characterized by resolute fearlessness, fortitude, and endurance

Examples:
She was an intrepid child, always coming home with scrapes and bruises, but also with great stories of "adventures."

"The vineyard lies atop a knoll down the road from Bohan Vineyard, at an elevation of 1,200 feet. In the early 1980s, the site was so uncharted that only the most intrepid would venture to its lonesome ridges, let alone consider grape growing there." -- From a review in Wine Spectator, July 31, 2010

Did you know?
You need not be afraid to find out the origins of today’s word, although its history does include fear. "Intrepid" derives from the Latin word "intrepidus," itself formed by the combination of the prefix "in-" (meaning "not") and "trepidus," meaning "alarmed." Other relatives of "trepidus" in English include "trepidation" and "trepidatious," as well as "trepid" (which actually predates "intrepid" and means "fearful") and even the rare "trepidity" (a synonym for "trepidation" in the sense of "fear, apprehension"). Synonyms for "intrepid" include "courageous," "valiant," "fearless," "valorous," and simply "brave."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 25, 2011 is:

tiding • \TYE-ding\  • noun
: a piece of news -- usually used in plural

Examples:
I rushed off to share the good news, excited to be the bearer of glad tidings.

"With Christmas more than a month away, Duane Brusseau is getting a head start on Santa as he makes stops across the nation spreading tidings of good cheer." -- From an article by Shannon Barry in the Milpitas Post (California), November 16, 2011

Did you know?
"Good tidings we bring to you and your kin," goes a line from the popular 16th-century carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas." Another carol, "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (1833), speaks of "tidings of comfort and joy." Although there is nothing inherent in the meaning or origin of "tiding" that specifically pertains to Christmas (it derives via Middle English from Old English and relates to "betide," meaning "to happen especially by fate"), we most often see the word in contexts pertaining to the Christmas season. The most notable usage, perhaps, occurs in Luke 2:10 of the King James Bible, when the angel delivers the news of the arrival of the Savior: "Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 24, 2011 is:

dulcet • \DUL-sut\  • adjective
1 : sweet to the taste 2 : pleasing to the ear 3 : generally pleasing or agreeable

Examples:
At the concert, Kate leaned back in her seat, closed her eyes, and enjoyed the dulcet tones of the harp solo.

"The haddock was sweet and tender inside the coarse cornmeal crust, with dulcet chili aioli and creamy avocado." -- From a restaurant review by Cheryl Clark in The Times-Union (Albany, New York), November 20, 2011

Did you know?
"Dulcet" has many linguistic ancestors, including the Latin "dulcis," Anglo-French "douz," and Middle English "doucet," all meaning "sweet." The dulcet "dulcis" has contributed many other sweet terms to English as well. Among these are the musical direction "dolce" ("to be played sweetly, softly"), "dulciana" (a pipe organ stop), "dolcian" (a small bassoon-like instrument used in the 16th and 17th centuries), and "dulcimer" (an American folk instrument). On a similar note, the word "dulcify" means "to make sweet," and the adjective "doux," derived from "douz," is used in wine circles to describe champagne that is sweet.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2011 is:

perquisite • \PER-kwuh-zut\  • noun
1 : a privilege or profit made in addition to regular pay 2 : gratuity, tip 3 : something held or claimed as an exclusive right or possession

Examples:
One of the job's perquisites is use of a company car.

"A few years ago, before motherhood and a recession slowed me down, my annual flight mileage allowed me the perquisite of early boarding -- before all the baggage bins were full." -- From a column by Cynthia Tucker in The Leaf Chronicle (Tennessee), November 25, 2011

Did you know?
Looking to acquire a job loaded with perquisites, or "perks" (a synonym of "perquisites")? Don’t give up the search! Make plenty of inquiries, send out an exquisitely crafted resume, and follow up with queries. Your quest may result in your conquering of the job market. After all, today’s word "perquisite" derives from Latin "perquirere," which means "to search for thoroughly." That Latin word, in turn, is from the verb "quaerere," meaning "to ask" or "to seek." Seven other words in this paragraph are from "quaerere" as well -- "acquire," "inquiries," "exquisitely," "queries," "conquering," "quest," and, of course, "perk" (which was formed by shortening and altering "perquisite").

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2011 is:

echelon • \ESH-uh-lahn\  • noun
1 : a steplike arrangement 2 a : one of a series of levels or grades in an organization or field of activity b : the individuals at such a level

Examples:
We heard stories of corruption in the higher echelons of the firm.

"The Horseheads school district is in the upper echelon of upstate school districts, according to a new list created by a Buffalo business publication." -- From an article by Jeff Murray in the Elmira Star-Gazette (New York), November 13, 2011

Did you know?
"Echelon" is a useful word for anyone who is climbing the ladder of success. It traces back to "scala," a Late Latin word meaning "ladder" that was the ancestor of the Old French "eschelon," meaning "rung of a ladder." Over time, the French word (which is "échelon" in Modern French) came to mean "step," "grade," or "level." When it was first borrowed into English in the 18th century, "echelon" referred specifically to a steplike arrangement of troops, but it now usually refers to a level or category within an organization or group of people.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2011 is:

wreak • \REEK\  • verb
1 : to cause the infliction of (vengeance or punishment) 2 : to give free play or course to (malevolent feeling) 3 : bring about, cause

Examples:
The visiting team's skilled receivers wreaked havoc on our defense all night long.

"Emily VanCamp stars [as] a wealthy young woman who returns to her former Hamptons home to wreak vengeance on the people who ruined her family. " -- From a review by Glenn Teichman in The Times-Union, September 16, 2011

Did you know?
"Wreak" is a venerable word that first appeared in Old English as "wrecan," meaning "to drive, drive out, punish, or avenge." "Wrecan" is related to a number of similar words in the Germanic languages, including Middle Dutch "wreken" ("to punish, avenge"), Old High German "rehhan" ("to avenge"), Old Norse "reka" ("to drive, push, or avenge"), and Gothic "wrikan" ("to persecute"). It may also be related to Latin "urgēre" ("to drive on, urge"), the source of the English verb "urge." In modern English, vengeance is a common object of the verb "wreak," reflecting one of its earlier uses in the sense "to take vengeance for" -- as when Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus proclaims "We will solicit heaven, and move the gods / To send down Justice for to wreak our wrongs."