***************************************************************
Bring the gift of language and laughter home for the holidays
with The Merriam-Webster and Garfield Dictionary.
http://www.m-w.com/book/diction/garfield.htm
***************************************************************

The Word of the Day for December 17 is:

conglobate   \kahn-GLOH-bayt or kun-GLOH-bayt\   (verb)
     : to form into a round compact mass

Example sentence:
     Jack alternately conglobated and flattened the bit of clay
as he talked.

Did you know?
     Sharp-eyed readers may have noticed the "globe" in
"conglobate." The "globe" connection goes all the way back to
Latin -- "conglobate" descends from the Latin verb "conglobare,"
which in turn comes from the prefix "con-" (meaning "with,
together") and "globus" (meaning "globe"). "Conglobare" also
means "to form into a ball," and in the 16th century it gave us
the word "conglobe," of the same meaning. A century after
"conglobe" first appeared in print, its cousin "conglobate"
arrived on the scene. You may be wondering if the word "glob" is
a relative too. "Glob" isn't linked directly to "conglobate," but
it does have a possible link to "globe." Etymologists think that
"glob" might have originated as a blend of "globe" and "blob."

----------------
Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Inc.
http://www.Merriam-Webster.com
----------------

----------------
Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Inc.
http://www.Merriam-Webster.com
----------------

Subscribe or unsubscribe to Word of the Day via the Web at:
http://www.Merriam-Webster.com/service/subinst.htm

To join the list via e-mail, send a blank e-mail to:
mw-wod-subscribe-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com
To leave the list via e-mail, send a blank e-mail to:
mw-wod-signoff-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com

Questions about your subscription?
Write to: mw-wod-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com
Questions or comments about the Word of the Day?
Write to: word@Merriam-Webster.com

(c) 2001 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated