Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 08, 2010 is:

zenith • \ZEE-nith\  • noun
1 : the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the and vertically above the observer 2 : the highest point reached in the heavens by a celestial body 3 : culminating point : acme

Example sentence:
"The race was either the nadir or the zenith of high jinks politics, depending on one's point of view." (Kathleen Parker, Charlotte Observer, June 14, 2010)

Did you know?
When you reach the zenith, you’re at the top, the pinnacle, the summit, the peak. "Zenith” developed from Arabic terms meaning "the way over one’s head," and then traveled through Old Spanish, Medieval Latin, and Middle French before arriving in English. As long ago as the 1300s, English speakers used "zenith" to name the highest point in the celestial heavens, directly overhead. By the 1600s, "zenith" was being used for other high points as well. As in our example sentence, "zenith" is often contrasted with "nadir." In celestial contexts, the nadir is the point that is vertically downward from the observer (imagine a line going through the earth from the observer's feet and out the other side into the sky). Figuratively, "nadir" simply means "the lowest point."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 07, 2010 is:

laconic • \luh-KAH-nik\  • adjective
: using or involving the use of a minimum of words : concise to the point of seeming rude or mysterious

Example sentence:
"While the Ingallses were living outside the town of De Smet, in what is now South Dakota, Laura met her future husband, a laconic homesteader ten years her senior." (Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, August 10, 2009)

Did you know?
Laconia was an ancient country in southern Greece, bordering on the Aegean and the Mediterranean seas. Its capital city was Sparta, and the Spartans were famous for their terseness of speech. "Laconic" comes to us by way of Latin from Greek "Lakonikos," which is derived from "Lakon," meaning "native of Laconia." It has been with us since the 16th century and has sometimes been used with the basic meaning "of or relating to Laconia or its inhabitants" (though we’re more apt to use "Laconian" for this meaning today). In current use, "laconic" means "terse" or "concise," and thus recalls the Spartan tendency to use the fewest words possible.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 06, 2010 is:

paranymph • \PAIR-uh-nimf\  • noun
1 : a friend going with a bridegroom to fetch home the bride in ancient Greece; also : the bridesmaid conducting the bride to the bridegroom 2 *a : best man b : bridesmaid

Example sentence:
The bride and groom, accompanied by their paranymphs, stood before the officiating clergy.

Did you know?
"Paranymph" resulted from the marriage of the Greek prefix "para-" and the Greek word for bride, "nymphē." The prefix "para-" can mean "beside" or "alongside of," as is apparent in the word "parallel," from the Greek word "parallēlos," a union of "para-" and the word "allēnōn," meaning "of one another." At one time, the word "paranymph" also was used for a person who solicits or speaks for another -- that is, an advocate -- but that sense is now very rare.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 05, 2010 is:

Sisyphean • \sis-uh-FEE-un\  • adjective
: of, relating to, or suggestive of the labors of Sisyphus; specifically : requiring continual and often ineffective effort

Example sentence:
"Considering the inherently fickle nature of golf, defending a title is, no doubt, as Sisyphean a task as any in the sport." (Anthony Cuaycong, BusinessWorld, July 2008)

Did you know?
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king who annoyed the gods with his trickery. As a consequence, he was condemned for eternity to roll a huge rock up a long, steep hill in the underworld, only to watch it roll back down. The story of Sisyphus is often told in conjunction with that of Tantalus, who was condemned to stand beneath fruit-laden boughs, up to his chin in water. Whenever he bent his head to drink, the water receded, and whenever he reached for the fruit, the branches moved beyond his grasp. Thus to "tantalize" is to tease or torment by offering something desirable but keeping it out of reach -- and something "Sisyphean" (or "Sisyphian," pronounced \sih-SIFF-ee-un\) demands unending, thankless, and ultimately unsuccessful efforts.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 04, 2010 is:

bona fides • \boh-nuh-FYE-deez\  • noun
1 : good faith : sincerity 2 : evidence of one's good faith or genuineness *3 : evidence of one's qualifications or achievements

Example sentence:
If you still have doubts about Rob’s bona fides as a lawyer, you should hear all the good things his past clients have said about him.

Did you know?
"Bona fides" looks like a plural word in English, but in Latin, it's a singular noun that literally means "good faith." When "bona fides" entered English, it at first stayed very close to its Latin use -- it was found mostly in legal contexts and it meant "honesty or lawfulness of purpose," just as it did in Latin. It also retained its singular construction. Using this original sense one might speak of "a claimant whose bona fides is unquestionable," for example. But in the 20th century, use of "bona fides" began to widen, and it began to appear with a plural verb in certain contexts. For example, a sentence such as "the informant's bona fides were ascertained" is now possible.