foible

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for April 10, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>foible</strong> &#149; \FOY-bul\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p><em>Foibles</em> are minor flaws or shortcomings in character or behavior. In fencing, <em>foible</em> refers to the part of a sword's blade between the middle and point, which is considered the weakest part.</p> <p>// He was amused daily by the <em>foibles</em> of his eccentric neighbor.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foible">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"Films about important historical moments are often marked by a heavy solemnity, a sometimes suffocating respectfulness that can make one forget that these events involved real people, human beings with passions and <em>foibles</em>." — Michael Ordoña, <em>The Los Angeles Times</em>, 20 Jan. 2023</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>Many word lovers agree that the pen is mightier than the sword. But be they <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hone#h1">honed</a> in wit or form, even the sharpest tools in the shed have their flaws. That’s where <em>foible</em> comes in handy. Borrowed from French in the 1600s, the word originally referred to the weakest part of a fencing sword, that part being the portion between the middle and the pointed tip. The English <em>foible</em> soon came to be applied not only to weaknesses in blades but also to minor failings in character. The French source of <em>foible</em> is also at a remove from the fencing arena; the French <em>foible</em> means "weak," and it comes from the same Old French term, <em>feble</em>, that gave us <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/feeble">feeble</a></em>.</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>