progeny

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 20, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>progeny</strong> &#149; \PRAH-juh-nee\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p><strong>1 a :</strong> <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/descendants#h2">descendants</a>, <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/children">children</a></p> <p><strong>b :</strong> offspring of animals or plants</p> <p><strong>2 :</strong> <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/outcome">outcome</a>, <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/product">product</a></p> <p><strong>3 :</strong> a body of followers, disciples, or successors</p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>The champion thoroughbred passed on his speed, endurance, and calm temperament to his <em>progeny</em>, many of whom became successful racehorses themselves.</p> <p>"The plan … is to release millions of male <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aedes">Aedes</a> aegypti mosquitoes that have been genetically modified so that their female <em>progeny</em> can develop only if they are exposed to <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tetracycline">tetracycline</a>, an antibiotic." — <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/op-ed/article251334533.html">Gregory E. Kaebnick, <em>The Miami Herald</em>, 11 May 2021</a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Progeny</em> is the progeny of the Latin verb <em>prōgignere</em>, meaning "to beget." That Latin word is itself an offspring of the prefix <em>pro-</em>, meaning "forth," and <em>gignere</em>, which can mean "to beget" or "to bring forth." <em>Gignere</em> has produced a large family of English descendants, including <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/benign">benign</a></em> (meaning "mild" or "harmless"), <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/congeni