ziggurat

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 27, 2022 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>ziggurat</strong> &#149; \ZIG-uh-rat\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p>A <em>ziggurat</em> is an ancient <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Mesopotamian">Mesopotamian</a> temple that resembles a pyramid having successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top. The word is used figuratively for any structure having stages or steps.</p> <p>// The tourists stared with awe at the ancient <em>ziggurat</em>.</p> <p>// The fitness plan is a <em>ziggurat</em> with many steps to one's goal.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ziggurat">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"[Adam Borba] … has steadily maneuvered his way up Hollywood's creative <em>ziggurat</em> for some time. He co-produced 'Pete's Dragon' (2016) before adding executive producer to his list of credits with 'A Wrinkle in Time' (2018) and the highly anticipated 'Peter Pan &amp; Wendy,' coming in 2022." — Greg Archer, <em>The Desert Sun</em> (Palm Springs, California), 14 Nov. 2021</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>French professor of archaeology Francois Lenormant spent a great deal of time poring over ancient <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Assyrian">Assyrian</a> texts. In those <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cuneiform">cuneiform</a> inscriptions, he recognized a new language, now known as <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Akkadian">Akkadian</a>, which proved valuable to the understanding of the ancient civilization. Through his studies, he became familiar with the Akkadian word for the towering temples: <em>ziqqurratu</em>, which was translated into English as <em>ziggurat</em>.</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>