liminal

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 22, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>liminal</strong> &#149; \LIM-uh-nul\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adjective</em><br /> <p><em>Liminal</em> is used to describe something that is barely perceptible or that involves a transitional or in-between state.</p> <p>// The essay presents an image of the border region as a <em>liminal</em> zone where one culture blends into another.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/liminal">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"In the vast but <em>liminal</em> space of the ocean, cargo vessels—some of the largest machines on the planet—have generally operated in obscurity." — Aurora Almendral, <em>The New York Times</em>, 27 June 2021</p> <p>"This new body of work glows with a more subtle light. [Rick Worth] captures a particular summer kind of Key West glow, the <em>liminal</em> luminosity of streetlights on the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/poinciana">poincianas</a> or the dappled glow of sea grapes of Fort Zach." — <em>The Key West (Florida) Citizen</em>, 30 June 2021</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>When <em>liminal</em> first appeared in written use, it referred to something (such as a physical stimulus) which was just barely perceptible, or just barely capable of eliciting a response. This meaning is still in use today in constructions like "liminal auditory stimuli." The word comes from the noun <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/limen">limen</a></em>, which refers to the point at which a physiological or psychological effect begins to be produced. In its most common extended meaning now, it describes a state, place, or condition of transition, as in “the liminal zone between sleep and wakefulness.” The closely related word <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/su