enigma

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 12, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>enigma</strong> &#149; \ih-NIG-muh\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p>An <em>enigma</em> is someone or something that is difficult to understand or explain.</p> <p>// The formation of the craters on the planet is an <em>enigma</em> to astrophysicists.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/enigma">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"[Bob Dylan] remains shrouded in mystery—a 21st-century <em>enigma</em> in his line of work. Like always, his evocative and striking songs are crushing and imaginative. But this time, he opens the door a little bit more than usual, letting us see pieces of himself that usually get buried." — Danielle Grady, <em>The Louisville (Kentucky) Eccentric Observer</em>, 27 Oct. 2021</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Enigma</em> comes from a Greek word that means "to speak in riddles." It applies to things, as well as to people, that puzzle one's mind. Egypt's ancient pyramids and <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quantum%20mechanics">quantum mechanics</a>, for example, might be described as enigmas, as well as physicist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stephen-Hawking">Stephen Hawking</a>. In these uses, the word's meaning is a figurative extension of the original "riddle" sense.</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>