arch

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 30, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>arch</strong> &#149; \AHRCH\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adjective</em><br /> <p><em>Arch</em> means "principal or chief."</p> <p>// The hero's <em>arch</em> enemy wounded him, enabling her escape.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arch#h3">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"Not being able to thank whoever gave this gift is causing me so much anguish I’ve started wondering if I have an <em>arch</em> nemesis, who sent it purely to torment me. If so, <em>arch</em> nemesis: my compliments." — Polly Hudson, <em>The Mirror</em> (UK), 24 Aug. 2021</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>As a prefix, <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arch-#h6">arch-</a></em> appears in a number of titles referring to positions of superiority, such as <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archduke">archduke</a></em> and <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archbishop">archbishop</a></em>; it can also mean "chief" (as in <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archnemesis">archnemesis</a></em>) or "extreme" (<em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archconservative">archconservative</a></em>). It comes from the Greek verb <em>archein</em>, meaning "to begin or to rule."</p> <br /><br /> </p> </font>