lissome

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 9, 2020 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>lissome</strong> &#149; \LISS-um\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adjective</em><br /> <p><strong>1 a :</strong> easily flexed</p> <p><strong>b :</strong> characterized by easy flexibility and grace <strong>:</strong> <a href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lithe">lithe</a></p> <p><strong>2 :</strong> <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nimble">nimble</a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"A couple of images haunt me from this 'West Side Story,' and both do come from video. One is of an anonymous, <em>lissome</em> figure, barely detectable as he or she dances at the end of a long, dark street. The other is of a television playing while Maria and Anita are arguing about a recent gang slaying." — <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/theater/west-side-story-review-sharks-vs-jets-vs-video.html">Ben Brantley, <em>The New York Times</em>, 20 Feb. 2020</a></p> <p>"The visiting Americans … look dazed, like astronauts observing <em>lissome</em> green Martian women in a ’50s sci-fi cheapie." — <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2019/08/american-factory-review-obamas-netflix-doc-is-eye-opening.html">David Edelstein, <em>Vulture</em>, 23 Aug. 2019</a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Lissome</em> (sometimes spelled <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lissom">lissom</a></em>) is a gently altered form of its synonym, <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lithesome">lithesome</a></em>. While <em>lissome</em> tends to be the more popular choice these days, the two words have similar pasts. They both appeared in the 18th century, and they both trace back to the much older <em><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lithe">lithe</a></em>, which first appeared in English during the 14th century and come