mellifluous

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 16, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>mellifluous</strong> &#149; \muh-LIFF-luh-wus\&nbsp; &#149; <em>adjective</em><br /> <p><em>Mellifluous</em> is an adjective used in formal speech and writing to describe things with a smooth, flowing sound. It can also be used to mean “filled with something (such as honey) that sweetens,” as in “<em>mellifluous</em> confections.”</p> <p>// Though not so enchanting as the <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dawn%20chorus">dawn chorus</a> of early spring, Sasha looks forward to the fall, when the woods ring again with <em>mellifluous</em> birdsong. </p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mellifluous">See the entry ></a> </p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>“‘Toni Morrison: Sites of Memory,’ is an homage to the late Pulitzer Prize-winner, but also a walking meditation. The walls act as an altar—the writings, scripts, maps, drafts, letters and photos are thoughtfully placed assemblages that carry Morrison’s spirit. The author’s <em>mellifluous</em> voice, though subtle, echoes throughout the exhibition space, as an edited interview of Morrison at Boston College plays on repeat.” — Felice León, <em>Essence</em>, 2 Mar. 2023</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>Have a <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have-a-bee-in-one's-bonnet">bee in your bonnet</a> to learn some <em>mellifluous</em> facts? Sweet—we won’t make you comb for them. <em>Mellifluous</em> comes from two Latin roots: the noun <em>mel</em>, meaning “honey,” and the verb <em>fluere</em>, meaning “to flow.” These linguistic components flowed smoothly together into the Late Latin word <em>mellifluus</em>, then continued on into the Middle English word <em>mellyfluous</em>, before crystallizing into the adjective we employ today. As it has for centu