Random Word of the Moment

A generous round of applause, please, for Noah Webster. Thanks to him, it's our lucky day - April 14 is Dictionary Day!

There are many people to thank for the glorious gift of the dictionary, but I'll showcase just one: Noah Webster.

According to the Dictionary of American Writers, Webster published The American Spelling Book in 1783. Webster went on to deliver his first dictionary in 1806, but didn't rest on his laurels. Instead, he started working on a comprehensive study of the English language, and in 1828, his dictionary of 70,000 entries was published.

In honor of Webster's dictionary, I'll occasionally post a "Random Word of the Moment." The words won't be common or archaic. They're just words that aren't heard too often. If we all use them a time or two, maybe their popularity will rebound. 

The first Random Word of the Moment is: MELEE.

'may-,lay (French 1648) noun. A confused struggle, especially a hand-to hand fight among several people. From: Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

Example: When shoppers heard about free Swedish meatballs, a melee broke out in Ikea.