Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Placate

WORD OF THE DAY January 11, 2018

placate    verb | PLAY-kayt     Definition   : to soothe or mollify especially by concessions : appease   Scroll down for more about placate       WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE   Winter Words Quiz   Winter has returned along with cold weather. Wrap yourself in a blanket and challenge yourself with our 14-question quiz about words relating to winter.     PLAY NOW     Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE     Plus:   SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW!         Did You Know?   The earliest documented uses of the verb placate in English date from the late 17th century. The word is derived from Latin placatus, the past participle of placare, and placate still carries the basic meaning of its Latin ancestor: "to soothe" or "to appease." Other placare descendants in English are implacable (meaning "not easily soothed or satisfied") and placation ("the act of soothing or appeasing"). Even please itself, derived from Latin placēre ("to please"), is a distant relative of placate.     Examples of PLACATE   "Laughlin can placate even the most skittish of horses, coaxing them into his trailer with sugar cubes…." — Lizzie Johnson, The San Francisco Chronicle, 7 Dec. 2017   "While reviews from riders have been generally positive, there have been complaints about boats running late and being so full that they leave people behind. City officials said they hope to placate riders by next summer with a bigger fleet." — Patrick McGeehan, The New York Times, 29 Nov. 2017   Name That Synonym   Fill in the blanks to complete a synonym of placate: _ _ c _ _ y.   VIEW THE ANSWER           ASK THE EDITOR     Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?   Language changes   WATCH THE VIDEO NOW

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