Word of the Day : August 31, 2019

brackish \BRACK-ish\ adjective

Definition

1 : somewhat salty

2 a : not appealing to the taste

b : repulsive

Did You Know?

When the word brackish first appeared in English in the 1500s, it simply meant "salty," as did its Dutch parent brac. Then, as now, brackish water could simply be a mixture of saltwater and freshwater. Since that time, however, brackish has developed the additional meanings of "unpalatable" or "distasteful"—presumably because of the undrinkable quality of saltwater. "The brackish water that we drink / Creeps with a loathsome slime, / And the bitter bread they weigh in scales / Is full of chalk and lime." As this use from Oscar Wilde's "Ballad of Reading Gaol" illustrates, brackish water can also include things other than salt that make it unpleasant to drink.

Aired August 31, 2019

All Merriam-Webster content is available at www.merriam-webster.com