Merriam-Webster Word of the Day - Bespoke

WORD OF THE DAY January 20, 2018

bespoke    adjective | bih-SPOHK     Definition   1 : custom-made   2 : dealing in or producing custom-made articles   Scroll down for more about bespoke       WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE   What's That From? A Word Origin Quiz   Who'd a thunk?     PLAY NOW     Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try!  TAKE ME THERE     Plus:   SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW!         Did You Know?   In the English language of yore, the verb bespeak had various meanings, including "to speak," "to accuse," and "to complain." In the 16th century, bespeak acquired another meaning—"to order or arrange in advance." It is from that sense that we get the adjective bespoke, referring to clothes and other things that are ordered before they are made. You are most likely to encounter this adjective in British contexts, such as the 2008 Reuters news story about a young pig in Northern England who was fitted with "bespoke miniature footwear" (custom-made Wellington boots) to help it overcome a phobia of mud.     Examples of BESPOKE   "Matt, a lifelong collector of vintage and bespoke men's suiting, takes dressing for an occasion very seriously: black tie the first evening; blue jackets the second." — Pilar Guzman, Traveler, December 2017   "Customers stepped up for body scans inside the showroom and then worked with an employee to design their own bespoke pullovers." — Anna Wiener, Wired, December 2017   Name That Synonym   Unscramble the letters to create a synonym of bespoke: DAEILTRO.   VIEW THE ANSWER           WORDS AT PLAY     10 Words for 'Snow'   Because 200 seemed like overkill   SEE THE FULL LIST

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