4.3 • 1.2K Ratings
🗓️ 23 May 2024
⏱️ 2 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for May 23, 2024 is:
panoply • \PAN-uh-plee\ • noun
Panoply is a formal word that refers to a group or collection that is impressive either because of its size or because it includes so many different kinds of people or things.
// The new website offers shoppers a panoply of snack foods, soft drinks, and other treats from around the world.
Examples:
“Given that all of us, in our daily lives, are constantly confronted by a limitless confusion of knowledge … one can say that all of us are being educated all the while, and that education is in its essence the business of any transmission of knowledge from one party to another. … No part of this vast panoply of knowledge diffusion is more important for the future of human society than that which passes in one direction, downward across the generations, from the older members of a society to the younger.” — Simon Winchester, Knowing What We Know, 2023
Did you know?
Despite having Greek origins and similar sounds, panoply is not related—etymologically or semantically—to monopoly; its history has more to do with Mediterranean warfare than Mediterranean Avenue. Panoply comes from the Greek word panoplia, which referred to the full suit of armor worn by hoplites, heavily armed infantry soldiers of ancient Greece. Panoplia is a blend of the prefix pan-, meaning “all,” and hopla, meaning “arms” or “armor.” (As you may have guessed, hopla is also an ancestor of hoplite.) Panoply entered English in the early 17th century with its Greek use intact: it referred to a full set of armor—an impressive array, you might say, of protective bits and bobs, from breastplates to brassards. Over time, panoply developed its figurative sense referring to an impressive, extensive collection or array of things, as in “She won the game by bankrupting her opponents with a panoply of properties built up with houses and hotels.”
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
0:00.0 | It's Mary and Webster's word of the day for May 23rd. |
0:11.0 | Today's word is panoply, spelled P-A-N-O-P-A-P-E-N-P-A-P-A-P-E-A-N-O-P-L-Y. Panoply is a noun. It's a formal word that refers to a group or |
0:20.6 | collection that is impressive either because of its size or because it includes |
0:25.4 | so many different kinds of people or things. |
0:28.8 | Here's the word used in a sentence from knowing what we know by Simon Winchester. |
0:33.0 | Given that all of us in our daily lives are constantly |
0:37.0 | confronted by a limitless confusion of knowledge, |
0:40.0 | one can say that all of us are being educated all the while, and that education is in its essence the business of any transmission of knowledge from one party to another. |
0:50.0 | No part of this vast panoply of knowledge diffusion is more important for the future of human society |
0:56.8 | than that which passes in one direction downward across the generations from the older |
1:02.0 | members of a society to the younger. |
1:05.0 | Despite having Greek origins and similar sounds, |
1:08.0 | the word panoply is not related etymology |
1:11.0 | etymology or semantically to the word monopoly. |
1:14.2 | Its history has more to do with Mediterranean warfare than Mediterranean Avenue. |
1:20.6 | Panoply comes from the Greek word panoplia, which referred to the full suit of armor worn by hoplites, |
1:27.0 | heavily armed infantry soldiers of ancient Greece. |
1:31.0 | Panoplia is a blend of the prefix pan, P-A-N meaning all, and Hopla meaning arms or armor. |
1:38.0 | As you may have guessed, Hopla is also an ancestor of the word Hoplite. Panoply entered English in the early 17th century with its Greek use intact. |
1:47.6 | It referred to a full set of armor, an impressive array, you might say, of protective bits and bobs, from breast plates to brassards. |
1:56.0 | Over time, Panoply developed its figurative sense, referring to an impressive extensive collection |
2:01.6 | or array of things, as in she won the game by bankrupting her |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Merriam-Webster, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Merriam-Webster and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.