docile
adjective DAH-sul
What It Means
Docile is used to describe those who are easily taught, led, or managed.
// Though the professor feared a rowdy incoming class, he found that his new students were docile and eager to learn.
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Word Of The Day
contumacious
adjective
stubbornly perverse or rebellious; willfully and obstinately disobedient.
Contumacious “stubbornly perverse or rebellious” is derived from the noun contumacy “obstinate resistance to authority,” ultimately from the Latin adjective contumāx “unyielding, stubborn.” The -tum- element in contumāx is of uncertain origin, but there are two hypotheses. The definition-based theory connects -tum- to the verb temnere “to despise,” which is also the source of the stem tempt-, as in contempt, while the spelling-based theory connects -tum- to the verb tumēre “to swell,” the source of tumescent and tumor. Contumacious was first recorded in English in the 1590s.
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remora
noun rem·o·ra ri-ˈmȯr-ə also ˈremərə
Definition of remora
1: any of a family (Echeneidae) of marine bony fishes that have the anterior dorsal fin modified into a suctorial disk on the head by means of which they adhere especially to other fishes 2: hindrance, drag
Illustration of remora
Did You Know?
Also known as shark suckers or suckerfish, remoras are long, thin, dark fishes that are distributed throughout the world in warm seas. Ancient sailors believed remoras had the power to slow or even stop a ship by attaching themselves to it; the name remora, which means “delay” in Latin, arose from this ancient superstition. The poor remora’s reputation isn’t much better today. Even though remoras don’t harm their hosts, they are popularly thought of as unwanted guests who get a free ride and a free meal by way of the efforts of others. It is therefore common to see remora used metaphorically in such contexts as “hungry paparazzi who attach themselves like remoras to celebrities.”
Examples of remora in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web This year, scientists tackled the sticky issue of creating strong underwater adhesives by mimicking the way remoras (also known as suckerfish) suction onto sharks. — Danielle Hall, Smithsonian, “The Top Ten Ocean Stories of 2017,” 16 Dec. 2017 When a bigger fish attacks and eats prey, the remora will detach itself and feast on the remains once its host is done. — National Geographic, “Watch: Confused Suckerfish Tries to Latch Onto Diver,” 11 Aug. 2017
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘remora.’ Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors
First Known Use of remora
1567, in the meaning defined at sense
History and Etymology for remora
Late Latin, from Latin, delay, from remorari to delay, from re- + morari to delay — more at moratorium
Mws R Writings 