Word of the Day — Dictionary.com

Word of the Day is a section of the Dictionary.com homepage that highlights one word each day. At the time of crawling, the featured word was "whirligig", shown alongside the homepage's other editorial sections on new and updated words, slang, emoji and literature. The feature also has a dedicated page at dictionary.com/word-of-the-day, which is where the full entry and earlier words are presented.

• Featured in a Word of the Day section on the homepage
• Dedicated page at dictionary.com/word-of-the-day
• One word published per calendar date

Entries are dated and open with a bracketed pronunciation respelling, the part of speech and a concise definition. An Explanation paragraph expands on the sense of the word, sometimes noting its origin or the contexts in which it is used, and an Example sentence shows the word in use. For instance, "whirligig" is given as a noun meaning a toy for whirling or spinning, with an explanation covering pinwheels and spinning tops.

• Date of publication
• Pronunciation respelling
• Part of speech and definition
• Explanation paragraph
• Example sentence

The Word of the Day page lists recent entries in reverse date order, so earlier words can be read alongside the current one. Words drawn from the crawled archive include "oppidan", an adjective meaning of a town; "croquembouche", a pyramid of bite-size cream puffs held together with caramelised sugar; "diegetic", meaning happening within a story; and "tenuous", meaning lacking a sound basis. Each archived entry keeps the same structure as the current day's word, including its explanation and example.

• whirligig — a toy for whirling or spinning
• oppidan — of a town
• croquembouche — a pyramid of bite-size cream puffs
• diegetic — happening within a story
• tenuous — weak or unsubstantiated

The Dictionary.com games hub carries quizzes built around Word of the Day vocabulary, listed among its word games and puzzles. These appear alongside titles such as WordFork, WordStrike, 4Words, ConnectWord and the Daily Crossword, as well as themed quizzes on food, animals and emoji. The hub also links to an expanded games area with crosswords, word games and classics including mahjong, sudoku and solitaire.

• Multiple Word Of The Day quizzes in the games hub
• Listed beside WordFork, WordStrike, 4Words and ConnectWord
• Part of a wider free games and puzzles collection

The Dictionary.com Help Center includes a Word Of The Day category containing five articles, so questions about the feature are handled through the same support site as the rest of Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com. Related categories cover Email Subscription Management, Website Features, Games, Lexicography, and Site Issues & Policies. Readers who want to browse the dictionary itself rather than the daily word can do so from the main Dictionary.com site, which also lists popular searches.

• Help Center at help.dictionary.com
• Word Of The Day category with 5 articles
• Email Subscription Management category with 6 articles
• Website Features category with 4 articles
• Search available across help articles