Litmus test - plus, test your vocabulary

[Merriam-Webster]( WORD OF THE DAY [March 27, 2019](#none) litmus test [Audio pronunciation]( noun | LIT-mus-TEST Definition : a test in which a single factor (such as an attitude, event, or fact) is decisive Scroll down for more about litmus test TRENDING NOW: [whitewash]( [exonerate]( [catamount]( [mendacious]( [SEE ALL [>]]( PEOPLE ARE READING # ['Epidemic' vs. 'Endemic']( # [Should There Be an Apostrophe in ‘Farmers Market’?]( # [The Good, The Bad, & The Semantically Imprecise - 3/22/19]( # [On Contractions of Multiple Words]( WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE [Original Meanings Quiz]( A quiz for the pedantic and those annoyed by them! [PLAY NOW]( Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try! [TAKE ME THERE [>]]( Did You Know? It was in the 14th century that scientists discovered that [litmus](, a mixture of colored organic compounds obtained from [lichen](, turns red in acid solutions and blue in alkaline solutions and, thus, can be used as an acid-base indicator. Six centuries later, people began using litmus test figuratively. It can now refer to any single factor that establishes the true character of something or causes it to be assigned to one category or another. Often it refers to something (such as an opinion about a political or moral issue) that can be used to make a judgment about whether someone or something is acceptable or not. Examples of LITMUS TEST For Curtis, the litmus test of good barbeque ribs is whether or not they have that moist fall-off-the-bone quality. "But, then, this can of corn: How did it even get here? Nothing against canned corn, but it's not something we use. It definitely did not 'spark joy,' per [Marie] Kondo's keep-it-or-toss-it litmus test." — Bethany Jean Clement, The Providence Journal, 6 Feb. 2019 Test Your Vocabulary What is the meaning of test bed? [VIEW THE ANSWER [>]]( WORDSMITH.ORG CELEBRATES 25 YEARS Coin a word for a chance to win a visit to Merriam-Webster Enter your word, anagram, pangram, or limerick by March 31 for a chance to win a visit to our home in Massachusetts or to Oxford, England. [SEE THE CONTEST [>]]( MORE WORD FUN: [WORD GAMES [>]]( [TRENDING NOW [>]]( [WORDS AT PLAY [>]]( FOLLOW US: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( SHARE: [Facebook][Facebook]( [Twitter][Twitter]( [View this email in a web browser]( You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. [Unsubscribe from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day]( [Manage your subscription settings]( Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 [www.merriam-webster.com](