Construe - plus, why 'toothpaste' should not be called ‘teethpaste'

[Merriam-Webster]( WORD OF THE DAY [July 3, 2017](#none) construe [Audio pronunciation]( verb | kun-STROO Definition 1 : to analyze the arrangement and connection of words in (a sentence or sentence part) 2 : to understand or explain the sense or intention of usually in a particular way or with respect to a given set of circumstances Scroll down for more about construe WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE [Is this a sandwich? Quiz]( The most important sandwich quiz you'll take today. [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 14th century, English speakers acquired the closely linked words construe and [construction](. You may think of construction as a word having to do with building houses or highways, but it has long had other meanings, including "the arrangement of words in a sentence" and "interpretation." Similarly, construe can mean "to analyze the arrangement and connection of words in a sentence" or "to interpret or explain." Both construe and construction come from the Latin verb construere ("to construct or construe"). In the 15th century, English speakers added mis- to construe to create misconstrue, a word meaning "to put a wrong construction (that is, a wrong interpretation) on." Examples of CONSTRUE "A tall, slim girl, 'half-past sixteen,' with serious gray eyes and hair which her friends called auburn, had sat down …, firmly resolved to construe so many lines of Virgil." — Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Avonlea, 1909 "He liked barge-size American automobiles, and regularly wore a Stetson. Such habits were not to be construed as affectation. Melville was immune to the idle whim." — Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 1 May 2017 Test Your Vocabulary What 5-letter verb means "to divide (a sentence) into grammatical parts and identify the parts and their relations to each other"? [VIEW THE ANSWER [>]]( USAGE NOTES Should 'Toothpaste' Be 'Teethpaste'? No. It should be toothpaste, and here's why. [FIND OUT! [>]]( 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](