Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day — "coalesce"

Date: October 15, 2025
Host: Peter Sokolowski

Episode Overview

Today’s Word of the Day is coalesce, a verb meaning "to come together to form one group or mass." The episode dives into the etymology of the term, its linguistic relatives, and illustrative contexts in which "coalesce" is used.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Definition and Spelling
  Peter Sokolowski introduces "coalesce":

  • "Coalesce is a verb. To coalesce is to come together to form one group or mass." (00:09)
  • Spelling: C-O-A-L-E-S-C-E.

• Contemporary Example in Use
  The term is contextualized with a recent Forbes excerpt:

  • “As Angola prepares for the final, the combination of personal perseverance, team cohesion and national pride coalesces into something bigger than a game, a celebration of resilience, dedication and the enduring spirit of basketball.” (00:20)

• Etymology & Word Parts
  Sokolowski breaks down the origin:

  • "The meaning of many English words equals the sum of their parts, and coalesce is a fitting example." (00:35)
  • ‘Co-’ means "together," and 'alescere' is Latin for "to grow."
  • “The word unites the prefix co, meaning together, and the Latin verb alesceire, meaning to grow.” (00:39)

• Related Verbs
  "Coalesce" is grouped with similar words:

  • “Coalesce is one of a number of English verbs, along with mix, commingle, merge and amalgamate, that refer to the act of combining parts into a whole.” (00:48)

• Specific Usage & Nuance
  A distinguishing point is made about the nuance of "coalesce":

  • "In particular, coalesce usually implies the merging of similar parts to form a cohesive unit, such as a political ideology, a fan following or, perish the thought, a Portuguese man of war, the body of which includes three types of zoids." (00:54)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the word's fitting etymology:

  • "The meaning of many English words equals the sum of their parts, and coalesce is a fitting example." – Peter Sokolowski (00:35)

• On merging parts:

  • “Coalesce usually implies the merging of similar parts to form a cohesive unit, such as a political ideology, a fan following or, perish the thought, a Portuguese man of war, the body of which includes three types of zoids.” – Peter Sokolowski (00:54)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:00 — Introduction of the Word of the Day: "coalesce"
• 00:09 — Definition and quick usage
• 00:20 — Example sentence from Forbes
• 00:35–00:39 — Etymology and breakdown of the word
• 00:48–00:54 — Related verbs and subtle differences in usage

Outro

Peter Sokolowski signs off with an encouragement for listeners to explore more at Merriam-Webster's website for definitions, wordplay, and trending word lookups.

This summary captures the educational spirit and clarity of Merriam-Webster’s Word of the Day episodes, making "coalesce" memorable through meaning, illustration, and etymological context.