SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (November 19, 2009)—The folks at Merriam-Webster have chosen "admonish" as the dictionary’s 2009 Word of the Year.

Admonish beat out several other finalists that emerged from what the dictionary publisher's editor at large calls the "intersection of news and vocabulary."

It's a verb dating to the 14th century meaning "to express warning or disapproval in a gentle, earnest, or solicitous manner."

It was in the news this year when the U.S. House admonished South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson for shouting "You lie!" at President Barack Obama during a health care speech.

Other words in this year's top 10 list released Thursday include "emaciated," describing the condition of Michael Jackson's body after his death, and "nugatory," meaning "of little or no consequence."