It's Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 18th.
Today's word is by and large.
Spelled as three words, by and large is an adverb, another way of saying in general or on the whole.
Here's the term used in a sentence from The Ringer by Tyler Times.
HBO's Insecure, created, written, and produced by Issa Rae, is a beautifully shot,
deliciously sound-designed show centered on the friendship of Issa and Molly to Black women in their 30s living in LA.
Insecure is, by and large, for Black women and by Black women.
Its return is a refreshing addition to my weekly viewing.
By and large means in general, or on the whole, in most contexts.
But in Sailor's Lingo of Yor, whence the phrase arose,
by and large described a vessel alternately sailing as directly into the wind as possible,
typically within about 45 degrees of the wind,
that is, by, and away from the direction from which the wind is blowing,
with the wind hitting the vessel's widest point, that is, large.
Note that this by also appears in the term full and by,
meaning sailing as directly into the wind as possible and with all sails full.
William Bourne's 1578 book, Inventions or Devices, offers insight into the phrase's original use.
to make a ship, to draw, or go but little into the water,
and to hold a good wind, and to sail well, both by and large, were very necessary.
As has happened with much nautical jargon, the phrase eventually came ashore, by and large.