saprogenic

Pronounced: sap-ruh-JEN-ik, adj

Notes: I didn’t have a clue about what this word may mean

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Yesterday’s word

The word palmary means “outstanding; best”

First usage

This word goes back to the 1600s

Background / Comments

The word comes to us from the Latin palmarious (deserving the palm). The ‘palm’ here is not the palm of the hand, but the palm leaf, which was given to a victor in a sports competition. So, when I thought this was related to hands (palms), I was wrong. However, the ancient Romans thought that the palm tree leaves resembled an outstretched hand, and so used the same word for the tree and the palm of the hand (as we do), so I was slightly right as well.