emesis

Pronounced: EM-uh-sis

Notes: This is a word for which we have a LOT of slang words, but I didn’t know this word

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Yesterday’s word

The word acedia means “apathy; boredom”

First usage

This word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

This word is a Greek compound word; a- (not) with kēdos (care; concern; grief). The Greek word akēdeia became acedia in Late Latin, and it is that spelling that transferred into English. Originally, acedia referred to the ‘deadly sin’ of sloth. Although this sense is rare, there can be a hint of laziness in the word. As an interesting side node, the word “apathy” used in the definition above has a similar Greek background: a- (not) with pathos (feeling; sympathy).