Pronounced: PINCH-gut, noun/adj
Notes: This word is new to me
Yesterday’s word
The word hypocorism is
- a pet name
- the practice of using a pet name
- the use of forms of speech imitative of baby talk
First usage
Our word came into English in the mid-1800s
Background / Comments
Instead of “pet name”, I’ve seen the word defined as a “nickname”. The third definition is new to me; I don’t remember it from before. Our word came from the Greek word hypokórisma (pet name; endearing name).
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 