subfuscous

Pronounced: sub-FUSS-kuss, adj

Notes: I’ve sort-of run across this word, but didn’t look it up, I’m ashamed to say

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Yesterday’s word

The word floccinaucinihilipilification means “estimating as worthless”

First usage

Our word appeared in the mid-1700s

Background / Comments

Our word was one used in the funny and long-running British radio word show “My Word!” – it is one of those words that you don’t forget after you’ve heard it. However, I thought it was probably pretty unknown, so I posted it yesterday. It is actually an invented word, using four Latin words for things with little or no value: flocci (a tuft of wool) plus nauci (a trifling nothing) plus nihili, from nihil (nothing) plus pili, from pilus (a hair; trifle). It ends with the suffix -fication (making), so it is literally “making nothing”. I have not yet had a chance to slip this into conversation, but I haven’t given up hope.