Pronounced: blet, verb
Notes: I didn’t know this word existed
Yesterday’s word
The word rubricate means
- to mark or color with red
- to furnish with or regulate by rubrics
First usage
Our word came into English in the mid-1500s
Background / Comments
When I saw the second definition, I thought “What does rubrics mean?” While it can refer to a heading in a book that is done is larger type, and often in a different color (historically red), I believe that in context, the meaning here is “a guide listing specific criteria for grading or scoring academic papers, projects, or tests”. Our word comes from the late Latin word rūbrīcātus, the past participle of rūbrīcāre (to color red), from rūbrīca (red ocher).
Rejected Word
Occasionally, I run across a word that I happen to know, but I don’t think is well known, so I post it as a rejected word. Today that word is ululate (to howl or wail). There used to be a humor group called Capitol Steps (they do political satire), and one of their routines used the word ululate, and I learned it. They pronounced it “YOUL-yuh-late”, but apparently, the preferred pronunciation is “UHL-yuh-late”.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 