Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: KOM-uh-nate, verb Notes: My guess at the meaning was way off Yesterday’s word The word afflated means “having inspiration; inspired” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word comes from the obsolete verb afflate (to inspire), which came from the Latin word afflātus, which is the pastContinue reading “comminate”

Pronounced: uh-FLAY-tid, adj Notes: I haven’t run across this word, and could not figure out the meaning Yesterday’s word The word slithy means “smooth and active; slimy; slithery” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments This word was created by Lewis Carroll in the novel Through the Looking-GlassContinue reading “afflated”

Pronounced: SLIH-thee, adj Notes: You may know this word (I recognized it, but could not properly define it) Yesterday’s word The word sororal means “of, relating to, or characteristic of, a sister or sisters; sisterly” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments When I saw this word, I thoughtContinue reading “slithy”

Pronounced: suh-RAWR-uhl (alt: suh-ROAR-uhl), adj Notes: This is one of those words that I didn’t know, but after I saw the definition, I thought “Of course! I should have known this word!” Yesterday’s word The word blet means “to over-ripen to the point of rotting” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800sContinue reading “sororal”

Pronounced: blet, verb Notes: I didn’t know this word existed Yesterday’s word The word rubricate means 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 isContinue reading “blet”

Pronounced: ROO-brih-kate, verb Notes: You may be able to guess at the meaning Yesterday’s word The word exaptation means “the adaptation of a trait for a purpose other than for which is was evolved” First usage This word was created in the 1980s Background / Comments The word was coined by Stephen J Gould inContinue reading “rubricate”

Pronounced: ek-sap-TAY-shuhn, noun Notes: I’ve not run across this word Yesterday’s word The word philosophaster means “a person who only has a superficial knowledge of philosophy or who feigns a knowledge he or she does not possess” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Yesterday, I really shouldContinue reading “exaptation”

Pronounced: fi-loss-uh-FAS-ter (alt: fi-LOSS-uh-fas-ter), noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but I do know what this word is Yesterday’s word The word petrichor means “the pleasant smell of the first rain after a dry spell” First usage Our word came into English (was coined) in the 1960s Background / Comments I happened to knowContinue reading “philosophaster”

Pronounced: PET-rih-kuhr, noun Notes: I happen to know this word Yesterday’s word The word degust means “to taste or savor carefully or appreciatively” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word degustare (to taste or try), which is composed of de- (aContinue reading “petrichor”

Pronounced: dih-GUST, verb Notes: Pretty close to disgust, but it’s not that word Yesterday’s word The word roué means “a man devoted to a life of sensual pleasure; rake” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments Yesterday, I noted that most people have heard this word: if you’veContinue reading “degust”