Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: lush, adj Notes: Interesting word Yesterday’s word The word adventitious means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments I thought that our word was related to “adventure”, thinking it may mean “adventurous”, but I was clearly wrong. Our word came from the Latin word adventicius (coming fromContinue reading “louche”

Pronounced: ad-ven-TIH-shuhs, adj Notes: Not what I thought Yesterday’s word The word panoply is First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word came from the Greek word panoplia (the full suit of armor worn by hoplites — heavily armed infantry soldiers of ancient Greece), which is madeContinue reading “adventitious”

Pronounced: PAH-nuh-plee, noun Notes: I seem to remember reading this word, but I didn’t really know the correct definition Yesterday’s word The word silvicolous means “living or growing in the woods” First usage Our word came into English in the first decade of the 1900s Background / Comments I should have worked out the meaningContinue reading “panoply”

Pronounced: sil-VIK-uh-luhs, adj Notes: I didn’t know the meaning, but I could have guessed it Yesterday’s word The word zibeline is “a soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair, alpaca, or camel’s hair” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I wasn’t sure what “mohair” was; it turns outContinue reading “silvicolous”

Pronounced: ZIH-buh-leen, noun Notes: I didn’t have a clue about this word, but it’s not an area I know much about Yesterday’s word The word deontology is “the theory or study of duty and obligation, with a focus on the right action as determined by a set of rules, irrespective of the consequences of theContinue reading “zibeline”

Pronounced: dee-ahn-TAH-luh-jee, noun Notes: I was sure this had something to do with teeth (nope!) Yesterday’s word The word apodictic means “expressing or relating to necessary truth or absolute certainty” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments One can use our word to describe a conclusive concept or aContinue reading “deontology”

Pronounced: a-puh-DIK-tik, adj Notes: I have run across the word, but I didn’t know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word misocainea is “a hatred of new ideas” First usage Our word came into English in the 1930s Background / Comments There are many who don’t like new ideas; it is nice to know that thereContinue reading “apodictic”

Pronounced: mis-oh-KY-nee-uh (ALT: mih-soh-KY-nee-uh), noun Notes: Another useful word to know and use Yesterday’s word The word tragus is “the prominence in front of the external opening of the ear” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments When I saw our word, I confused it with “trocar”, whichContinue reading “misocainea”

Pronounced: TRAY-guhs, noun Notes: Not what I thought Yesterday’s word The word urticaceous means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word urtica (nettle), which came from urere (to burn). This isn’t really a word that I’d probably use very often. It isContinue reading “tragus”

Pronounced: uhr-tih-KAY-shuhs, adj Notes: A new word to me Yesterday’s word The word velleity is First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I find today’s word an excellent one to know; it expresses the idea of a very insignificant wish or desire — one so low that one barelyContinue reading “urticaceous”