Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: ser-uh-TOE-nihn (alt: seer-uh-TOE-nihn), noun Notes: I had just an approximate idea of the meaning. Do you know it? Yesterday’s word The word peregrination is “traveling place to place; also a course of travel, especially on foot” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1400s Background / Comments I have run acrossContinue reading “serotonin”

Pronounced: pear-ih-gruh-NAY-shun, noun Notes: I think I’ve run across this word Yesterday’s word The word chancel means “the space about the altar of a church, usually enclosed, for the clergy and other officials” First usage Our word came into English around 1300 Background / Comments As I noted, I’ve heard of a “chancel choir”; evenContinue reading “peregrination”

Pronounced: CHAN-suhl (alt: CHAHN-suhl), noun Notes: I’ve heard about a “chancel choir”, but that didn’t help my understanding Yesterday’s word The word brahmin is “a member of the upper class, having wealth, social status, and political power” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1400s Background / Comments Our word has rootsContinue reading “chancel”

Pronounced: BRAH-min, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word Yesterday’s word The word mistral is “a cold, dry, northerly wind common in southern France and neighboring regions” First usage Our word came into English around 1600 Background / Comments The word came from Middle French, which came from Provençal, which came from Old Provençal wordContinue reading “brahmin”

Pronounced: MISS-truhl (alt: mih-STRAHL), noun Notes: I remember reading a short story that used this word, but the definition doesn’t exactly line up with the definition Yesterday’s word The word pundit means a learned person a person who offers commentary or judgments as an expert on a certain topic First usage Our word came intoContinue reading “mistral”

Pronounced: PUN-dit, noun Notes: Also written pandit. I’ve run across the word, but wasn’t sure of the definition Yesterday’s word The work bibliophobe is someone who is afraid of books (or hates them or fears them) First usage I cannot find information about when this word entered English Background / Comments Our word was prettyContinue reading “pundit”

Pronounced: BIB-lee-uh-phobe, noun Notes: Okay, this is (probably) an easy one, but I didn’t know this word existed Yesterday’s word The (long) word hemidemisemiquaver is a 64th note, which I don’t think one finds very often First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments According to what I’ve read, inContinue reading “bibliophobe”

Pronounced: hem-ee-dem-ee-SEM-ee-kway-vuhr, noun Notes: Some people with a certain background may get this immediately Yesterday’s word The word troth means one’s word or promise, especially in engaging oneself to marry faithfulness, fidelity, or loyalty First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1100s Background I have run across our word in the phrase “plightContinue reading “hemidemisemiquaver”

Pronounced: trawth (alt: trohth), noun Notes: I’ve run across this word, but didn’t quite know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word dermatoglyphics means the ridge patterns of skin on the inner surface of the hands and feet the scientific study of these skin patterns First usage Our word came into English in the 1920s BackgroundContinue reading “troth”

Pronounced: duhr-mat-uh-GLIF-icks (alt: duhr-muh-tuh-GLIF-icks), noun Notes: There is something very unusual about this word – can you spot it? Yesterday’s word The word euthenics is “a science concerned with bettering human living conditions through the improvement of their environment” First usage Our word came into English in the 1900s Background / Comments I recognized eu-Continue reading “dermatoglyphics”