Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: ik-SKUHR-suhs (alt: ek-SKUHR-suhs), noun Notes: A useful word to add to one’s vocabulary Yesterday’s word The word theurgy is “the working of a divine or supernatural agency in human life” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Our word struck a chord of memory; I was thinking ofContinue reading “excursus”

Pronounced: THEE-uh-jee, noun Notes: I had this word confused with another one Yesterday’s word The word sadiron is “a heavy flatiron pointed at both ends and having a detachable handle” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments This is a word whose etymology is more interesting to me thanContinue reading “theurgy”

Pronounced: SAD-eye-urn, noun Notes: It both is and isn’t what you may think Yesterday’s word The word genethliac means “of, or related to, birthdays and the position of the stars at the time of one’s birth” First usage This word goes back to the late 1500s. Background / Comments This word is one of thoseContinue reading “sadiron”

Pronounced: juh-NETH-lee-ack, adj Notes: I didn’t know this word, and probably won’t use it Yesterday’s word The word runnel is “a small stream or channel” First usage This word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Old English word rinnan (to run). We have had two wordsContinue reading “genethliac”

Pronounced: RUN-l, noun Notes: This entry is not entirely a coincidence; that’s all I’m going to say until tomorrow Yesterday’s word The word riffle has a lot of meanings; as a verb, the primary meaning is a method of shuffling cards (dividing the deck in half, and flicking the adjacent corners together). However, as aContinue reading “runnel”

Pronounced: RIH-full, noun Notes: I ran across this word in reading Yesterday’s word The word skeuomorph means “a design on an object that has been copied as an imitation of an older design” First usage This word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Greek word skeûosContinue reading “riffle”

Pronounced: SKYOO-uh-morf, noun Notes: This is probably a good word to learn – if for no other reason that words that contain “e-u-o” are probably pretty rare. Yesterday’s phrase The phrase au courant means up-to-date; fully informed fashionable First usage This word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments I knew the “up-to-date”Continue reading “skeuomorph”

Pronounced: oh koo-RAN, adj Notes: Although I could not pronounce this correctly, I was pretty close on the definition Yesterday’s word The word mordacious means “sharp, caustic, or biting in style and tone” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Well, I (incorrectly) saw the ‘mord’ beginning of ourContinue reading “au courant”

Pronounced: more-DAY-shus, adj Notes: I couldn’t define this word, but I think I recognize some of the sub-parts of it Yesterday’s word The word pierian means “relating to learning or poetry” First usage This word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments A nice, simple, straightforward definition. I could find uses inContinue reading “mordacious”

Pronounced: pie-EER-ee-uhn, adj Notes: Another word I may find useful, but I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word isolato means “a person spiritually or mentally isolated and out of step with their times or community” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Well! I thought about the plural ofContinue reading “pierian”