Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: NIV-ee-uhs, adj Notes: You may know this one Yesterday’s word The word od means “a theoretical force believed to act throughout nature in magnetism, mesmerism, and chemical interaction” First usage This word came into usage in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word was coined by a German scientist: Karl van Reichenbach.

Pronounced: odd, noun Notes: I don’t think I’ve run across this word (how, uh, “odd” – heh) Yesterday’s word The word empyrean means relating to the highest heaven believed to contain pure light or fire relating to the sky; celestial sublime, elevated First usage This word came into English in the early 1500s Background /Continue reading “od”

Pronounced: em-PIR-ee-uhn (alt: em-pie-REE-uhn), adj Notes: I think I’ve run across this word, but was uncertain about the meaning Yesterday’s word The word quincunx is “five objects arranged like the five dots on a dice” – most often used of shrubs or sculptures in a yard. First usage This word came into English in theContinue reading “empyrean”

Pronounced: KWING-kuhngks (alt: KWIN-kuhngks), noun Notes: A neat word for something… it would be neat to find uses for this word Yesterday’s word The word lateritious means “resembling, made of, or the color of bricks” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I had noContinue reading “quincunx”

Pronounced: lat-uh-RISH-uhs, adj Notes: I didn’t know that there was a word for this Yesterday’s word The word gynarchy means “government by women” First usage The word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word is a combination of the Greek word gynḗ (woman; female) and the suffix -archy (rule; government).Continue reading “lateritious”

Pronounced: JIN-er-kee (alt 1: GIE-ner-kee; alt 2: JIE-ner-kee), noun Notes: You may be able to get this one Yesterday’s word The word debunk means (as you probably know) “to expose the falseness of a claim, myth, belief, etc” First usage This word came into usage in the 1920s Background / Comments The background is whyContinue reading “gynarchy”

Pronounced: di-BUNK, verb Notes: Yes, you know this word. I’m adding it because I enjoyed the etymology of it Yesterday’s word The word internecine means mutually destructive of, or related to, a struggle or conflict within a group deadly; characterized by great slaughter First usage Our word came into being in the mid-1600s Background /Continue reading “debunk”

Pronounced: in-ter-NEE-seen (alt 1: in-ter-NEE-sine; alt 2: in-ter-NESS-een; alt 3: in-ter-NESS-ine), adj Notes: A lot of different pronunciations; I didn’t know this word Yesterday’s word The word antitussive, as an adjective, means “suppressing of relieving coughing”. As a noun, it refers to “something that suppresses or relieves coughing” First usage This word came into EnglishContinue reading “internecine”

Pronounced: an-tee-TUSS-iv (alt: an-tie-TUSS-iv), adj/noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but the background was enlightening. Yesterday’s word The word serotinal means “pertaining to or occurring in late summer” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments It is a bit of a mystery how our word came toContinue reading “antitussive”

Pronounced: sih-ROT-n-l (alt: ser-uh-TINE-l), adj Notes: Another useful word that I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word locarnize means “to bring about peace or settle a disagreement by negotiation” First usage The word came into English in the 1920s Background / Comments Our word is named after Locarno, Switzerland. In Oct 1925 the countries Germany,Continue reading “serotinal”