Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: prok-SEE-mix, noun Notes: I hadn’t heard of this word Yesterday’s word The word cryophilic means “preferring or thriving in the cold or at low temperatures” First usage This word came into English usage in the 1940s Background / Comments This is a word that I should have known, but I didn’t parse it properly.Continue reading “proxemics”

Pronounced: cry-oh-FIL-ick, adj Notes: I should have known the meaning; maybe you’ve worked it out? Yesterday’s word The word senesce means “to grow old or decay” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I was aware of a related word from my reading: senescence. ItContinue reading “cryophilic”

Pronounced: suh-NESS, verb Notes: I didn’t guess the meaning, but afterwards, I realized I knew another form of the word Yesterday’s word The word nonce means “in the present or immediate occasion”; it is usually used in the phrase “for the nonce” First usage Our word goes back to the mid- to late 1100s BackgroundContinue reading “senesce”

Pronounced: nahns, noun Notes: Another word that is new to me Yesterday’s word The word grimgribber means “jargon of a trade” First usage This word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments This word comes from the play Conscious Lovers by Richard Steele; it was an imaginary estate in the play. ItContinue reading “nonce”

Pronounced: GRIM-grih-buhr, noun Notes: I don’t think I’ve ever run across this word Yesterday’s word The word alpenglow refers to “the reddish, pinkish glow seen on mountains before sunrise, or after sunset First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, many of us have not seenContinue reading “grimgribber”

Pronounced: AL-puhn-glow, noun Notes: This is a word that few of us have seen, and yet many people have seen Yesterday’s word The word reeve, as a verb, means “to pass (a rope or something like) through”. As a noun, it means “a local official”. First usage The verb form goes back to the earlyContinue reading “alpenglow”

Pronounced: reev, verb/noun Notes: An interesting word; see tomorrow’s comments Yesterday’s word The word desiderata is the plural form of desideratum and thus means “several things wanted or needed” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments As you might guess from the singular and plural forms, our word comesContinue reading “reeve”

Pronounced: dih-sid-uh-RAY-tuh (alt 1: dih-sid-uh-RAH-tuh) (alt 2: dih-zid-uh-RAY-tuh) Notes: This is a plural noun; once again, this is a word I could have figured out, but I didn’t until after reading about it Yesterday’s word The word nuncupate means to solemnly pronounce to declare a will orally First usage This word came into English inContinue reading “desiderata”

Pronounced: NONE-kyuh-pate, verb Notes: I think the adjectival form ‘nuncupative’ may be better known Yesterday’s word The word nugatory means “of no value; worthless; trifling; having no effect; futile; in vain” First usage Our word came into English in the very late 1500s or very early 1600s Background / Comments I’m still impressed that aContinue reading “nuncupate”

Pronounced: NOO-guh-tawr-ee (alternative #1: NOO-guh-TORE-ee) (alternate #2: nyoo-) Notes: Kind of an excess of riches in ways to pronounce this word Yesterday’s word The word desacralize means “to deprive of hallowed status” First usage A more recent term; it came into English in the 1910s Background / Comments I should have been able to figureContinue reading “nugatory”