Author Archives: Richard

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 relating to a nettle stinging 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 probablyContinue reading “tragus”

Pronounced: uhr-tih-KAY-shuhs, adj Notes: A new word to me Yesterday’s word The word velleity is the lowest degree of volition a slight wish or tendency; inclination 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 veryContinue reading “urticaceous”

Pronounced: veh-LEE-uh-tee, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but it is a word I could use Yesterday’s word The word heterophemy is “the use of a word different than the one intended” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Some people have this habit of accidentally usingContinue reading “velleity”

Pronounced: HET-uh-ruh-fee-mee, noun Notes: I didn’t know that this word existed Yesterday’s word The word spindrift is sea spray; especially spray blown from waves during a gale fine wind-borne snow or sand First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Of the three kinds of spindrift in the definition,Continue reading “heterophemy”

Pronounced: SPIN-drift, noun Notes: I don’t have any memory of running across this word Yesterday’s word The word flatfooted means clumsy; unimaginative; uninspired forthright unprepared uncompromising having the arch of the foot flattened so the entire sole touches the ground First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments IContinue reading “spindrift”

Pronounced: flat-FOOT-id, adj Notes: I know some of the definitions; how many do you know? Yesterday’s word The word wimple means to cover with or as if with a wimple; to veil to ripple to follow a winding course; meander (mostly used in Scotland) First usage Our word came into English early; sometime before 1100.Continue reading “flatfooted”

Pronounced: WIHM-pull, verb Notes: I knew the meaning of our word as a noun, but not so much as a verb Yesterday’s word The word autotelic means “having a purpose, motivation, or meaning in itself — not driven by external factors. First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments OurContinue reading “wimple”