Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: ho-mee-o-TEL-yuh-ton, noun Notes: A kind of technical word Yesterday’s word The word mucro is “an abrupt sharp terminal point or tip or process (as with a leaf) First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments If your hobby is botany, you may know this word, which is often usedContinue reading “homeoteleuton”

Pronounced: MEW-crow, noun Notes: I know “macro”, but not this word (people with certain hobbies may know it) Yesterday’s word The word devi means “a goddess” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments Our word came from the Sanskrit word devi (goddess); note that I don’t think manyContinue reading “mucro”

Pronounced: DAY-vee, noun Notes: A word I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word precentor is “a leader of the singing of a choir or congregation” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments I had no idea that our word existed. I’ve always heard such a person called “theContinue reading “devi”

Pronounced: prih-SEN-tuhr, noun Notes: I didn’t know that there was a word for this Yesterday’s word The word metonymy is “a figure of speech in which someone or something is referred to be the name of somethings associated with it.” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Some timeContinue reading “precentor”

Pronounced: muh-TAHN-uh-mee, noun Notes: Although I didn’t know the definition, I did recognize part of the word Yesterday’s word The word bludge means to avoid work or responsibility to get by imposing another; sponge First usage Our word came into English in the 1910s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, our word is primarilyContinue reading “metonymy”

Pronounced: bluhj, verb Notes: I don’t mind not knowing this word, as it is not primarily used in this county. Yesterday’s word The word pensive means “sadly thoughtful; wistful” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1300s Background / Comments I thought of our word as “thoughtful”; I don’t really associate sadnessContinue reading “bludge”

Pronounced: PEN-sihv, adj Notes: I know the word, but I had the definition slightly wrong Yesterday’s word The word argosy is a large ship; especially a large merchant ship a rich supply First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Looking at our word, I saw “argo” and thoughtContinue reading “pensive”

Pronounced: ARE-guh-see, noun Notes: Not only did I not know the meaning, my guess at the origin was incorrect Yesterday’s word The word bident is “a two-pronged implement, weapon, instrument, etc” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments I should have known the meaning; I know the wordContinue reading “argosy”

Pronounced: BY-duhnt, noun Notes: I didn’t know what this word meant, but when I saw the definition, I thought I should have known Yesterday’s word The word pellucid means admitting maximum passage of light without diffusion or distortion reflecting light evenly from all surfaces easy to understand First usage Our word came into English inContinue reading “bident”

Pronounced: puh-LOO-suhd, adj Notes: You may know part of the word Yesterday’s word The word basilect means “the least prestigious variety of a language” First usage Our word came into English in the 1960s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin words basis and dialectus (dialect). In discussing dialects, my reference data triedContinue reading “pellucid”