Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: STICK-shun, noun Notes: I’ve used and heard this word, but I always thought we just made it up; I had no idea it was a real word Yesterday’s word The word distaff means “maternal; female” First usage Our word came into English before 1000 Background / Comments I ran across this word somewhere inContinue reading “stiction”

Pronounced: DIH-staff, adj Notes: I happen to know this word, but I don’t think it is generally known Yesterday’s word The word slimsy means “flimsy; frail” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I thought our word was just another form of “slim”, so the definition surprised me. OurContinue reading “distaff”

Pronounced: SLIM-see, adj Notes: I didn’t know that this was a word Yesterday’s word The word telegraphese is “language characterized by the terseness and ellipses that are common in telegrams” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments These days, we have email and texting and Twitter (X) toContinue reading “slimsy”

Pronounced: teh-luh-gra-feez, noun Notes: You can probably guess the meaning of this word Yesterday’s word The word sulfurous means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Clearly, the first two definitions are pretty clear; sulfur is a pale yellow element. It had been previously known as “brimstone”, and thatContinue reading “telegraphese”

Pronounced: SULL-fur-us (alt: sull-FYOOR-us), adj Notes: Also spelled “sulphurous” – there are multiple definitions: how many do you know? Yesterday’s word The word haplology is “the contraction of a word by omission of one or more similar sounds or syllables” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments AnContinue reading “sulfurous”

Pronounced: ha-PLAH-luh-jee, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but many of us have run across haplologies Yesterday’s word The word fulminate, as a noun, is “an explosive salt of fulminic acid”. As a verb, it means First usage Our word came into English around 1500 Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I recognizedContinue reading “haplology”

Pronounced: FUHL-muh-nate (alt-1: FUHL-mih-nate; alt-2: FOOL-muh-nate; alt-3: FOOL-mih-ate), noun/verb Notes: I think I knew one of the definitions Yesterday’s word The word solatium is “a compensation (such as money) given as solace for suffering, loss, or injured feelings” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word isContinue reading “fulminate”

Pronounced: soh-LAY-she-uhm, noun Notes: The plural of our word is “solatia” Yesterday’s word The word noesis is First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Greek word noesis (thought), which came from the word noein (to think; to perceive), which came from nous (mind).

Pronounced: no-EE-sis, noun Notes: I don’t know this word Yesterday’s word The word friable means “easily crumbled or pulverized” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Our word came into English either from Middle French or from the Latin adjective friabilis, which came from the verb friare (to crumble),Continue reading “noesis”

Pronounced: FRY-uh-bull, adj Notes: I think I have run across this word, but I don’t remember where, and I didn’t know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word perfuse means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1400s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word perfundere (to drench), which isContinue reading “friable”