Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: PRAH-vuhn-duhr, noun Notes: I kind of knew this word, but the origin was interesting enough to include it Yesterday’s word The word manumit means “to free from slavery” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I did not know that there was a wordContinue reading “provender”

Pronounced: man-yuh-MIT, verb Notes: I didn’t know that there was a word for this Yesterday’s word The word ailurophile means “a cat fancier; a lover of cats” First usage Our word came into English in the 1920s Background / Comments This is one of those words that I keep running across in books, look itContinue reading “manumit”

Pronounced: aye-LOOR-uh-file (alt: aye-LOOR-uh-fie-uhl) Notes: I keep running across this word and forgetting the meaning Yesterday’s word The word chiral refers to something that “cannot be superposed on its mirror image” (note the deliberate use of “superposed” instead of “superimposed”) First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments TheContinue reading “ailurophile”

Pronounced: KY-ruhl, adj Notes: I haven’t run across this word Yesterday’s word The word vapor means to rise of pass off in vapor; to emit vapor to indulge in bragging, blustering, or idle talk First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Most of us would have known theContinue reading “chiral”

Pronounced: VAY-purr, verb Notes: I know what the noun means, but the verb had a surprise definition Yesterday’s word The word quinary means relating to five fifth in a series having five things or arranged in five First usage Our word came into English in the very late 1500s Background / Comments Most of usContinue reading “vapor”

Pronounced: KWHY-nuh-ree Notes: You may be able to guess the meaning of this word Yesterday’s word The word tatterdemalion means ragged or disreputable in appearance being in a decayed state or condition; dilapidated First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Originally, our word was written tatter-de-mallian. The originContinue reading “quinary”

Pronounced: ta-tuhr-di-MALE-yuhn, adj Notes: For some reason, this word makes me think of “dandelion” Yesterday’s word The word decant means to pour, especially in a manner that the sediment is left behind to rehouse people while their buildings are being rebuilt or refurbished First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background /Continue reading “tatterdemalion”

Pronounced: dih-KANT, verb Notes: I knew one of the definitions Yesterday’s word The word issuable means open to contest, debate, or litigation authorized for issue possible as a result of consequence First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments While all of the definitions make sense, I thought of theContinue reading “decant”

Pronounced: IH-shoo-uh-buhl, adj Notes: I knew one of the definitions Yesterday’s word The word edacity means “greediness; good appetite” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word edere (to eat). I was trying to see “city” or “edict” in the world, but thatContinue reading “issuable”

Pronounced: ih-DAS-ih-tee, noun Notes: I could not break down this word so as to guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word cabbage means “to take or appropriate without right; steal; filch” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments It turns out that our word, although spelled the sameContinue reading “edacity”