Author Archives: Richard

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 to explode or to case to explode to issue denunciations First usage Our word came into English aroundContinue 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 cognition; perception The exercise of reason 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; toContinue reading “solatium”

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 to spread over as a liquid, color, light, aroma, etc to force a liquid, such as blood, through an organ or tissue First usage Our wordContinue reading “friable”

Pronounced: purr-FUSE, verb Notes: This word didn’t mean what I was thinking Yesterday’s word A Wellerism is “an expression of comparison comprising a usually well-known quotation followed by a facetious sequel” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments An example would be helpful – here’s a common Wellerism: IContinue reading “perfuse”

Pronounced: WEH-luh-rih-zuhm, noun Notes: Another word that I don’t know Yesterday’s word The word reprehend means “to disapprove or to reprimand” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1300s Background / Comments The reason you might guess at the meaning of this word is that it is the verb form of theContinue reading “Wellerism”

Pronounced: rep-rih-HEND, verb Notes: You may be able to guess the meaning of this word Yesterday’s word The word Lucullan means “marked by profusion or excess; lavish; luxurious” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-180s Background / Comments Our word comes from ancient Rome, where there was a general named Lucius LiciniusContinue reading “reprehend”

Pronounced: loo-KUH-luhn, adj Notes: A new word to me Yesterday’s word The word Polonian means abounding in aphoristic expressions a native or inhabitant of Poland First usage The first meaning came into English in the mid-1800s; the second meaning came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments The first definition came from the characterContinue reading “Lucullan”

Pronounced: po-LO-nee-uhn, adj Notes: I should have guessed both of the meanings, but I didn’t get either one Yesterday’s phrase The phrase annus mirabilis means “a remarkable or notable year” First usage Our phrase came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I recognized annus as meaning “year”, but I wasn’t quite sure ofContinue reading “Polonian”