Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: GLAY-bruhs, adj Notes: This word is new to me Yesterday’s word The word duoliteral means “having two letters” First usage Our word came into English in the mid 1800s Background / Comments After seeing the definition, I thought “of course!”. It is quite a long long to describe something with two letters. I keepContinue reading “glabrous”

Pronounced: do-uh-LIT-uhr-uhl, adj Notes: I keep thinking this should be a noun, not an adjective Yesterday’s word The word valetudinarian is “a person of a weak of sickly constitution; especially one whose chief concern is his ill health” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments Oddly enough, ourContinue reading “duoliteral”

Pronounced: vah-luh-too-duh-NER-ee-uhn, noun Notes: I’ve read this word, but was a bit off in my guess at at the meaning Yesterday’s word The word aerious means “of or like air; airy” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I should have known the proper definition; I think theContinue reading “valetudinarian”

Pronounced: AY-ree-us, adj Notes: Not a word I knew of, but you may be able to guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word climacteric means a major turning point or critical stage menopause or a period corresponding to menopause First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our wordContinue reading “aerious”

Pronounced: kligh-MAK-trik (alt: kligh-MAK-tuh-rik), noun Notes: I think this is another word I’ve not run across before, but it is a useful word Yesterday’s word The word placentious is “pleasing or inclined to please” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I think I was taught in grade schoolContinue reading “climacteric”

Pronounced: pla-SEN-shus Notes: Not what I thought Yesterday’s word The word divagate means “to wander or stray from a course or subject: diverge; digress” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments As I read the first part of the definition, I thought “Oh! It’s like diverge“… and thenContinue reading “placentious”

Pronounced: DIE-vuh-gate, verb Notes: A new word for me Yesterday’s word The word arterious means “of, or relating to, the arteries or a main road or channel” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I would have guessed that our word meant relating to the arteries in theContinue reading “divagate”

Pronounced: ARE-tihr-ee-uhs, adj Notes: You may know this word Yesterday’s word The word pippin means a crisp tart apple used especially for cooking a highly admired or very admirable person or thing First usage Our word came into English in the mid- to late 1200s Background / Comments I don’t know about you, but I’mContinue reading “arterious”

Pronounced: PIH-puhn, noun Notes: There are two meanings that don’t seem to be related – do you know either? Yesterday’s word The word abstentious means “self-retraining, especially in eating or drinking” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word looks like “abstinence”, so readers may have been ableContinue reading “pippin”

Pronounced: abs-TEN-shus, adj Notes: This word was a near thing (whether or not to use it) Yesterday’s word The word cachinnate is “to laugh loudly or immoderately” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin verb cachinnare (to laugh loudly); it is thoughtContinue reading “abstentious”