Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day
Words that I do not know
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
The word aerious means “of or like air; airy”
Our word came into English in the late 1500s
I should have known the proper definition; I think the similarity to ‘serious’ kept throwing me off. Our word came from the Latin word aereus (aerius), which is the adjectival form of aer (air).
Pronounced: AY-ree-us, adj
Notes: Not a word I knew of, but you may be able to guess the meaning
The word climacteric means
Our word came into English in the late 1500s
Our word came from the Greek word klimaktēr (critical point; literally ‘rung of a ladder’). It generally used for the big moments on the (metaphorical) ladder of life. Thus, the second definition. Once upon a time, it was thought that the climacterics in a person’s life occurred at the ages that were a either multiples of 9 or odd multiples of 7, making ’63’ (9×7) the ‘grand climacteric‘ (as is age 81 [9×9]). In reality, major changes are not tied to a specific age. I was thinking of climacterics in my life and thought of one that occurred in 2003. How about you? Can you think of moments that became a major turning point in your life?
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
The word placentious is “pleasing or inclined to please”
Our word came into English in the mid-1600s
I think I was taught in grade school to “sound words out”, so I try to guess meanings of a word by what word (or words) it sounds like. This is pertinent to today’s word because it sounded like the adjectival form of “placenta”, and thus I was way off. Our word came from the Latin noun placentia (pleasantness), which came from the Latin verb placere (to please). I assume that salesmen are trained to be (or at least act) placentious. Oh, yes, and note that this is another word with all the vowels in order.
Pronounced: pla-SEN-shus
Notes: Not what I thought
The word divagate means “to wander or stray from a course or subject: diverge; digress”
Our word came into English in the late 1500s
As I read the first part of the definition, I thought “Oh! It’s like diverge“… and then I saw diverge at the end of the definition. Our word can be used both literally, as in hikers straying from the path, or figuratively, as not keeping to the subject at hand. Our word came from the Latin verb divagari, which is made up of dis- (apart) and vagari (to wander). That second part is also the root of the word “extravagant”, which is literally someone who has wandered an extra amount of distance — but we use it today of spending money well above the usual amount.
Pronounced: DIE-vuh-gate, verb
Notes: A new word for me
The word arterious means “of, or relating to, the arteries or a main road or channel”
Our word came into English in the late 1500s
I would have guessed that our word meant relating to the arteries in the body; it wasn’t until after I read the definition that I remembered that “artery” can also refer to roads… and apparently channels as well. Our word came from the Latin word arteria, which came from the Greek word arteria (windpipe; artery). Oh, and astute readers will note that our word is another one that has all of the vowels in order.
Pronounced: ARE-tihr-ee-uhs, adj
Notes: You may know this word
The word pippin means
Our word came into English in the mid- to late 1200s
I don’t know about you, but I’m more familiar with the second definition above, probably due to my reading of English authors. I know I have run across it in Dorothy Sayers mystery stories featuring Lord Peter Wimsey. I seem to recall it from a Perry Mason novel as well (but I’m less sure about that). I have not seen it used in the first definition above. Our word came from the Middle English word pipin, which came from the Old French word pepin (seed; pip of a fruit). It began to be used in the north of England to describe a small fruit seed, and then the crisp, tart apple, and finally spread to describing people who are admired.
Pronounced: PIH-puhn, noun
Notes: There are two meanings that don’t seem to be related – do you know either?
The word abstentious means “self-retraining, especially in eating or drinking”
Our word came into English in the mid-1800s
Our word looks like “abstinence”, so readers may have been able to correctly guess the meaning. However, did you notice that this word has all five vowels, and in order? In addition, you can add -ly and have the sometime vowel ‘y’ as well. Our word came from the Latin word abstinere (to hold back), which is made up of ab- (away) and tenere (to hold).
Pronounced: abs-TEN-shus, adj
Notes: This word was a near thing (whether or not to use it)
The word cachinnate is “to laugh loudly or immoderately”
Our word came into English in the early 1800s
Our word came from the Latin verb cachinnare (to laugh loudly); it is thought that the word was an imitation of a loud laugh. Similar words are the Old English ceahhetan, the Old High German word kachazzen, and the Greek word kachazein.
Pronounced: KAH-kuh-nate, verb
Notes: Not at all what I thought.
The word colophon is
Our word came into English in the mid-1600s
I knew that our word was related to books, but I did not know the exact meaning. It came from the Latin word colophon, which came from the Greek word kolophon (summit; finishing touch).
Pronounced: KOL-uh-fon (alt: KOL-uh-fun), noun
Notes: I have read the word, but I didn’t know the definition
The word redbrick means
Our word came into English in the early 1700s
The first definition is kind of “duh!”; it’s what most people would think it meant. The second meaning is a more informal British phrasing, and is not complimentary. Oxford and Cambridge were build of stone, and the newer schools (and – at least at first – less prestigious than these two) were usually made of brick — thus, our word. The word has also been used to describe the universities that came into being after World War II.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day