Category Archives: word

Pronounced: uh-FLAY-tid, adj Notes: I haven’t run across this word, and could not figure out the meaning Yesterday’s word The word slithy means “smooth and active; slimy; slithery” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments This word was created by Lewis Carroll in the novel Through the Looking-GlassContinue reading “afflated”

Pronounced: SLIH-thee, adj Notes: You may know this word (I recognized it, but could not properly define it) Yesterday’s word The word sororal means “of, relating to, or characteristic of, a sister or sisters; sisterly” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments When I saw this word, I thoughtContinue reading “slithy”

Pronounced: suh-RAWR-uhl (alt: suh-ROAR-uhl), adj Notes: This is one of those words that I didn’t know, but after I saw the definition, I thought “Of course! I should have known this word!” Yesterday’s word The word blet means “to over-ripen to the point of rotting” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800sContinue reading “sororal”

Pronounced: blet, verb Notes: I didn’t know this word existed Yesterday’s word The word rubricate means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments When I saw the second definition, I thought “What does rubrics mean?” While it can refer to a heading in a book that is done isContinue reading “blet”

Pronounced: ROO-brih-kate, verb Notes: You may be able to guess at the meaning Yesterday’s word The word exaptation means “the adaptation of a trait for a purpose other than for which is was evolved” First usage This word was created in the 1980s Background / Comments The word was coined by Stephen J Gould inContinue reading “rubricate”

Pronounced: ek-sap-TAY-shuhn, noun Notes: I’ve not run across this word Yesterday’s word The word philosophaster means “a person who only has a superficial knowledge of philosophy or who feigns a knowledge he or she does not possess” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Yesterday, I really shouldContinue reading “exaptation”

Pronounced: fi-loss-uh-FAS-ter (alt: fi-LOSS-uh-fas-ter), noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but I do know what this word is Yesterday’s word The word petrichor means “the pleasant smell of the first rain after a dry spell” First usage Our word came into English (was coined) in the 1960s Background / Comments I happened to knowContinue reading “philosophaster”

Pronounced: PET-rih-kuhr, noun Notes: I happen to know this word Yesterday’s word The word degust means “to taste or savor carefully or appreciatively” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word degustare (to taste or try), which is composed of de- (aContinue reading “petrichor”

Pronounced: dih-GUST, verb Notes: Pretty close to disgust, but it’s not that word Yesterday’s word The word roué means “a man devoted to a life of sensual pleasure; rake” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments Yesterday, I noted that most people have heard this word: if you’veContinue reading “degust”

Pronounced: rue-AYE (long a), noun Notes: This is a word that most everybody has heard, but may not realize that they have heard it, or even what it means. Yesterday’s word The word chiaroscuro is “the distribution of light and shade in a picture or sketch” First usage Our word came into English in theContinue reading “roué”