Category Archives: word

Pronounced: kee-ahr-uh-SKYOOR-oh, noun Notes: This is a somewhat technical word Yesterday’s word The word ecdysiast is “a person who disrobes to provide entertainment for others” First usage Our word was created in the 1940s Background / Comments Our word was created by HL Mencken from ecdysis (shedding; molting), which came from the Greek word ekdysisContinue reading “chiaroscuro”

Pronounced: ek-DIZ-ee-ast, noun Notes: I don’t know this word Yesterday’s word The word oeuvre means “the complete works of a writer, painter, musician, or the like, taken as a whole” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word comes directly from French word oeuvre (work), which comesContinue reading “ecdysiast”

Pronounced: ERV-ruh, noun (the UK pronunciation has this as a one-syllable word) Notes: I think I’ve heard this word, but wasn’t clear on the spelling or meaning Yesterday’s word The word snowclone refers to a cliche adapted to a new use First usage Our word came into English in the first decade of the 2000sContinue reading “oeuvre”

Pronounced: SNOW-klone, noun Notes: I have run across snowclones, but did not know this word Yesterday’s word The word frisson means “a sudden, passing sensation of excitement; a shudder of emotion; thrill” First usage Our word came into English in the mid- to late 1700s Background / Comments The key part of this definition isContinue reading “snowclone”

Pronunciation: free-SONE, noun Notes: I’ve run across the word, but could not properly define it Yesterday’s word The word windrow, as a noun, means As a verb, it meas “to arrange in a windrow” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1500s Background / Comments Growing up on a farm, I haveContinue reading “frisson”

Pronounced: WIND-roh, noun/verb Notes: Looks like “window” misspelled Yesterday’s word The word cacography means First usage Our word came into English in the mid- to late 1500s Background / Comments I recognized recognized the parts of our word caco- (bad), which comes from the Greek word kakos (bad) and graphy (writing), which comes from theContinue reading “windrow”

Pronounced: kuh-KOG-ruh-fee, noun Notes: You might be able to figure out this word Yesterday’s word The word unwonted means “unusual or unaccustomed” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I’ve run across this word in reading, and I had a sense of the meaning from the context. However, IContinue reading “cacography”

Pronounced: un-WON-tid, adj Notes: This word is a bit of a cheat; I do happen to know the word, but I don’t think it is well known. However, I did not know if well enough to pronounce it properly. Yesterday’s word The word lambent means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600sContinue reading “unwonted”

Pronounced: LAM-bunt, adj Notes: A word I don’t know Yesterday’s word The word gapeseed means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word is a combination of gape, which comes from the Old Norse word gapa (to open the mouth; stare) and seed, which comes from theContinue reading “lambent”

Pronounced: GAPE-seed, noun Notes: I don’t think I’ve run across this word Yesterday’s word The word rallentando means “slackening; becoming slower or winding down”; it is used as a musical direction. First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments I know the abbreviation used on sheet music (rall.), butContinue reading “gapeseed”