Category Archives: word

Pronounced: AM-uh-slan (alt: AM-slan), noun Notes: Kind of a specialized word; some of you may know it (I didn’t) Yesterday’s word The word calligram means “a word, phrase, or piece of text arranged to form a picture of the subject described” First usage Our word came into English in the 1920s Background / Comments ThinkContinue reading “Ameslan”

Pronounced: KAL-ih-gram, noun Notes: You probably can guess this word Yesterday’s word The word pilar means “of, pertaining to, or covered with, hair” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word comes from the New Latin word pilāris (of hair). Note that our word does not apply onlyContinue reading “calligram”

Pronounced: PIE-ler, adj Notes: I didn’t know this word, but after seeing the definition, I should have known it Yesterday’s word The word bankster is “a banker who engages in dishonest or illegal behavior. First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments I have previously posted entries for poetasterContinue reading “pilar”

Pronounced: BANG-stir, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but it is related to other entries Yesterday’s word The word verbigeration is a term of psychiatry and is “the constant or obsessive repetition of meaningless words or phrases, usually indicating mental illness” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background /Continue reading “bankster”

Pronounced: verg-bij-uh-RAY-shuhn, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word Yesterday’s word The word entoptic means “relating to images that originate within the eye” (as opposed to images resulting from light entering the eye). First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments One type of entoptic images are the so-calledContinue reading “verbigeration”

Pronounced: en-TOP-tick, adj Notes: I may have run across this word in reading, but I could not recall the definition Yesterday’s word The word fascicle means a section of a book or set of books published in installments as separate pamphlets or volumes a small bundle, tight cluster, or the like (in botany) a closeContinue reading “entoptic”

Pronounced: FASS-ih-kuhl, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word Yesterday’s word The word constative, as a noun, means “a statement that can be judged as true or false”. As an adjective, it means “capable of being true or false”. First usage Our word came into English in the first decade of the 1900s Background /Continue reading “fascicle”

Pronounced: kuhn-STAY-tiv (alt: KON-stuh-tiv), noun/adj Notes: Not a word I know Yesterday’s word The word operose means done with, or involving, much labor busy or industrious, as a person First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments After seeing the definition, I was reminded of “opus” (work). In fact, ourContinue reading “constative”

Pronounced: OP-uh-rose, adj Notes: This is another word that I didn’t know, but after seeing the definition, I could see it Yesterday’s word The word punalua is “a group of brothers marrying a group of sisters” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments This word is a Hawaiian one.

Pronounced: poo-nuh-LOO-uh, noun Notes: This word looks a bit like luau, but it isn’t Yesterday’s word The word procrustean means “tending to produce conformity by violent or arbitrary means” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word means “like Procrustes”; Procrustes was a robber who invited people toContinue reading “punalua”