Category Archives: word

Pronounced: ick-STEN-yuh-wait, verb Notes: You probably know the phrase “extenuating circumstances” (as I do), but do you know the meaning of the verb? Yesterday’s word The word noctilucent means “shining at night” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments After reading the definition, I felt a little foolishContinue reading “extenuate”

Pronounced: nok-tuh-LOO-sunt, adj Notes: I didn’t know this word, but I should have been able to figure it out Yesterday’s word The word doch-an-dorris is “a parting drink” First usage It is not clear when our word came into English Background / Comments Our word is more common in Scotland and Ireland. In American English,Continue reading “noctilucent”

Pronounced: dak-un-DOOR-us, noun Notes: Not a word I’ve ever run across Yesterday’s word The word caesious means “bluish or grayish green” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word caesius, which is thought to come from caelum (sky). Keen-eyed readers will note thatContinue reading “doch-an-dorris”

Pronounced: SEE-zee-uhs, adj Notes: A word I didn’t know, and probably won’t use Yesterday’s word The word plumply means “in a wholehearted manner and without hesitation or circumlocution; forthrightly” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments In the 1300s, the word “plump” was used to refer to the soundContinue reading “caesious”

Pronounced: PLUM-plee, adv Notes: This word has nothing to do with being fat Yesterday’s word The word airling is “a carefree, thoughtless person” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments An interesting word to drop into conversation, but I don’t know that I’ve ever heard it. It cameContinue reading “plumply”

Pronounced: AIR-ling, noun Notes: Interesting word that I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word qualm means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Like me, you probably are familiar with the second definition; I would summarize it as “misgiving”; however, the first definition was unknown to me. That firstContinue reading “airling”

Pronounced: kwahm (alt: kwahm), noun Notes: I added this word because it had a meaning of which I was unaware Yesterday’s word The word propugnaculum is “a fortress; defense; protection” First usage Our word came into English in the mid 1700s Background / Comments A pretty fancy word for a fortress. It came from theContinue reading “qualm”

Pronounced: praw-pug-NAK-yuh-luhm, noun Notes: I don’t think I’ve ever run across this word Yesterday’s word The word eradicate means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I always thought this word primarily meant to completely erase something, and it can have that meaning, but it started out to meanContinue reading “propugnaculum”

Pronounced: ih-RA-duh-kate, verb Notes: You probably know the meaning, but I found the origin interesting Yesterday’s word The word auricomous means “relating to golden hair” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I was not aware that we had a word that means this. ItContinue reading “eradicate”

Pronounced: au-RI-kih-muss, adj Notes: I didn’t know we had a word for this Yesterday’s word The word louche means “not reputable or decent” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word sounds just like “lush”; I wonder if some people have confused them in the past. ItContinue reading “auricomous”