Category Archives: word

Pronounced: ih-REZ-uh-look, adj Notes: I could not properly define this, but you may know the word Yesterday’s word The word rufescent means “slightly reddish; tinged with red; rufous” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments No, I didn’t know the meaning of ‘rufous’ in the definition – itContinue reading “irresolute”

Pronounced: roo-FESS-unt, adj Notes: Not a word that I can remember seeing Yesterday’s word The word frabjous means “wonderful; delightful” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments This is another word created by Lewis Carroll in Through the Looking Glass, published in 1871. Note that Through the Looking GlassContinue reading “rufescent”

Pronounced: FRAB-juss, adj Notes: I recognized the word, but I didn’t know the definition Yesterday’s word The word rimple means “to wrinkle; crumple; crease” First usage Our word came into English in the early to mid-1400s Background / Comments The word came from late Middle English; it is related to “rumple”, and came from MiddleContinue reading “frabjous”

Pronounced: RIM-pull, verb Notes: I don’t think I’ve ever run across this word Yesterday’s word The word seisin means “possession of either land or chattel” (see comments below for more) First usage Our word came into English in the late 1200s Background / Comments I ran across this word in the dictionary, and thus theContinue reading “rimple”

Pronounced: SEE-zin, noun Notes: Learning this word was an aggravating or humiliating experience Yesterday’s word The word shoat is a young, weaned pig the offspring of a geep (a goat and sheep cross) First usage This is an old word; going back to the late 1300s to early 1400s Background / Comments I am prettyContinue reading “seisin”

Pronounced: shote, noun (also spelled “shote”) Notes: I think I’ve run across this word Yesterday’s word The word demirep refers to “a woman of doubtful reputation or respectability” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments I an across this word in a Nero Wolfe story Die Like a DogContinue reading “shoat”

Pronounced: DEM-ee-rep, noun Notes: I ran across this word in a book Yesterday’s word The word bandersnatch is a fast and ferocious wild creature an uncouth or bizarre person First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word was created by Lewis Carroll to refer to a fictional creatureContinue reading “demirep”

Pronounced: BAN-dur-snach, noun Notes: A familiar word, but I didn’t know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word pansophy means “universal wisdom or knowledge” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word is a combination of pan-, from the Greek pâs (all, every) [the neuter form is pân (everything)]Continue reading “bandersnatch”

Pronounced: PAN-suh-fee, noun Notes: I didn’t know the word, but I should have been able to work it out Yesterday’s word The word effable means “capable of being expressed” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments The more common is ineffable; I was aware of that word, but notContinue reading “pansophy”

Pronounced: EF-uh-bull, adj Notes: This is a word you may know, but I didn’t Yesterday’s word The word prehensible means “able to be seized or grasped” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I confused our word with ‘prehensile’, and they have similar meanings: ‘prehensile’ means “adapted for seizingContinue reading “effable”