Category Archives: word

Pronounced: KICK-shaw, noun Notes: Interesting word; not sure how often I’d use it Yesterday’s word The word boodler is “someone involved in bribery or corruption” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word came to us from the Dutch word boedel (property). This is a neat word toContinue reading “kickshaw”

Pronounced: BOOD-ler, noun Notes: This word seems vaguely familiar; I think I’ve run across it in reading, but I’ve no idea where Yesterday’s word The word mythomane, as a noun, is “a person with a strong or irresistible habit for fantasizing, lying, or exaggerating”. As an adjective, it means “of, or pertaining to, characteristics ofContinue reading “boodler”

Pronounced: MITH-uh-main, noun/adj Notes: A useful word to know Yesterday’s word The word ambisinistrous means “clumsy with both hands” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments If you split this word into ‘ambi’ and ‘sinistrous’, and then saw “sinister” in ‘sinistrous’, and then remembered that ‘sinister’ originally meant ‘left’,Continue reading “mythomane”

Pronounced: am-bih-SIN-uh-struss, adj Notes: You might be able to correctly guess the meaning of this word Yesterday’s word The word hypogeum means an underground burial chamber the underground part of a building, as in a vault First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments The second definition above isContinue reading “ambisinistrous”

Pronounced: high-puh-JEE-uhm (alt: hip-uh-JEE-uhm), noun Notes: I don’t think I’ve ever run across this word Yesterday’s word The word degustation is “tasting samples of a variety of similar foods or drinks” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I saw in this word “gust”, which reminds me of theContinue reading “hypogeum”

Pronounced: dee-guh-STAY-shuhn, noun Notes: This word does not mean what I thought it might Yesterday’s word The word crinose means “hairy” First usage I cannot find when this word showed up in English; I’ve tried several web sites, but no one has this information. Background / Comments I like having alternate words for common things;Continue reading “degustation”

Pronounced: CRY-nohs (alt: KRIN-ohs), adj Notes: A great word to know Yesterday’s word The word marmorean means “resembling marble or a marble statue, for example, in smoothness, whiteness, hardness, coldness, or aloofness” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word marmor (marble)

Pronounced: mahr-MORE-ee-uhn, adj Notes: Also spelled marmoreal; I think I’ve seen this word somewhere, but I didn’t know the definition Yesterday’s word The word favonian means of, or pertaining to, the west wind mild or favorable; propitious First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word came from theContinue reading “marmorean”

Pronounced: fuh-VOH-nee-uhn, adj Notes: I think I’ve run across this word, but I didn’t know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word afflatus is “a creative impulse or inspiration” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word afflatus (a breathing on), from ad- (to)Continue reading “favonian”

Pronounced: uh-FLAY-tuhs, noun Notes: I don’t think I’ve ever run across this word Yesterday’s word The word panegyric means “a lofty oration or writing in praise of a person or thing; eulogy; formal or elaborate praise” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I am pretty sure thatContinue reading “afflatus”