Category Archives: word

Pronounced: VOE-tihv, adj Notes: I’ve heard this word, but I didn’t know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word satori is “sudden enlightenment or intuitive understanding” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments When I first saw this word, I thought of the word sartorial, and thought it was related.Continue reading “votive”

Pronounced: suh-TORE-ee, noun Notes: I thought this might be related with how one dresses, but no… you may get it if you have the right background Yesterday’s word The word klatsch is “a casual gathering of people, especially for refreshments and informal conversation” First usage Our word came into English in the 1950s Background /Continue reading “satori”

Pronounced: klahch (alt: klach) Notes: I find those pronunciations to be very close; the second would be latch with a ‘k’ in front. Yesterday’s word The word cunctation means “delay; procrastination; tardiness” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I can just image the phrase “he has aContinue reading “klatsch”

Pronounced: kungk-TAY-shun, noun Notes: This is a good word to know, as it is useful and will make people wonder Yesterday’s word The word aglet is “a metal tag or sheath at the end of a lace used for tying (such as a shoelace)” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s. BackgroundContinue reading “cunctation”

Pronounced: AG-lit, noun Notes: This word is one you either know, or else you say “I didn’t know there was a word for that!” Yesterday’s word The word pricket is a sharp point or spike for holding a candle a male deer in its second year, before his antlers have branched First usage Our wordContinue reading “aglet”

Pronounced: PRIK-it, noun Notes: Looks like a misspelling of “picket” (as in “picket fence”) – a new word to me Yesterday’s word The word tautology is “the needless repetition of an idea, especially in words” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Apparently, the common example of aContinue reading “pricket”

Pronounced: taw-TAHL-uh-jee, noun Notes: I’ve seen this word used, but wasn’t sure of the meaning Yesterday’s word The word pinchgut means, as a noun, “a miserly person”; as an adjective, it means “miserly” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word has a nautical origin: it originallyContinue reading “tautology”

Pronounced: PINCH-gut, noun/adj Notes: This word is new to me Yesterday’s word The word hypocorism is a pet name the practice of using a pet name the use of forms of speech imitative of baby talk First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Instead of “pet name”, I’ve seenContinue reading “pinchgut”

Pronounced: high-POCK-uh-riz-uhm (alt: hih-POCK-uh-riz-uhm), noun Notes: I think I posted this word at work some years ago, but not here Yesterday’s word The word bludge, as a noun, means “an easy task”. As a verb it means to shirk responsibility to obtains something through the generosity of others; to scrounge First usage Our word cameContinue reading “hypocorism”

Pronounced: bluhj, verb/noun Notes: I thought this might have have something to do with hitting another person (nope!) Yesterday’s word The word previse means “to forsee” or “to forewarn” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comments I thought that most might get this meaning, seeing pre- (before) and viseContinue reading “bludge”