Category Archives: word

Pronounced: di-BUNK, verb Notes: Yes, you know this word. I’m adding it because I enjoyed the etymology of it Yesterday’s word The word internecine means mutually destructive of, or related to, a struggle or conflict within a group deadly; characterized by great slaughter First usage Our word came into being in the mid-1600s Background /Continue reading “debunk”

Pronounced: in-ter-NEE-seen (alt 1: in-ter-NEE-sine; alt 2: in-ter-NESS-een; alt 3: in-ter-NESS-ine), adj Notes: A lot of different pronunciations; I didn’t know this word Yesterday’s word The word antitussive, as an adjective, means “suppressing of relieving coughing”. As a noun, it refers to “something that suppresses or relieves coughing” First usage This word came into EnglishContinue reading “internecine”

Pronounced: an-tee-TUSS-iv (alt: an-tie-TUSS-iv), adj/noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but the background was enlightening. Yesterday’s word The word serotinal means “pertaining to or occurring in late summer” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments It is a bit of a mystery how our word came toContinue reading “antitussive”

Pronounced: sih-ROT-n-l (alt: ser-uh-TINE-l), adj Notes: Another useful word that I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word locarnize means “to bring about peace or settle a disagreement by negotiation” First usage The word came into English in the 1920s Background / Comments Our word is named after Locarno, Switzerland. In Oct 1925 the countries Germany,Continue reading “serotinal”

Pronounced: LO-kuhr-nize, verb Notes: A word I’ve not run across Yesterday’s word The word rupestrine means “living or growing among rocks” First usage The word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word has Latin roots: rūpēs (steep cliff; crag) combined with the ending -trine which was take from lacustrine (livingContinue reading “locarnize”

Pronounced: roo-PESS-trin, adj Notes: I could not figure out how to parse this word to get the definition Yesterday’s word The word solesize means “to make an error in language, etiquette, etc” First usage This word came into usage in the mid-1600s Background / Comments You may be familiar with the noun form – solecism.Continue reading “rupestrine”

Pronounced: SOL-uh-size, verb Notes: Another word I’ve run across, but I only picked up the general meaning Yesterday’s word I had trouble in looking the up meaning of chambray: the place I got this word from says only that it is “a finely woven cloth (of cotton, silk, or linen) with an equal mix ofContinue reading “solecize”

Pronounced: SHAM-bray, noun Notes: This word is one of those that I’ve seen and heard, but really could not properly define Yesterday’s word The word Barbados (the verb) means “to forcibly ship someone to another place to work” First usage Our word goes back to the mid-1600s Background / Comments Yes, this word comes fromContinue reading “chambray”

Pronounced: bar-BAY-doz (alt-1: -dos; alt-2: -duhs), verb Notes: I know the noun (the island), but I did not know the verb. Also, I tend to use the first alternate pronunciation – ending the word with an ‘s’ sound, not a ‘z’ sound. Yesterday’s word The word anfractuous means “something with winding twists and turns; sinuous;Continue reading “Barbados”

Pronounced: an-FRACK-choo-uhs, adj Notes: Another new word to me, but useful Yesterday’s word The word birminghamize means “to render artificial” First usage This word began to be used in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Yes, it comes from the UK city of Birmingham… but why the meaning? In the 1600s, counterfeit coins were made there.Continue reading “anfractuous”