Category Archives: word

Pronounced: BURR-ming-ham-ize, verb Notes: I’ve not heard this word, but it’s not hard to guess where it comes from – the trick is figuring out the meaning Yesterday’s word The word dissilient means “something bursting apart or open” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I enjoy this background;Continue reading “birminghamize”

Pronounced: dih-SIL-ee-uhnt, adj Notes: A word that is new to me Yesterday’s word The word longlist means “a preliminary list of candidates, such as people, places, things, etc for a prize, job, etc from which a shortlist is compiled. First usage This word came into usage in the 1970s Background / Comments This word grewContinue reading “dissilient”

Pronounced: c’mon – like it looks, noun Notes: I didn’t know this was a word, but it makes sense Yesterday’s word The word fleer means, as a noun, “a sneer or mocking look”. As a verb it means “to grin or laugh coarsely and mockingly” First usage This came into English the late 1300s BackgroundContinue reading “longlist”

Pronounced: fleer, noun/verb Notes: My guess was one who runs away (the person who is pursued), but that isn’t correct Yesterday’s word The word deterge means “to wash, wipe, or cleanse” First usage Our word goes back to the early 1600s Background / Comments You probably guessed the word if you added an ‘n’ andContinue reading “fleer”

Pronounced: dih-TUHRG, verb Notes: You probably know this word, but I didn’t know it existed Yesterday’s word The word pilose means “covered with soft hairs or fur” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments As I wrote yesterday, our word rings a faint bell, so I think I’ve runContinue reading “deterge”

Pronounced: PIE-lohss, adj Notes: After reading the meaning, I think I’ve run across this word somewhere, but I wasn’t able to recall the meaning – do you know it? Yesterday’s word The word trangam means “a trinket, puzzle, or odd gadget” First usage This word goes back a long way; it came into English inContinue reading “pilose”

Pronounced: TRANG-uhm, noun Notes: I have several of these at home (you may, too), but I didn’t know this word Yesterday’s word The word sectile means “capable of being cut smoothly with a knife” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, this word isContinue reading “trangam”

Pronounced: SEK-till, adj Notes: Another useful word, but I was unaware of it Yesterday’s word The word parergon means an accessory, embellishment, or byproduct of a main work subsidiary work undertaken in addition to one’s main employment First usage Our word goes back a long way to the early 1600s Background / Comments In theContinue reading “sectile”

Notes: I didn’t know this word, but it is useful Pronounced: pa-RUHR-gahn, noun Yesterday’s word The word boondoggle means work of little or no value done to keep or look busy a “make work” project, often based on favoritism First usage This word came into English in the 1930s Background / Comments It is knownContinue reading “parergon”

Pronounced: BOON-dog-uhl (alt: BOON-daw-guhl), noun Notes: While I’ve heard this word used, I wasn’t sure of the precise definition Yesterday’s word The word spread-eagle means, as a noun, “an emblematic representation of an eagle with outspread wings”. As a verb, it means to position someone with arms and legs stretched out to assume the formContinue reading “boondoggle”