Category Archives: word

Pronounced: GAS-truh-nome, noun Notes: I was pretty close to this definition Yesterday’s word The word premiate means “to grant a prize or give an award to” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments This word comes from the medieval Latin word praemiātus, which is the past participle of praemiāreContinue reading “gastronome”

Pronounced: PREE-mee-ate, verb Notes: Not a word I know Yesterday’s word The word chatoyant means, as an adjective, “having a changeable luster like that of a cat’s eye at night”. As a noun, it is “a chatoyant gemstone, such as a cat’s eye”. First usage This word came into English in the early 1800s BackgroundContinue reading “premiate”

Pronounced: shuh-TOY-uhnt, adj/noun Notes: I had no idea of the definition until I read the background; then I realized I should have had a pretty good guess. Yesterday’s word The word habiliment means “the clothes worn by those of a certain profession” First usage This word goes back to the late 1300s or early 1400sContinue reading “chatoyant”

Pronounced: huh-BILL-uh-muhnt, noun Notes: Not a word that can used as much in modern times Yesterday’s word The word campanile means “a bell tower; especially one detached from a main building such as a church” First usage The word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Personally, I would tend to use theContinue reading “habiliment”

Pronounced: kam-puh-NEE-lee (alternative kam-puh-NEEL) Notes: I don’t know how well this word is known Yesterday’s word The word isonomy means “the equality of political rights” First usage This word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments The word comes from the Greek word isonomia, which comes from iso- (equal; same) and nomiaContinue reading “campanile”

Pronounced: aye-SON-uh-mee, noun Notes: I recognized parts of the word, but I couldn’t define it Yesterday’s word The word breviloquence means “speaking briefly and concisely” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word breviloquentia, which comes from brevis (short) and loquentia (speaking). YouContinue reading “isonomy”

Pronounced: brih-VILL-uh-kwens, noun Notes: You might be able to guess this word’s meaning Yesterday’s phrase The phrase Garrison finish is “a finish in which the winner comes from behind at the end” First usage I have conflicting reports; one said that this phrase came into being in the late 1800s or early 1900s. However, anotherContinue reading “breviloquence”

Pronounced: GEH-ruh-sun FIN-ish, noun Notes: I’ve never heard of this, but it is not that uncommon Yesterday’s word The word exeleutherostomize means “to speak out freely” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Such a neat word, and timely! When I was in college, we talked about many subjects,Continue reading “Garrison finish”

Pronounced: ex-uh-luth-uh-ROS-tuh-mize, verb Notes: A nice fancy word that we could use Yesterday’s word The word vitiate means to make faulty or defective; impair to debase in moral or aesthetic status to make ineffective First usage This word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word vitiumContinue reading “exeleutherostomize”

Pronounced: VIH-she-ate, verb Notes: I knew one of the three definitions; how about you? Yesterday’s word The word corpocracy means corporate bureaucracy a society in which corporations control the government First usage This word came into English in the 1930s Background / Comments Our word originally referred to the first definition; however, it has changedContinue reading “vitiate”