Category Archives: word

Pronounced: PASS-uhl, noun Notes: I think I’ve run across this word, but I could not define it Yesterday’s word The word ergophobia means “an abnormal fear or aversion to work” First usage This word goes back to the early 1900s Background / Comments This word comes from Greek words; you probably recognized phobia (fear). TheContinue reading “passel”

Pronounced: er-guh-FOE-bee-uh, noun Notes: When I ran across this word, I didn’t know what it meant, but I’ve learned it now Yesterday’s word The word apatetic means “having colors and forms like camoflage” First usage This word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments The word comes from a Greek word, apatētikosContinue reading “ergophobia”

Pronounced: ap-uh-TET-ick, adj Notes: Another interesting word that I’ve not heard before Yesterday’s word The word robustious means strong and sturdy boisterous coarse or crude First usage This word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I knew the first meaning, because I could see, as you probably could also, “robust” in theContinue reading “apatetic”

Pronounced: roh-BUS-chuhs Notes: I knew one of the meanings, but not the others Yesterday’s word The word parapraxis, as I noted yesterday, means a Freudian slip; technically, “a slip of the tongue or pen that otherwise reveals true motivation”. First usage Our word is a relatively late one, coming into English in the 1930s BackgroundContinue reading “robustious”

Pronounced: par-uh-PRAK-sis, noun Notes: There is a more common phrase for this word Yesterday’s word The word quaggy means “marshy; flabby; spongy” First usage This word goes back to the late 1500s Background / Comments The word comes from quag (marsh); thus, marsh-like and its related attributes – spongy or flabby.

Pronounced: KWAG-ee, adj Notes: I’m surprised at the age of this word Yesterday’s word The word auspicate means “to arrange auspicious ceremonies or rituals planned to bring good luck” First usage This word goes back to the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word auspicātus (consecrated by auguries), which isContinue reading “quaggy”

Pronounced: AW-spih-kate, verb Notes: Another interesting word, but I could not define it Yesterday’s word The word gastronome means “a connoisseur of good food” First usage The word started being used in the early 1800s Background / Comments I have mentioned before that I enjoy mystery stories, and the Nero Wolfe stories by Rex StoutContinue reading “auspicate”

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”