Category Archives: word

Pronounced: CAP-shuhs, adj Notes: The word looks like it is related to ‘caption’ (but it isn’t) Yesterday’s word The word fuliginous means “sooty; dusky; obscure” First usage The word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I don’t think I’ve run across this word, but it seems to be a good word toContinue reading “captious”

Pronounced: fyoo-LIZ-uh-nuhs, adj Notes: Another word that is new to me Yesterday’s word The word welkin means the vault of the sky; firmament; heaven the upper atmosphere First usage This is an old word; it goes back to the 1100s Background / Comments The word comes from an Old English word that meant “cloud”. AlthoughContinue reading “fuliginous”

Pronounced: WELL-kuhn, noun Notes: This word has Christmas tie-in, but I’m not sure how many know it Yesterday’s word The word latitudinarian, as an adjective means “holding broad and tolerant views, especially in matters of religion”. As a noun, it is “one who is broadminded and tolerant, especially concerning religion” First usage The word cameContinue reading “welkin”

Pronounced: lat-ih-TOOD-n-ar-ee-uhn, adj/noun Notes: Something to do with surveying? (nope) Yesterday’s word The word plangent means having a loud reverberating sound having an expressive and especially plaintive quality First usage The word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments If you notice the meanings, they are not very close to each other,Continue reading “latitudinarian”

Pronounced: PLAN-juhnt, adj Notes: This looks like a compressed form of Plantagenet, but it’s not Yesterday’s word The word olid means “foul-smelling” First usage The word goes back to the late 1600s. Background / Comments The word is from Latin olere (to smell). It’s amazing that such a useful short word is not more frequentlyContinue reading “plangent”

Pronounced: OH-lid, adj Notes: Another new word for me Yesterday’s word The word anabasis is a going or marching up; advance; especially a military advance a difficult and dangerous military retreat First usage The word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments Strange definitions; practically opposites. The word comes from Greek –Continue reading “olid”

Pronounced: uh-NAH-buh-suhs, noun Notes: Even after attempting to analyze this word, I didn’t have any idea of the meaning Yesterday’s word The word roland means “someone who is an equal match for another”. First usage The word came into English in 1525 Background / Comments Our word comes from the proper name Roland, who wasContinue reading “anabasis”

Pronounced: ROH-lund, noun Notes: I’ve run across this word in reading, but didn’t know the word Yesterday’s word The word embonpoint is “plumpness of a person; stoutness” First usage The word goes back to the 1600s Background / Comments I ran across this word years ago when I was in high school or early college.Continue reading “roland”

Pronounced: ah(n)-bo(n)-PWAH(n), noun Notes: The parentheses above mean that the ‘n’ sound is very lightly pronounced. I find this a hard word to guess; one either knows it or doesn’t know it. Before I knew the word, it looked like it might be related to embroidery (’emb-‘) or needlepoint (-‘point’). Yesterday’s word The word euhemerismContinue reading “embonpoint”

Pronounced: you-HEE-muh-riz-um, noun (alternatively, the second syllable could be ‘HEM’) Notes: When I glance at this word, I keep seeing ‘euphemism’, but this is not that word Yesterday’s phrase The phrase infra dig means “being beneath one’s dignity; undignified” First usage This word showed up in the early 1800s Background / Comments I’ve never runContinue reading “euhemerism”