Category Archives: word

Pronounced: HOB-zee-uhn, adj Notes: I associated this word with the Hobbes of Calvin and Hobbes and couldn’t come up with a definition (that’s because I was wrong) Yesterday’s word The word chiropteran means “bat (any of an order of night-flying mammals with forelimbs modified to form wings)” First usage This word came into English inContinue reading “Hobbesian”

Pronounced: kigh-ROP-tuh-ruhn, noun Notes: I should have known this word Yesterday’s word The word marivaudage means an affected writing style banter, especially of a flirtatious nature First usage The first usage comes goes back to the mid-1700s Background / Comments This word was named after a French novelist – Pierre de Marivau. He was knownContinue reading “chiropteran”

Pronounced: mar-uh-VOH-dazh, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but it isn’t one I think I used much Yesterday’s word The word deracinate means to uproot to remove or separate from a native environment or culture to remove the racial of ethnic characteristics or influences from First usage This word came into English in theContinue reading “marivaudage”

Pronounced: dee-RA-suh-nate, adj Notes: Fancy word for something more common Yesterday’s word The word ectogenous means “able to survive outside a host (as some bacteria and other parasites do)” First usage This word come into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Another Greek word, from ecto- (outside) and -genous (producing)

Pronounced: ek-TAHJ-uh-nuhs, adj Notes: I keep wanting to put the accent on the third syllable instead of the second Yesterday’s word A turophile is “a cheese fancier” First usage The term goes back to the 1930s, but became popular in the 1950s Background / Comments As you may have guessed from the -phile ending, thisContinue reading “ectogenous”

Pronounced: TUR-uh-file (alternative: TUR-uh-FIE-uhl), noun Notes: A fancy word for a person Yesterday’s word The word saprogenic means “causing or produced by decay” First usage This word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments The word comes from Greek sapro- (rotten) and -genic (producing)

Pronounced: sap-ruh-JEN-ik, adj Notes: I didn’t have a clue about what this word may mean Yesterday’s word The word palmary means “outstanding; best” First usage This word goes back to the 1600s Background / Comments The word comes to us from the Latin palmarious (deserving the palm). The ‘palm’ here is not the palm ofContinue reading “saprogenic”

Pronounced: PAL-muh-ree, adj Notes: I guessed that this may have something to do with hands (palms), but I was wrong… but also partially right Yesterday’s word The word leptodermous means “having a thin skin” First usage The word goes back to the late 1800s Background / Comments The word comes from the Greek words lepto-Continue reading “palmary”

Pronounced: lep-tuh-DUHR-muhs, adj Notes: I thought this was someone related to butterflies (nope!) Yesterday’s word The word hereditament means “heritable property” First usage The word showed up in the mid-1400s Background / Comments You can see what looks like a noun form of “heredity” in this word. As you might expect, it comes from MedievalContinue reading “leptodermous”

Pronounced: her-uh-DIH-tuh-munt, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word existed Yesterday’s word The word railbird means a horse-racing enthusiast a spectator at a contest an observer who offers uninvited advice or criticism First usage This word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments I find it interesting to see how a word’sContinue reading “hereditament”