Category Archives: word

Pronounced: SPIN-drift, noun Notes: I don’t have any memory of running across this word Yesterday’s word The word flatfooted means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments I knew three of the definitions – how did you do? I knew the phrase “to be caught flatfooted” (unprepared, #3Continue reading “spindrift”

Pronounced: flat-FOOT-id, adj Notes: I know some of the definitions; how many do you know? Yesterday’s word The word wimple means First usage Our word came into English early; sometime before 1100. Background / Comments As probably most of us know, the noun wimple is a covering worn over the head and around the neckContinue reading “flatfooted”

Pronounced: WIHM-pull, verb Notes: I knew the meaning of our word as a noun, but not so much as a verb Yesterday’s word The word autotelic means “having a purpose, motivation, or meaning in itself — not driven by external factors. First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments OurContinue reading “wimple”

Pronounced: ah-toe-TEH-lick, adj Notes: A good word to know (but I didn’t know it) Yesterday’s word The word wahine is First usage The references I checked are not clear; one says that our word came into English in the late 1700s; another one has the mid-1800s (but also see the Comments below). Background / CommentsContinue reading “autotelic”

Pronounced: wah-HEE-nee, noun Notes: Another word that I don’t know Yesterday’s word The word acedious means “characterized by apathy, boredom, or sloth” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments What a great word to drop into conversation! It came from the Latin word acedia, which came from theContinue reading “wahine”

Pronounced: uh-SEE-dee-uhs, adj Notes: A good word to know Yesterday’s word The word putsch is “a secretly plotted and suddenly executed attempt to overthrow a government” First usage Our word came into English in the 1910s Background / Comments If you enjoy history, or have studied about World War II, you are probably familiar withContinue reading “acedious”

Pronounced: puhch, noun Notes: You may know the meaning, or may get a clue from history Yesterday’s word The word polygyny is “the practice of having two or more wives” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments If, like me, you thought “I thought that was the definitionContinue reading “putsch”

Pronounced: puh-LIH-juh-nee, noun Notes: You may know this word Yesterday’s word The word deliquesce means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments Our word came from de- (from; down; away) and the Latin word liquēre (to be fluid). The first definition may be used in a figurative manner (suchContinue reading “polygyny”

Pronounced: deh-lih-KWES, verb Notes: A new word to me Yesterday’s word The word yeanling means, as a noun, “the young of an animal (especially of a sheep or a goat)”. As an adjective, it means “new-born; infant”. First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I know the word “yearling”,Continue reading “deliquesce”

Pronounced: YEEN-ling, noun/adj Notes: I didn’t know this was a word; you may be able to guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word pleiad is “a group of (usually seven) illustrious or brilliant persons or things” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I am familiar with the “Pleiades”Continue reading “yeanling”