Category Archives: word

Pronounced: PLAS-truhn, noun Notes: This word has multiple meanings; I haven’t looked at the origin yet, but I suspect that the original meaning evolved into the later definitions (it’s one of those words). Yesterday’s word The word scooby means “clue” Background / Comments To many people, seeing scooby reminds them of Scooby-Doo; I remember watchingContinue reading “plastron”

Pronounced: SKOO-bee, noun Notes: This is another rhyming slang word… you may be able to guess this one Yesterday’s word The word transpicuous means “clearly seen through or understood” Background / Comments The word comes from Latin transpicere (to look through); that word is a combination of trans- (through) and specere (to look or see).Continue reading “scooby”

Pronounced: tran(t)s-PIH-kyuh-wuhs, adj Notes: A very useful word Yesterday’s word The word boracic means “poor or broke” Background / Comments This word is rhyming slang (also known as Cockney rhyming slang) – if you’re not familiar with rhyming slang, look it up. The phrase is boracic lint, and lint is rhymed with skint (broke). BoracicContinue reading “transpicuous”

Pronounced: buh-RAS-ik, adj (alternative: boh-RAS-ik) Notes: In addition to the alternative pronunciation, it can be spelled “brassic” (BRA-sik) Yesterday’s word The word Frankenfood is “genetically engineered food” Background / Comments The word is a combination of Franken- (an allusion to “Frankenstein”) and food. It was coined by Paul Lewis, an English professor, in a letterContinue reading “boracic”

Pronounced: FRANG-kuhn-food, noun Notes: You can probably guess this one Yesterday’s word The word plunderbund means “a group of political, business, and financial interests engaged in exploiting the public. Background / Comments This word has German origins; it is our word plunder (pillage), which comes from German plündern (to loot), combined with bund, from GermanContinue reading “Frankenfood”

Pronounced: PLUN-der-bund, noun Notes: Some people may be able to make a good guess at this word Yesterday’s word The word invigilate means “to keep watch : supervise, monitor” Background / Comments This word has a Latin root : vigilare (to stay awake); the same root gave us vigilant. Oddly enough, another descendant is reveille.Continue reading “plunderbund”

Pronounced: in-VIH-juh-late, verb Notes: I thought maybe it was related to vigilante (but no) Yesterday’s word The word orexigenic means “stimulating the appetite” Background / Comments The word comes from Greek: orexis (longing) and -genic (producing). This seems like a handy word to know. First usage This word isn’t that old; it showed up inContinue reading “invigilate”

Pronounced: uh-rek-suh-JEN-ik, adj Notes: I saw “rex” in the word and thought it may have to do with kings or royalty (I was wrong; besides, this word does not come from Latin) Yesterday’s word The word pridian means “of or relating to a previous day or to yesterday; also: former”. Background / Comments For suchContinue reading “orexigenic”

Pronounced: PRIH-dee-uhn, adj Notes: This word is seldom used, which is a shame as it’s a useful word Yesterday’s word The word spitfire refers to “someone high-spirited, quick-tempered, and outspoken” Background / Comments This word came from the combination of spit and fire. First usage This word showed up in the early 1600s Rejected wordContinue reading “pridian”

Pronounced: SPIT-fire, noun Notes: This word is lowercase, and thus NOT the British fighter aircraft associated with World War II (actually, it existed before the war, and remained in use afterwards). Anyway, that is not this word. Yesterday’s word The word haptic means relating to or based on the sense of touch characterized by aContinue reading “spitfire”