Category Archives: word

Pronounced: in-SPIH-sate, verb Notes: Another word that leads me to exclaim: There’s a word for that?! Yesterday’s word The word yclept means “called or named” Background The word comes from Old English geclypod. First usage This word goes back a long way; it showed up in the mid-900s

Pronounced: ih-KLEPT Notes: I ran across this word in one of my sources and didn’t know it… I remembered it because of the unusual spelling. A few months later, I ran across this word in my reading. Yesterday’s word The word eclogue is “a poem in which shepherds converse” Background The word comes from LatinContinue reading “yclept”

Pronounced: EHK-log, noun Notes: Really? There is a word for this? Yesterday’s word I assume most, if not all, readers know jinx means “to bring bad luck upon”, but I was unaware that it also meant “to cast a spell on”. Background The origin is not known for sure… it is thought it may comeContinue reading “eclogue”

Pronounced: jinks, verb Notes: OK, we know the usual meaning, but this word also has a meaning of which I was unaware. Yesterday’s word The word alopecia means “baldness; specifically, the loss of hair, wool or feathers” Background Oddly enough, the root word from which the word comes is the Greek word alōpēx (fox)! TheContinue reading “jinx”

Pronounced: a-luh-PEA-shuh, or a-luh-PEA-shee-uh, noun Notes: This word doesn’t conform to my usual rules for selection: I only happen to know this word because of a British radio comedy show from the 1960s, so I don’t know how well know it is. Yesterday’s word The word appurtenance means “an accessory or other item associated withContinue reading “alopecia”

Pronounced: uh-PURR-tin-uhns, noun Notes: This is a word I came across in my reading (Death in the Clouds, by Agatha Christie). It is usually found as a plural Yesterday’s word The word diktat means a harsh settlement unilaterally imposed (as upon a defeated nation) decree, order Background If, like me, you saw dictate or dictatorContinue reading “appurtenance”

Pronounced: dik-TAHT, noun Notes: I couldn’t define this word properly, but I did recognize bits of it…do you? Yesterday’s word The word gyve means, as a noun: “a fetter of shackle”; as a verb: to restrain Background The origin is unknown; it may be from Middle English and somehow related to “give”. First usage ThisContinue reading “diktat”

Pronounced: jihv, noun/verb Notes: A great hangman word Yesterday’s phrase The phrase per contra means on the contrary; by way of context; on the other hand as an offset Background Well, the background is a bit confusing. One place just says tersely that it is from Latin per contrā. The more interesting one says thatContinue reading “gyve”

Pronounced: per-KAHN-truh, adv Notes: You may be able to guess this one; the history of the word was interesting Yesterday’s word The word transpicuious means “easily seen through or understood” Background The trans- part of the word is a clue to the origin; the word comes from Latin — trans- (across) plus specere (to look).Continue reading “per contra”

Pronounced: tran-SPICK-yoo-uhs, adj Notes: I was pretty close, but not quite right on this one Yesterday’s word The word opusculum means “a minor word (as of literature)”; a variant of it is opuscule. Background This word comes from Latin: many of us probably know opus (work). This word is the diminutive form of opus. InContinue reading “transpicuous”