Category Archives: word

Pronounced: WHY-vuhrn, noun Notes: I recognized the word, but could not properly define it Yesterday’s word The word Goldilocks means “just right; a happy medium; optimum; not at either extreme” First usage Our word came into English in the 1940s Background / Comments As you might express, our word comes from the fairy tale GoldilocksContinue reading “wyvern”

Pronounced: GOL-dee-locks, adj Notes: I had no idea that this was an actual word – do you know the meaning? Yesterday’s word The word aghast means “struck with terror, amazement, or horror; shocked and upset” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1200s Background / Comments If you are aghast, you might lookContinue reading “Goldilocks”

Pronounced: uh-GAST, adj Notes: You probably know this word, but I wanted to share its background Yesterday’s word The word concupiscence is “strong desire; lust” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1300s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word concupiscere (to desire ardently), which is made up of con-Continue reading “aghast”

Pronounced: kon-KYOO-pih-suhns, noun Notes: This word I am familiar with, but could not precisely define it – I don’t think it’s well known Yesterday’s word The word greenmail is “the practice of buying enough of a company’s stock to threaten a hostile takeover and then reselling it to the company at an above-market price” FirstContinue reading “concupiscence”

Pronounced: GREEN-male, noun Notes: Not a word I knew (again) Yesterday’s word The word disquisition is “a formal discussion on a subject; discourse; dissertation” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word looked a bit to me like “inquisition”, but it came from the Latin word disquiereContinue reading “greenmail”

Pronounced: dis-kwuh-ZISH-uhn, noun Notes: Not a word I knew Yesterday’s word The word inchoate means “being only partly in existence or operation; incipient – especially imperfectly formed or formulated; formless; incoherent” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I thought that our word ended in “ate”, not “uht” –Continue reading “disquisition”

Pronounced: in-KOH-uht, adj Notes: Not only did I not know the meaning, I wasn’t pronouncing it properly Yesterday’s word The word stridor means “a harsh, grating or creaking sound” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word is often used for the harsh vibrating sound that occurs whenContinue reading “inchoate”

Pronounced: STRY-duhr, noun Notes: Another word I’ve never run across (but I do know another word that descends from the same source) Yesterday’s word The word inimical means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word inimicus, which is a combination of in-Continue reading “stridor”

Pronounced: ih-NIH-mih-kuhl, adj Notes: Looks like “unable to be imitated” (but it’s not) Yesterday’s word The word scansorial means “related to climbing” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin verb scandere (to climb)

Pronounced: SCAN-sor-ee-uhl, adj Notes: I’ve never run across this word Yesterday’s word The word lollapalooza (also lallapalooza, lalapalooza, or lollapaloosa) is “one that is extraordinarily impressive; an outstanding example” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments There is a music festival held annually in Chicago that’s called lollapalooza.Continue reading “scansorial”