Category Archives: word

Pronounced: sih-KWAY-shuhs, adj Notes: Not what I thought Yesterday’s word The word presentiment is “the sense that something is going to happen (especially something bad)” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments As I noted, I was pretty close to the meaning, just by breaking the word into pre-Continue reading “sequacious”

Pronounced: prih-ZEN-tuh-ment, noun Notes: Interesting word; I was close to the meaning Yesterday’s word The word bijou (plural bijoux or bijous) is First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments I had the impression that our word meant merely “small”. Our word came from French, and to French fromContinue reading “presentiment”

Pronounced: BEE-zhoo, noun Notes: I have come across this word is reading, but didn’t quite know it Yesterday’s word The word fungible means “interchangeable” First usage Our word first came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word fungi (to perform in place).

Pronounced: FUN-juh-bull, adj Notes: Another word I have run across, but wasn’t sure of the meaning Yesterday’s word The word styptic means “tending to contract or bind; astringent – especially tending to check bleeding” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1300s Background / Comments I have a distinct memory of readingContinue reading “fungible”

Pronounced: STIP-tik, adj Notes: I have run across this word, but wasn’t sure of the definition Yesterday’s word The word inveigle means “to get something or to persuade someone to do something by deception or flattery” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1500s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, IContinue reading “styptic”

Pronounced: in-VAY-gull (alt: in-VEE-gull), verb Notes: I knew part of the meaning, but not the entire meaning Yesterday’s word The word pogonip is “a dense winter fog containing frozen particles that is formed in deep mountain valleys of the western US” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments ThisContinue reading “inveigle”

Pronounced: PAH-guh-nip, noun Notes: I don’t know this word, but people with certain experiences may Yesterday’s word The word pettifogger is First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I ran across our word in some English author – probably Dorothy Sayers or Agatha Christie. I knew that it referredContinue reading “pogonip”

Pronounced: PET-ee-fog-uhr, noun Notes: I have run across this word, but I could not define it Yesterday’s word The word fey means First usage Our word came into English before 900 Background / Comments When I read the definitions above, I was surprised because I thought that it meant the state of being in unnaturallyContinue reading “pettifogger”

Pronounced: FAY, adj Notes: I thought I knew the word and had a shock when I read the meaning Yesterday’s word The word rounceval means, as an adjective, “big; strong”. As a noun, it means “someone or something that is large”. First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments OurContinue reading “fey”

Pronounced: ROUN-sih-vuhl, adj/noun Notes: Also spelled rouncival; I don’t think I’ve run across this word Yesterday’s word The word cumshaw is a “present; gratuity – also bribe; payoff” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments It is thought that our word was first picked up by British sailorsContinue reading “rounceval”