Category Archives: word

Pronounced: KUHM-shaw, noun Notes: Not a word that I recognize Yesterday’s word The word damson is First usage Our word came into English in the late 1300s Background / Comments I have run across this in either the writing of Agatha Christie or Dorothy Sayers, and I think the latter one, in the phrase “damsonContinue reading “cumshaw”

Pronounced: DAM-zuhn (alt: DAM-suhn), noun Notes: I have run across this word in stories, but I actually didn’t know what it meant Yesterday’s word The word terreplein is “the level space behind a parapet of a rampart where guns are mounted” First usage Our word came into English in the late-1500s Background / Comments AsContinue reading “damson”

Pronounced: TER-uh-plane, noun Notes: I think I’ve heard this word, but I cannot recall where or when Yesterday’s word The word factitious means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments For all that our word looks like it should be related to “fact”, it doesn’t – it came fromContinue reading “terreplein”

Pronounced: fak-TISH-us, adj Notes: I thought that this word may be somehow about facts (but no) Yesterday’s word The word vaticination means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s or early 1600s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word vates (prophet). Our word may not be well known,Continue reading “factitious”

Pronounced: vuh-tih-suh-NAY-shun, noun Notes: Another word I don’t think I’ve run across Yesterday’s word The word proem is “an introduction, preface, or preamble” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1400s Background / Comments Our word came from the Old French word proeme, which came from the Latin word prooemium, which cameContinue reading “vaticination”

Pronounced: PRO-uhm (alt: PRO-em), noun Notes: Not a misspelling of “poem”; I’ve never heard of this word Yesterday’s word The word asperse means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1400s Background / Comments I am familiar with the noun form, in the phrase “casting aspersions”, in which the noun form ofContinue reading “proem”

Pronounced: uh-SPUHRS, verb Notes: Yet another word I’ve not run across Yesterday’s word The word secretory means “relating to the release of a substance from a cell, gland, or an organ” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word secernere (to distinguish),Continue reading “asperse”

Pronounced: si-KREE-tuh-ree, adj Notes: Looks like “secretary” misspelled, but that’s not it at all Yesterday’s word The word oleaginous means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comments Our word came from Middle French, which came from the Latin word oleagineus (of an olive tree) – the Latin word oleaContinue reading “secretory”

Pronounced: oh-lee-A-juh-nuhs, adj Notes: You may have a bit of a clue as to the meaning of this word Yesterday’s word The word grogram is “a course fabric of silk, combined with mohair or wool, and often stiffened with gum” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Our wordContinue reading “oleaginous”

Pronounced: GROG-rum, noun Notes: This word is completely new to me Yesterday’s word The word pooh-bah is First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I have heard this word — usually in the phrase “grand pooh-bah”; I deduce from contexts where I’ve seen itContinue reading “grogram”