Category Archives: word

Pronounced: mag-NIF-ih-koh, noun Notes: You may be able to guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word apparatchik is “a blindly devoted official, follower, or member of an organization (such as a corporation or political party)” First usage Our word came into English in the 1940s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, if you thinkContinue reading “magnifico”

Pronounced: ah-puh-RAH(T)-chik, noun Notes: If you think this looks Russian, then… come back tomorrow and read about it Yesterday’s word The word mossback is “a very old-fashioned person or one holding extremely conservative views” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments You have heard the saying “a rolling stoneContinue reading “apparatchik”

Pronounced: MOSS-back, noun Notes: I was pretty close to the meaning – you may know the word Yesterday’s word The word flaneur is “an idle man-about-town” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I thought that I had read a book in which our word was used as theContinue reading “mossback”

Pronounced: flah-NUHR, noun Notes: This word looks familiar, but I don’t recognize it Yesterday’s word The word puce, as a noun, is “a dark red or brown purple color”. As an adjective, it means “of this color” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments Like most people, IContinue reading “flaneur”

Pronounced: pyoos, noun/adj Notes: I know that I’ve heard this word, but I could not properly define it Yesterday’s word The word philoprogenitive means tending to produce offspring; prolific of, relating to, or characterized by love of offspring First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word comes fromContinue reading “puce”

Pronounced: fih-luh-pro-JEH-nuh-tihv, adj Notes: Quite a word, but I didn’t know it Yesterday’s word The word canaille means “the common people; the masses; riffraff” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments I am pretty sure that I have run across our word somewhere, but I cannot recall itContinue reading “philoprogenitive”

Pronounced: kuh-NAIL (alt: kuh-NAH-yuh), noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but I think I’ve seen some related word in some reading Yesterday’s word The word sequacious means “intellectually servile” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word is rather insulting; it is akin to saying that someoneContinue reading “canaille”

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 a small, dainty (usually ornamental) piece of delicate workmanship; jewel something delicate, elegant, or highly prized First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments I had theContinue 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).