Category Archives: word

Pronounced: maz-uh-REEN (alt: MAZ-uh-reen; MAX-uh-rin), adj Notes: A word I have not run across Yesterday’s word The word kanban is “a manufacturing strategy wherein parts are produced or delivered only as needed” (a “just-in-time” method) First usage Our word came into English in the 1970s Background / Comments Our word came from the Japanese wordContinue reading “mazarine”

Pronounced: CAN-ban, noun Notes: Not a word I’ve run across Yesterday’s word The word letimotif is “a recurrent theme in a piece of music or literature, situation, etc” First usage Our word came into English in the 1930s Background / Comments A humorist defined leitmotif (or leitmotiv) as “a signature tune”. Our word came fromContinue reading “kanban”

Pronounced: LIGHT-moh-teef, noun Notes: Also spelled “leitmotiv” Yesterday’s word The word verdure means the greenness of growing vegetation; also, the vegetation itself a condition of health and vigor First usage Our word came into English in the mid- to late 1200s Background / Comments I recognized the root of our word as “green”; however, IContinue reading “leitmotif”

Pronounced: VUHR-juhr, noun Notes: Another word you might be able to guess one of the definitions Yesterday’s word The word sitzkrieg is “a period of war marked by little or no active hostilities” First usage Our word came into English in the 1940s Background / Comments If you thought that the word was related toContinue reading “verdure”

Pronounced: SITS-kreeg, noun Notes: Your guess at the meaning may be correct Yesterday’s word The word parietal means of or relating to the walls of a part of cavity of or relating to college living or its regulation First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments The second definitionContinue reading “sitzkrieg”

Pronounced: puh-RYE-uh-t(uh)l, adj Notes: I was our of date on one definition, and didn’t know the other Yesterday’s word The word optics means the study of light, vision, etc the way a situation or action is perceived by the public First usage The first meaning came about in the mid-1500s; the second meaning in fromContinue reading “parietal”

Pronounced: OP-ticks, noun Notes: This word has a meaning of which I was unaware Yesterday’s word The word anthophilous means “feeding upon or living among flowers” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word is certainly an interesting one and may be worth dropping into a conversation. ItContinue reading “optics”

Pronounced: an-THAH-fuh-luhss, adj Notes: I didn’t know there was such a word; it’s good to learn it Yesterday’s word The word zymology is “the science of fermentation” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments People who work in certain industries (such as making yeast, making wine, or brewing beer)Continue reading “anthophilous”

Pronounced: zy-MOLL-uh-jee, noun Notes: People in certain professions or with certain hobbies will know this word (I didn’t) Yesterday’s word The word conurbation is “an aggregation or continuous network of urban communities” First usage Our word came into English in the 1910s Background / Comments When I saw the definition, I thought it was aContinue reading “zymology”

Pronounced: kah-nuhr-BAY-shuhn, noun Notes: Another word that is new to me Yesterday’s word The word scandent means “climbing; ascending” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments Our word is a good one for general use. It came from the Latin word scandere (to climb). The same Latin wordContinue reading “conurbation”