Category Archives: word

Pronounced: in-SOO-see-uhns (alt: in-SOO-see-uhnts), noun Notes: I have certainly seen this word, but I didn’t know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word seism means “earthquake” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments As I noted, once I saw the definition, I felt foolish because I immediately saw “seismologist”Continue reading “insouciance”

Pronounced: SIGH-zuhm, noun Notes: I didn’t have any idea of the definition, but after I saw it, I felt rather dumb Yesterday’s word The word glabrous means “smooth; especially having a surface without hairs or projections” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word has been used byContinue reading “seism”

Pronounced: GLAY-bruhs, adj Notes: This word is new to me Yesterday’s word The word duoliteral means “having two letters” First usage Our word came into English in the mid 1800s Background / Comments After seeing the definition, I thought “of course!”. It is quite a long long to describe something with two letters. I keepContinue reading “glabrous”

Pronounced: do-uh-LIT-uhr-uhl, adj Notes: I keep thinking this should be a noun, not an adjective Yesterday’s word The word valetudinarian is “a person of a weak of sickly constitution; especially one whose chief concern is his ill health” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments Oddly enough, ourContinue reading “duoliteral”

Pronounced: vah-luh-too-duh-NER-ee-uhn, noun Notes: I’ve read this word, but was a bit off in my guess at at the meaning Yesterday’s word The word aerious means “of or like air; airy” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I should have known the proper definition; I think theContinue reading “valetudinarian”

Pronounced: AY-ree-us, adj Notes: Not a word I knew of, but you may be able to guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word climacteric means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word came from the Greek word klimaktēr (critical point; literally ‘rung of a ladder’). ItContinue reading “aerious”

Pronounced: kligh-MAK-trik (alt: kligh-MAK-tuh-rik), noun Notes: I think this is another word I’ve not run across before, but it is a useful word Yesterday’s word The word placentious is “pleasing or inclined to please” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I think I was taught in grade schoolContinue reading “climacteric”

Pronounced: pla-SEN-shus Notes: Not what I thought Yesterday’s word The word divagate means “to wander or stray from a course or subject: diverge; digress” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments As I read the first part of the definition, I thought “Oh! It’s like diverge“… and thenContinue reading “placentious”

Pronounced: DIE-vuh-gate, verb Notes: A new word for me Yesterday’s word The word arterious means “of, or relating to, the arteries or a main road or channel” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I would have guessed that our word meant relating to the arteries in theContinue reading “divagate”

Pronounced: ARE-tihr-ee-uhs, adj Notes: You may know this word Yesterday’s word The word pippin means First usage Our word came into English in the mid- to late 1200s Background / Comments I don’t know about you, but I’m more familiar with the second definition above, probably due to my reading of English authors. I knowContinue reading “arterious”