Category Archives: word

Pronounced: pree-tuhr-NATCH-uh-ruhl (alt: prih-tuhr-NATCH-uh-ruhl), adj Notes: An interesting word (see the discussion tomorrow) Yesterday’s word The word extirpate means to destroy completely; wipe out to pull up by the root to cut out by surgery First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments When our word first came into English,Continue reading “preternatural”

Pronounced: EK-stir-pate, verb Notes: Not a word I know Yesterday’s word The word Frankenfood is “genetically modified food” First usage Our word came into English in the 1990s Background / Comments If you thought of Frankenstein’s monster, you’d probably get the meaning of this word. Contrary to popular usage, the monster is not Frankenstein; FrankensteinContinue reading “extirpate”

Pronounced: FRANG-kuhn-food, noun Notes: You may know this word, or be able to guess it Yesterday’s word The word viridity means the quality or state of being green the color of grass or foliage naive innocence First usage Our word came into English in the first half of the 1400s Background / Comment If IContinue reading “Frankenfood”

Pronounced: vuh-RIH-duh-tee, noun Notes: This word had a surprise definition for me Yesterday’s word The word opprobrium means strong criticism public disgrace First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I have run across this word somewhere (probably in reading) and had the impression of the first definition. But itContinue reading “viridity”

Pronounced: uh-PRO-bree-um, noun Notes: I was pretty close on this one, but I don’t know how well-known it is Yesterday’s word The word rococo means of or relating to an 18th-century artistic style characterized by fanciful curves and elaborate ornamentation excessively ornate or intricate First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s BackgroundContinue reading “opprobrium”

Pronounced: ruh-KOH-koh, adj Notes: I’ve heard this word, but couldn’t definite is accurately Yesterday’s word The word parastatal means, as a noun, “a company or agency owned wholly or partly by the government”. As an adjective, it refers to such an organization. First usage Our word came into English in the 1940s Background / CommentsContinue reading “rococo”

Pronounced: par-uh-STATE-l, noun/adj Notes: I didn’t know this word existed Yesterday’s word The word emprise is “an adventurous, daring, or chivalric enterprise” First usage Our word came into English in the second half of the 1200s Background / Comments Our word came from the Anglo-French word emprendre (to undertake). Our word was used in TheContinue reading “parastatal”

Pronounced: em-PRIZE, noun Notes: An old word, but I didn’t know it Yesterday’s word The word defervescence is “the abatement of a fever” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments When I saw our word, I thought of effervescence, and thought it might be related, but while theyContinue reading “emprise”

Pronounced: dee-fur-VESS-uhns, noun Notes: Not at all what I thought Yesterday’s word The word farceur means joker; wag a writer or actor of farce First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments Like me, you probably thought that our word had something to do with “farce” (and we wereContinue reading “defervescence”

Pronounced: far-SUHR, noun Notes: You may be able to guess one of the definitions Yesterday’s phrase The phrase ex post means, as an adjective, “based on past events; actual, rather then predicted”. As an adverb, it means “retrospectively” First usage Our phrase came into English in the 1930s Background / Comments I don’t know ifContinue reading “farceur”