Category Archives: word

Pronounced: KAHN-truh-ver-tuh-buhl, adj Notes: I should have known the definition Yesterday’s word The word Lorelei is “a dangerously seductive woman” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments I happen to know a teenager named Lorelei; she most certainly is nothing like her name definition. Our word came fromContinue reading “controvertible”

Pronounced: LORE-uh-lie, noun Notes: Not a word I know, but I do know a person with this name Yesterday’s phrase The phrase big data is “an accumulation of data that is too large and complex for processing by traditional database management tools” First usage Our phrase came into English around 1980 Background / Comments OurContinue reading “Lorelei”

Pronounced: big DAY-tuh, noun Notes: I wasn’t quite sure of the meaning of our phrase Yesterday’s phrase The phrase pro rata means, as an adverb, “proportionally”. As an adjective, it means “proportional” First usage Our phrase came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments As I noted, I’ve run across the phrase, andContinue reading “big data”

Pronounced: pro RAY-tuh (alt: pro-RAH-tuh), adv/adj Notes: This is one of the words that I’ve run across, but wasn’t completely sure of the definition Yesterday’s word The word glom means take; steal seize; catch to look at First usage Our word came into English in the very late 1800s Background / Comments This entry wasContinue reading “pro rata”

Pronounced: GLAHM, verb Notes: I’m puzzled by the definition I have for the word; it doesn’t match the usage I have run across Yesterday’s word The word doryphore is “a pedantic or persistent critic” First usage Our word came into English in the 1950s Background / Comments Frankly, I don’t quite understand the background ofContinue reading “glom”

Pronounced: DOR-uh-for, noun Notes: I don’t recall seeing this word before this Yesterday’s word The word euphony means “a harmonious succession of words or sounds” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments In college, I briefly studied Greek, so I recognized the two parts of our word: eu-Continue reading “doryphore”

Pronounced: YOU-fuh-nee, noun Notes: I could trace the etymology of our word, but I wasn’t quite right with the definition Yesterday’s word The word ratty means of, relating to, or full of rats shabby irritable; angry First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments The first definition is obvious; however,Continue reading “euphony”

Pronounced: RAT-ee, adj Notes: Do you know all of the definitions? Yesterday’s word The word undulant means rising an falling in waves having a wavy form, outline, or surface First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments I am familiar with the verb undulate (to form or move inContinue reading “ratty”

Pronounced: UN-juh-lunt, adj Notes: I knew one of the definitions Yesterday’s word The word Rosinate is “an old, worn-out horse” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Although I have not read Don Quixote, I have a general knowledge of the story, but our word was new to meContinue reading “undulant”

Pronounced: roz-uh-NAN-tee Notes: Literary types may know this word (I didn’t) Yesterday’s word The word fissile means capable of being split or divided in the direction of the grain or along natural planes of cleavage capable of undergoing fission First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s (but see below) Background / CommentsContinue reading “Rosinate”