Category Archives: word

Pronounced: ih-MOLL-yuhnt, adj/noun Notes: This word doesn’t mean what I thought it meant Yesterday’s word The word lagniappe is “a small gift given to a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase; in a broad sense, something given or obtained gratuitously”. First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s BackgroundContinue reading “emollient”

Pronounced: LAN-yap, noun Notes: I’ve read this word, but did not know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word probity means “integrity and honest” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comments I was uncertain of whether or not to use our word; I now know the meaning, but when IContinue reading “lagniappe”

Pronounced: PRO-bih-tee, noun Notes: I wasn’t sure about this using this word, but I decided to do so Yesterday’s word The word multifarious means “having or occurring in great variety; diverse” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word is not related at all to “nefarious”, asContinue reading “probity”

Pronounced: mull-tuh-FERR-ee-us, adj Notes: This word reminds me of “nefarious”, but the meaning isn’t the same Yesterday’s word The word anodyne, as an adjective, means relieving pain; soothing bland or insipid: not likely to provoke or offend As a noun, it means something that soothes or comforts a medicine that relieves pain First usage OurContinue reading “multifarious”

Pronounced: AN-uh-dine, adj/noun Notes: I did not know the definition, but I think I have run across it in some reading Yesterday’s word The word calumet is “a highly ornamented ceremonial pipe of the American Indians” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments The more well-known term forContinue reading “anodyne”

Pronounced: KAL-yuh-met, noun Notes: There is a well-known alternative to this word Yesterday’s word The word brabble means “to argue over petty matters” First usage Our word came into English in the very early 1500s Background / Comments This word would be a good one to use; it comes from the Middle Dutch word brabbelenContinue reading “calumet”

Pronounced: BRAB-uhl, verb Notes: I don’t know this word either Yesterday’s word The word fauve means of or relating to painters practicing Fauvism vivid in color First usage Our word came into English in the 1910s Background / Comments Our word is related to painting and painters, about which I have a pretty limited knowledge.Continue reading “brabble”

Pronounced: fove, adj Notes: This word is related to an area in which I do not have much expertise Yesterday’s word The word sooterkin means a sweetheart or mistress a kind of false birth or an afterbirth formerly believed to be gotten by Dutch women by warming themselves on stoves Something imperfect or unsuccessful FirstContinue reading “fauve”

Pronounced: SOO-tuhr-kin, noun Notes: I’ve not heard this word Yesterday’s word The word univocal means having one meaning only unambiguous First usage Our word came into English in the very late 1500s Background / Comments Our word and “equivocal” are related: they are antonyms, both coming into English at the same time. We tend toContinue reading “sooterkin”

Pronounced: you-NIH-vuh-kuhl, adj Notes: Our word reminds me of “equivocal”, but is this a coincidence? Yesterday’s word The word outro is “the concluding part of a piece of music, program, etc” First usage Our word came into English in the 1960s Background / Comments Musical pieces have an introduction (also called an “intro”). Someone apparentlyContinue reading “univocal”