Author: Lexico

Word of the Day: RENIANT

ETYMOLOGY
from French reniant, pres. pple. of renier (to deny, renounce)

EXAMPLE
“… No helpe to me wardes is shapen: howe shal than straungers in any wyse after socoure loke, whan I that am so privy yet of helpe I do fayle? Further maye I not but thus in this prison abyde: what bondes and chaynes me holden, lady, ye se wel yourselfe? A renyant forjuged hath not halfe the care. But thus syghyng and sobbyng, I wayle here alone, and nere it for comfort of your presence, right here wolde I sterve. …”

From:
The Testament of Love
By Thomas Usk, 1388
In The workes of Geffray Chaucer newly printed. 1532

Word of the Day: JIMJAMS

ETYMOLOGY
a reduplicated term, of which the elements are unknown;
from the mid 16th century – in the singular, originally denoted a knickknack or small article

EXAMPLE (for n. 1)
“… Andy Collins, an Irishman, who has lived alone in his cabin, about a mile below us, for a year or more, has been a hard drinker ever since we have known him. He bought his rum by the gallon and kept soaked all the time. Tuesday night he had a bad attack of the jim-jams, and his nearest neighbor, O’Neil, heard him yelling and shrieking like all possessed. …”

From: The Diary of a Forty-Niner
By Chauncey Canfield, 1906
Chapter XVI, February 1, 1852

Word of the Day: PLURANIMOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin plus, plur- (more) + animous;
after unanimous (from Latin unanimis, unanimus [from unus (one) + animus (mind)] + -ous)

EXAMPLE
“… Should I make a parallel of this present Basis with the former, & were I sure my Mare would not stumble, I could demonstrate it to be Heterogeneous, Heterodoxous, Incongrous, Omnigenous, Pluranimous, Versipellous, Centireligious, Nummiamorous; I thought I should hit it at length, but I take in Army and all, or else my Mare would soone stand on her head. …”

From: Discolliminium, or, A most obedient reply to a late book, called, Bounds & bonds, so farre as concerns the first demurrer and no further
By B. (Nathaniel Ward), 1650

Word of the Day: EGESTUOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from late Latin egestuosus, irregularly from egestas (poverty)

EXAMPLE
“… You call me oscitant, – ah! well,
Obtenebration hides my tears;
I may become sejungible,
When labefaction comes with years.
Exequial nights, egestuous days
No nummary relief can soothe, –
No xenodochium allays
Radicate thirst with “Bass” or “Booth.” …”

From: The Savage-Club Papers
Edited by Andrew Halliday, 1867
A Social Science Valentine, By Thomas Archer

Word of the Day: INNUBILOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin innubilus, (from in- + nubilus (nubilous, cloudy, foggy, misty)) + -ous

EXAMPLE
“… Through the benignity of our largifical essence always inclin’d to succour the egestuosity of our votaries conceptions, and to inlighten their offuscated intellects upon the least petitionary susurration, we will now descend from our innubilous empireum to infuse some rays of knowledge for solving the problem of our obsequious querist, so far as is fit to be communicated to the humble spawn of earth; …”

From: The British Apollo,
Containing Two Thousand Answers to Curious Questions in Most Arts and Sciences, Serious, Comical, and Humorous
1st Edition, 1708-1711

Word of the Day: AIDANT

ETYMOLOGY
from Anglo-Norman aidaunt, aydaunt, and from Anglo-Norman and French aidant (helping, and helper, ally), present participle of aider (to aid)

EXAMPLE (for adj.)
“… All blest secrets all you vnpublisht vertues of the earth,
Spring with my teares beaydant (be aydant) and remediat,
In the good mans distresse, seeke, seeke, for him,
Lest his vngouernd rage dissolue the life.
That wants the meanes to lead it. …”

From: True Chronicle Historie of the Life and Death of King Lear and his three daughters
By William Shakespeare, 1608

Word of the Day: FUBS

ETYMOLOGY
onomatopœic: suggested by full, chub, etc.

EXAMPLE
“… Caspia the decrepit old rich Croot,
Whose face (th’antiquity of time bewraying)
Is riueld like a ruffled summer Boot;
Shee that’s in all things, but in wealth, decaying:
Caspia, that same fowle deformed Fubs,
Who neuer needs feare coughing out her teeth,
(For she hath none, but a few Holly-stubs)
She that should think of nothing now but death;
Maugre th’imperfections of her Age…”

From: Rubbe, and a Great Cast Epigrams
By Thomas Freeman, 1614

Word of the Day: NIDOROUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Late Latin nidorosus (steaming, reeking), from Latin nidor (strong or unpleasant odour, etc.) + –osus (-ous)

EXAMPLE
“…Incense, and Nidorous Smells, (such as were of Sacrifices,) were thought to Intoxicate the Braine, and to dispose Men to Devotion: Which they may doe, by a kinde of Sadnesse, and Contristation of the Spirits, And partly also by Heating, and Exalting them. …”

From: Sylva sylvarum; or, A Naturall Historie
By Francis Bacon, 1626