Author: Lexico

Word of the Day: EXPLORATE

ETYMOLOGY
adj.: from Latin exploratus past participle of explorare (to explore)
vb.: from Latin explōrāt- past participial stem of explorare (to explore)

EXAMPLE
“…The consideration whereof (most iudicious Men) though I looke not to be of that weigh with you, as to moue you ac­tually to implant your selfs in our Catholicke Church; yet since you are wyse, learned, and loth (no dowbt) to commit any such explorate errours, as the force of Naturall Reason and your owne Consciences may freely check; I am in good hope, that the serious perusall of the poynts aboue disputed, will at least preuayle thus far with diuers of you; …”

From: The Converted Jew
By John Clare, a1628

Word of the Day: DEROGANT

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin derogantem, present participle of derogare (to derogate)

EXAMPLE
“…If they could foresee future things, they would bragge themselues equall to God: But Secret things belong to GOD, reuealed to vs. The other is both arrogant in man, and derogant to God. And Greg. sayes well: If such a Starre be a Mans Destenie, then is Man made for the Starres, not the Starres for Man. The Diuels know not future euents: and will these boast it? …”

From: The Sacrifice of Thankefulnesse
A sermon preached at Pauls Crosse
By Thomas Adams, 1616

Word of the Day: PILLICOCK

ETYMOLOGY
from a first element of uncertain origin (see note below) + cock (mature male of the domestic chicken)

EXAMPLE (for n. 1.)
“…Lear.
Death traytor, nothing could haue subdued nature
To such a lownes, but his vnkind daughters,
Is it the fashion that discarded fathers,
Should haue thus little mercy on their flesh,
Iudicious punishment twas this flesh
Begot those Pelicane daughters.

Edg.
Pilicock sate on pelicocks hill, a lo lo lo.

Foole.
This cold night will turne vs all to fooles & madmen. …”

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

Word of the Day: SWASIVIOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Italian suasivo (suasive, having the power of persuading or urging) + -ious

EXAMPLE
“…Who is most merciful, bountiful, and liberal, and willing to helpe and further you, in your intended loues, burning desires, and high conceites. Plucke vp a good heart, man, come let vs goe on.
With pleasurable actions, maydenly iestures, swasiuious behauiours, girlish sportes, wanton regardes, and with sweet vvords they ledde mee on thither, beeing vvel content vvith euerie present action, but that my Polia vvas not there to the suppliment of my felicitie, and to haue been the sixt person in the making vp of a perfect number. …”

From: Hypnerotomachia: The Strife of Loue in a Dreame
By Francesco Colonna
Translated by Robert Dallington, 1592

Word of the Day: QUISQUILIOUS

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin quisquiliae (waste matter, refuse, rubbish) + ‑ous

EXAMPLE
“…He knows not what to say against them; and yet something must be said. They publish too much; more than used to be published: the science is overloaded by the quisquilious matter they rake together and preserve. They publish too soon; before they have taken the requisite time for digestion …”

From: Rationale of Judicial Evidence
By Jeremy Bentham, 1827

Word of the Day: SNOOZLEDOM

ETYMOLOGY
from snoozle (to nestle and sleep or doze) + -dom

EXAMPLE
“…There are times with us all, when in a concave mirror we see a minute distorted into long hours; and, again, in the convex glass the long hours dwindle to a point. When summoned by peremptory duty from a warm bed upon a keen, frosty morning, how precious are the last five minutes of snoozledom! You live introspectively all through them; you chew the cud of your own cosiness. …”

From: The Casquet of Literature, a Selection in Poetry and Prose
Edited by C. Gibbon, 1873
‘The Philosophy of Sorrow’
By D’Arcy Wentworth Thompson

Word of the Day: LONGITY

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin longitas (length, long duration), from longus (long) + -tas (-ty)

EXAMPLE
“…And had not this beene: yet if your brevity (which is but a shuffling colour, to make shewe of some things which are not) had beene turned into one yeeres or seaven yeeres longity, you could not have shewed, that in substantiall points of faith there was variace among vs. And therfore for that matter you do wel to do as you do, that is, put vp your pipes & make no more noise. …”

From: The Reasons vvhich Doctour Hill hath brought, for the Vpholding of Papistry, which is falselie termed the Catholike religion: Vnmasked and Shewed to be very weake, and vpon examination most insufficient for that purpose.
By George Abbot, 1604

Word of the Day: AFFIANTLY

ETYMOLOGY
apparently from affy (to trust in someone or something) + – ant + ‑ly 

EXAMPLE
“…St. John saith expressely, Jesus did many things which are not written. Indeed we may chuse whether we will affiantly beleeve any thing that is not written; but to say positively, It never was, because it is not written, is unworthy Hieromes learning, and is elsewhere by him rejected, out of the humour of opposition. …”

From: The Acts and Monuments of the Church Before Christ Incarnate
By Richard Montagu, 1642

Word of the Day: COCKYOLLY BIRD

ETYMOLOGY
probably from an extended form of cock (a mature male of the domestic chicken) + bird 

EXAMPLE
“…The artist’s occupation is gone henceforth, and the painter’s studio, like ‘all charms, must fly, at the mere touch of old philosophy.’ So Major Campbell prepares the charming little cockyoly birds, and I call the sun in to immortalize them. …”

From: Two Years Ago
By Charles Kingsley, 1857