ETYMOLOGY
from Latin pulchritudin-, pulchritudo (beauty) + -ous
EXAMPLE
“…Returning to the pulchritudinous Fanny Newlove, she was reclining on a settee, listening with all her ears, to the ‘out pourings’ of a personage, whose appearance at once apprehended my attention, as indicative of anything except the clean potato …”
From: The Anglo-American Magazine
From July to December, 1854
Vol V, ‘The Purser’s Cabin’
PRONUNCIATION
pul-kruh-CHOO-duh-nuhss
ETYMOLOGY
formed by compounding pinch- (comb. form. a nip, a squeeze; to nip, to squeeze)
EXAMPLE
“…It were lamentable to tel what misery the Rattes and Mise endured in this hard world, how when all supply of vittualls failed them, they went a Boot-haling one night to Sinior Greedinesse bed-chamber, where finding nothing but emptines and vastitie, they encountred (after long inqusition) with a cod-peece, wel dunged and manured with greace (which my pinch-fart penie-father had retaind from his Bachelorship, vntill the eating of these presents).…”
From: Pierce Penilesse, His Supplication to the Divell
By Thomas Nashe, 1592
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin plebicola one who courts the common people,
from plebs (the ordinary people) + –cola (cole) + -ist
EXAMPLE
“…Alva Adams, the plausible plebicolist who for so many years had prostituted Colorado to the lust of lucre and enslaved her to the corporations to serve his personal ends, was in his political death-struggle and fighting with the desperation of a dog-doomed rat…”
From: The Scarlet Shadow
A Story of the Great Colorado Conspiracy
By Walter Hurt, 1907
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin pentaglottos, pentaglottus (that is in five languages), from penta- + Greek γλῶττα (tongue) + ‑ical
EXAMPLE
Lexicophilia does not have a pentaglottical dictionary, but it does have a monoglot one.
ETYMOLOGY
apparently from pan- (all) + guts (the belly, stomach)
EXAMPLE
“…”Odzbodkins! You won’t spoil our sport,’ cried her husband. “Your crotchets are always coming in like a fox into a hen-roost.”
“I have work in hand that must be done,” replied his wife.
“Panguts!” she exclaimed, raising her voice and her fist at the same time, “what do you do? lazying about here like a mud-turtle nine days after it’s killed…”
From: Margaret: A Tale of the Real and Ideal, Blight and Bloom
By Sylvester Judd, 1845
ETYMOLOGY
adj. & adv.: from French par cœur (by heart, by memory, perfectly, exactly)
vb.: from Latin perquirere (to make diligent search for), formed on per- + quærere (to seek)
EXAMPLE (for vb.)
“…Sweetly disposed soul (for so I hope)
Though most deluded by thy self, and Pope;
Perquire Zoographers, and none recite,
A Romane Pope turn’d willing Anchorite.
Now they so much abhor such doubtful ways,
They’ll not to Heaven go, without false ayes.…”
From: Divine Glimpses of a Maiden Muse
By Christopher Clobery, 1659
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin perlegere to read through, from per- + legere (to read) + ‑ate
EXAMPLE
“…I am vouchsafede to perlegate vvith pleasure, & imploye a small of their time in the readinge, of my scriptsons, and vvritinges, I most courtiouslye desire thē, that they vvould more vvith good vvill, then vvith a spirite…”
From: The Frenche Chirurgerye, or all the Manualle Operations of Chirurgerye
By Jacques Guillemeau
Translated by A.M., 1598
ETYMOLOGY
for n. 1. – a variant of pottinger
for n. 2, 3, 4 – from podge (anything short or thick) + ‑er
EXAMPLE
“…He cannot deal the knock-me-down blows of Old Brough, and if you watch your opportunity you may give him a podger. I am seldom in a cause of any consequence before him without getting into some squabble with him…”
From: Life of John, Lord Campbell, 1881,
Letter dated 9 March, 1816
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin philosophāt-, ppl. stem of philosophārī (to do the philosopher, to philosophize), from philosophus (a philosopher)
EXAMPLE
“…If, as some say, to philosophate be to doubt; with much more reason to rave and fantastiquize, as I doe, must necessarily be to doubt: For, to enquire and debate belongeth to a scholler, and to resolve appertaines to a cathedrall master…”
From: The Essayes, or Morall, Politike, and Millitarie Discourses of Lord Michaell de Montaigne
Translated by John Florio, 1603
PRONUNCIATION
fuh-LOSS-uh-fayt
ETYMOLOGY
from Latin petulcus (butting, wanton, frisky)
EXAMPLE
“…I do therefore much blame the petulcity of whatsoever author that should dare to impute a popish affection to him, whom, besides his excellent writings and sermons, God’s visible, eminent, and resplendent graces of illumination, zeal, piety, and eloquence have made truly honourable and glorious in the Church of Christ…”
From: The Works of the Right Reverend Joseph Hall, 1837
Letter to Joseph Hall from Thomas Morton, 1628
Lexicophilia 