laxative – Can mean “having the power of relaxing” (from Latin laxare, “loosen”). More…
loess – Loam composed of matter transported by wind, from German losz, “loosen.” More…
resolution – From Latin resolutio-/resolution, from resolvere, meaning “to loosen or dissolve again,” which was the original meaning. More…
solve – First meant “loosen”—from Latin solvere, “free, unfasten.” More…
drawing room – A shortening of withdrawing room, the room to which the ladies withdrew, leaving the men to smoking and drinking. More…
egression – The action of going out or leaving a place. More…
bequeath – Etymologically, what you bequeath is what you “say” you will leave someone in your will—but the original sense “say, utter” died out, leaving the legal sense. More…
exclaustration – Being expelled from or leaving a religious retreat; it is also the return to secular life by someone who has been released from their religious vows. More…
radiate – As an adjective, it means having rays or parts coming out of a center, from Latin radius, “ray, spoke.” More…
radio wave – Travels like rays of light, so it takes its name from Latin radius, “spoke of a wheel; ray of light.” More…
sol-fa – The sol-fa syllables are doh, ray, mi, fah, sol, lah, te—for the notes of the major musical scale. More…
anima, persona – Anima is Carl Jung’s term for the inner part of the personality, or character, as opposed to the persona, or outer part. More…
anima, animus – Anima is the source of the female part of personality and animus is the source of the male part. More…
anthropomorphism – The ascription of a human attribute or personality to anything impersonal or irrational. More…
personality – First referred to the quality of being a person and not a thing. More…
bide one’s time – Based on abide, meaning “remain” or “to wait awhile.” More…
marcescent – Describes leaves that wither but remain attached to the stem. More…
mansion, mansionary – Mansion first meant the action of living or remaining in a place, from French manere, “remain,” from Latin mansio, “staying”; mansionary is an adjective meaning “resident.” More…
stick-in-the-mud – Based on the notion of “to stick in the mud, to be content to remain in an abject condition.” More…
apishamore – A blanket used under a saddle. More…
col – A saddle between two mountain peaks, from Latin collum, “neck.” More…
caparison – A cloth or covering spread over the saddle or harness of a horse, often ornamented; this word can also mean “housings, trappings.” More…
larigos – The rings on a saddle through which the straps pass. More…
discard – First meant “throw out or reject a card from a hand.” More…
eighty-six – “Reject, discard”—may be rhyming slang for “nix.” More…
quash – From Latin quatere, “shake,” it generally means “reject as invalid, especially by legal procedure,” or “put an end to; suppress.” More…
reprove – To reject or express disapproval of something. More…
aioli – French for ai, “garlic,” and oli, “oil”—mayonnaise seasoned with garlic. More…
drawn butter – Melted, clarified, and seasoned. More…
herbes de Provence – A blend of herbs used for seasoning, such as basil, bay leaf, chervil, fennel, lavender, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, sage, summer savory, tarragon, and thyme. More…
herb, spice, seasoning – Herbs are, technically, plants with aerial parts used for seasoning foods, and a spice (also called seasoning) is any substance used for seasoning foods; many herbs are used as spices, but not all. More…
conservatory – Comes from an Italian word for a hospital for foundlings, to whom music was taught. More…
ambulance – Once brought the hospital to the patient—and kept the name when it reversed the process and started bringing the patients to the hospital; its original meaning was “mobile hospital following an army.” More…
nosocomial – “Pertaining to a hospital” or “originating in a hospital.” More…
bedlam – The word bedlam is a contraction of Bethlehem, a hospital in London that became a lunatic asylum. More…
bustle – A stuffed pad or cushion worn under the skirt of a woman’s dress, it had a synonym of “dress-improver.” More…
kick pleat – The slit in the back of a skirt or coat that allows more freedom of movement. More…
A-line – A dress or skirt shaped like an A, created by Christian Dior. More…
skirt – The ice cream at the base of a scoop of ice cream in a cone. More…