There’s a word for that?
The English language never ceases to amaze me.
Considering that there are an estimated 250,000 distinct English words—and that the average, college-educated American has a vocabulary of 60,000 words—there are tens of thousands of “undiscovered” words.
Let’s explore this untapped lexicon by looking at a few words that will make you say, “There’s a word for that?” (Definitions from Wordnik.com and Oxford Dictionaries Online.)
Coronis—the curved line or flourish at the end of a book or chapter.
Deipnosophist—a person skilled at conversation during meals.
Dysania—the state of finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning.
Euonym—a name well suited for a person, place, or thing.
Glabella—the space between the eyebrows and the nose.
Hallux—the innermost or first digit on the hind foot of certain mammals; the big toe in humans.
Neanimorphic—appearing younger than one’s age.
Nudiustertian—of the day before yesterday.
Nosism—the use of “we” when referring to oneself; also known as the “royal we” or the “editorial we.”
Parapraxis—a slip of the tongue thought to reveal unconscious wishes or attitudes.
Pareidolia—the imagined perception of a pattern or meaning where it does not actually exist, such as seeing a face in the moon.
Petrichor—the smell of rain after a warm, dry period.
Phophene—a ring or spot of light produced by pressing on the eye when the lids are closed.
Singultus—the medical term for hiccups.
Tittle—a small amount or quantity; a small dot, stroke, or mark that is part of a letter, such as the dots over the letters i and j.
PR Daily readers, care to share any of your favorite “there’s a word for that?” words?
This article was first published on Ragan Communication’s PR Daily.
