This week’s theme
Words from previous years

This week’s words
mondegreen
resistentialism
spoonerism
petrichor
omphaloskepsis

---

A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(PET-ri-kuhr)

MEANING:

noun: The pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a dry spell.

ETYMOLOGY:

Coined by researchers I.J. Bear and R.G. Thomas in 1964, from Greek petros (stone) + ichor (the fluid that supposedly flows in the veins of the gods in Greek mythology). Earliest documented use: 1964.

USAGE:

“Verity could smell the heavenly scent of petrichor rising up from the damp, hot summer pavement.”
Annie Darling; True Love at the Lonely Hearts Bookshop; HarperCollins; 2018.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

On a scale of 1 to 10 how likely are you to use this word?