Do You Have The Vocabulary Level of a Harvard Grad?

"Spawn" entered English in the 1400s. It comes from the Old French word "espaundre" which means to expand. It's almost always used in the context of animal eggs, both as a noun as a verb. For instance, a salmon may spawn (spread eggs,) which in turn produces spawn (offspring.)

In Latin, a "scrupulus" was a unit of weight. The current word comes from the Middle English "scrupil."

In the 1500s, English writers used the verb "repudiate" to mean "to divorce." This origin comes from the Latin noun "repudium," which specifically refers to the rejecting of a spouse. It now has broader meaning and can be used to mean to reject anything.

The earliest known usage of "elude" is form 1667. It was adapted from the Latin eludere. It has multiple meanings depending on context: evade, escape, fail to attain and fail to grasp are some examples.

"Rescind" evolved from the Latin verb "scindere," which means "to cut." Related words are "exscind" and "prescind." The former means "to cut off," whereas the latter means "to withdraw attention from."

The word "tirade" entered English in 1802. It comes from the Italian word "tirata," which means to shoot. It now means an extended and angry rant about someone or something.

"Condone" first appeared in 1805. It meant to treat something as acceptable or harmless. It has roots in the Latin word "condonare," which means to absolve.

Before the 12th century, "steadfast" specifically referred to an object that could not be moved. The word originated as "stedefast" in Middle English. Now it means that someone is unwavering in something.

The definition for "uncouth" has changed over the years. It originally meant "familiar" or "known," but is rarely used that way anymore. It now describes someone who doesn't have any manners.

"Discord" can be used as a noun or a verb. It also means a harsh-sounding combination of musical sounds.

The word "abate" dates back to sometime between the 12th and 14th century. It was adapted from the Old French word "abatre," which means to "to reduce or put an end to."

"Quixotic" comes from the book, "Don Quixote," which was published in the 17th century. It was coined in the 18th century to describe unrealistic idealists who were like the title character, Don Quixote of La Mancha.

In 1541, the first use of "plethora" in English was documented. It comes from the Greek "plethora," which means fullness. It now can be used to describe anything one has an abundance of. For example, you might have a plethora of squash in your garden after planting more seeds than you should have.

Both the herb and the synonym for wisdom entered English in the 14th century. While they both came from Anglo-French, the former comes from the Anglo-French word "sage." The latter originated in the Latin word "sapere," which means to be wise. Sagacity is something that comes with age.

"Taut" has multiple meanings. Aside from meaning "pulled tight" and "not relaxed," it can also be used to describe something concise or succinct.

As an adjective, "motley" entered English in the 14th century. The word is also used to describe fabric with many colors. Now, it generally means a mix of unmatched things.

"Qualitative" has to do with things like appearance and value, rather than counting the amount of something (quantitative.) The first known use of "qualitative" is from 1607. Its origin is in the Latin word "qualitas," which means something's essential nature or character.

"Viscous" was first used in the 1300s. It has origins in the Latin word "viscosus." "Viscosus" means full of birdlime, which is a sticky substance used to trap birds (although it's illegal in many places.)

Lackadaisical was first used in the 18th century. If someone is lackadaisical, it means they're lazy and lacking enthusiasm.

In 1641, "incubate" entered the English language. The word's original meaning is to sit on an egg to provide warmth until it hatches. It's non-biological meaning is to slowly develop, as in an idea, product or company.

It was first recorded in 1856. Synonyms include unspoiled and pastoral. It comes from the noun, "idyll," which means an idealized and picturesque scene.

In the 1400s, "divulge" meant to declare publicly. This meaning was derived from the Latin "divulgare," which means to make known.

"Viable" means that something is capable of being successful (be it a seed or an idea.) It entered English from Latin via French. The word comes from the Latin word "vita," which influenced the Middle French word "vie," which means life.

"Lithe" also means easily bent. This meaning developed in the 14th century. Lithe evolved from the Old English word for gentle.

The current usage of "concur" can trace its origins to the Middle English "concurren." "Concurren" was derived from "concurrere," which is Latin. These words all mean to be in agreement.

"Garish" was first recorded in 1545. Originally it simply meant dressed in vivid colors. Now, it means something that's gaudy and tacky.

If something is "trite," it's banal, unimaginative and boring. It means it isn't saying anything new or important, while simultaneously relying on things like cliches.

In 1549, "acumen" entered English. It's borrowed from Latin, where it means "acuteness of mind." It generally means to quickly make good decisions about something.

In 1630, expedient became a noun. Earlier, it was used as adjective that meant something was appropriate to end a particular circumstance. It's now used most often to describe something that is convenient. For instance: Calling to get information is more expedient than sending a letter by mail.

Jocular was first documented in 1626. It comes from the Latin word "jocularis." Something that is jocular is done jokingly and happily.

"Prosaic" originally meant the ordinary form of language (to separate it from poetry or prose.) It was first recorded in the 1690s with this definition. It now means something that's common and uninspired.

Originally, "prolific" was used to describe a plant that produced an abundance of fruit. It was used in the same way as fruitful. It now means to produce a lot of something (while also retaining the original definition.)

In 1680, "intrepid" entered English. The word is a combination of the prefix "in-" and "trepidus." It is Latin for not alarmed. Besides meaning courageous, it also means brave.

Since the term was coined, the meaning of "esoteric" has grown to include anything that is difficult to understand or is of unusual interest. The word comes from the Latin "esotericus."

"Maudlin" also means "drunk enough to be emotionally silly" per the Merriam Webster dictionary. The first use of this definition was in 1509.