Joseph Piercy

The Oxford English Dictionary contains 175,000 words in common usage and yet linguists estimate that a vocabulary of 3,000 is sufficient to cover ninety-five per cent of common usage in speech and print. Where have all those other words gone? The English language is a giant sponge, absorbing words from a multitude of different languages and cultures and yet it seems speakers of English are indolent at accessing the rich resources at our disposal. 1000 Words to Expand Your Vocabulary aims to ameliorate this issue by providing a fascinating lexicography to boost your word power. Alongside the elegant and archaic words are discussions of malapropisms and solecisms, words for which meaning has changed over time and words that have meanings often contrary to their common usage (and abusage). Each entry contains outlines of word origins, examples in context and a wealth of word related trivia. 1000 Words to Expand Your Vocabulary will help word lovers flaunt their prolixity without flouting the rules that govern correct meaning.

1000 Words to Expand Your Vocabulary

High Fidelity

Abscond: A borrowing from the Latin word abscondere, meaning to conceal or hide. People usually abscond in a hurry; typically to avoid detection of or an arrest for an unlawful action such as theft.

Amaranthine: A beautiful adjective steeped in poetic suggestion, amaranthine has its roots in the odes of Ancient Greece. Amarantos in Greek means immortal or undying and this gave rise to the mythical flower the amaranth, a flower which never wilted or faded. The adjective amaranthine, then, refers to anything that is immortal and timeless.

Baleful: A word which has been around in English for over a thousand years, baleful derives from the Old English beolofull, meaning evil or wicked. Over time the word has come to be used to describe portents of something bad– in demonology and studies of the occult, Balam is a three-headed prince of hell.

1000 Words to Expand Your Vocabulary quotes

Join the club