word-lore

or word·lore

[ wurd-lawr, -lohr ]

noun

a study of words and derivations.
the vocabulary of a particular language and the history of its words.

Origin of word-lore

¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Words Nearby word-lore

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use word-lore in a sentence

The writer on word-lore must of necessity build on what has already been done, happy if he can add a few bricks to the edifice.
The Romance of Words (4th ed.) | Ernest Weekley
In word-lore, as in other sciences, it is seldom safe to lay down the law without a little conscientious "hedging."
The Romance of Words (4th ed.) | Ernest Weekley

Browse