1 hour ago, drpaladin said:

From what I can see, this one hasn't felt the warmth since the 1800's.

While that is very true @drpaladin I have to say I, and my cats, experienced apricity briefly today during our ongoing bleak winter.

Apart from that I think I'll just file apricity under "things didn't know had a name".

Most of my visits to, 'Word of the Day', tend to end with me adding a new(to me) word to my vocabulary. Then, mentally taking said word to that over stuffed cabinet, in the dark backroom(of my mind). Chucking it in there, closing the cabinet door and reapplying a fresh piece of 'Never to see the Light of Day Again Duct Tape'.

J.F.Y.I., I keep a crate of that tape ready. In case, another word from here, requires my special attention and disposition.

Now as for our word today, 'apricity', let me  add 'apricot'.  Just my way of keeping you all on your toes!

Orange Crate Art: Words of the day: apricity, apricot

Curiosity can lead you to the oddest places. I looked up apricity in Merriam-Webster and there was no entry. Did a Bing search and right at the top was an entry from Merriam-Webster's word blog Wordplay titled 'Apricity' and Other Rare Wintry Words.

In the entry for Apricity, Merriam-Webster says that Apricity is so rare and obsolete it only occurs in the Oxford English Dictionary. That's nice, but why are there 79,100 to 105,000 results from the search? If Apricity is so rare and obsolete, why so many people using it?

Sent a message to Merriam-Webster asking that same question. Will be interesting if I get an answer.

2 hours ago, CarlHoliday said:

Curiosity can lead you to the oddest places. I looked up apricity in Merriam-Webster and there was no entry. Did a Bing search and right at the top was an entry from Merriam-Webster's word blog Wordplay titled 'Apricity' and Other Rare Wintry Words.

In the entry for Apricity, Merriam-Webster says that Apricity is so rare and obsolete it only occurs in the Oxford English Dictionary. That's nice, but why are there 79,100 to 105,000 results from the search? If Apricity is so rare and obsolete, why so many people using it?

Sent a message to Merriam-Webster asking that same question. Will be interesting if I get an answer.

@CarlHoliday

You are man after my own heart. I also came across that, Rare Wintry Words one.

I am of two(2) thoughts on this, quest of yours!

1st

Apricots - Almost everyone knows of or has heard of apricots, so a search gone astray or an overly helpful prompt and voila, Apricity is there?? The question is asked, what the heck is it and yet another search for an answer is logged. Laugh if you want, but it's my theory.

2nd

You say no way, to my 1st. Do you realize the number search engines out there and equally vast number of: Word of the Day/Week/Month or whatever out there????????

79,000 to 105,000 is not so far fetched. I double down on my 'Apricot' theory. Hoping M-W responds to your question and that you pass it on to us.

Just want to end I hope with a smile. From 'Fritinancy'

Fritinancy: Word of the Week: Apricity

An extract from the above;

Here is Shea's entry for apricity:

A strange and lovely word. The OED does not give any citation for its use except for Henry Cockeram's 1623 English Dictionarie. Not to be confused with apricate (to bask in the sun), although both come from the Latin apricus, meaning exposed to the sun.

Nor is apricity related to apricot. Apricot came to English via a circuitous route winding through Byzantine Greek, Catalan, and Portuguese back to its source in Arabic al-birquq.

Here is Shea on the letter B:

I find B wildly entertaining. It's possible that I feel this way simply because of the enormous number of words that being with be-, a sort of superprefix descended from Old English which has the power to form intensive and derivative verbs, turn substantives and adjectives into verbs, and do your laundry for you in its spare time. Stretching on for hundreds of pages, be- is responsible for such gems of the language as bedinner (to take to dinner), bespew (to vomit on), and bemissionary (to annoy with missionaries.)

Yes, I know what Shea said, about apricot, but I still think my 1st choice is the right one,