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October 1
Today's word: calamanco
A checkered woolen fabric often used for the uppers of women's shoes in the 18th century.
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October 2
Today's word: patriot
An ardent supporter of one's country, devoted to the protection of its people and principles. Particularly applied to North Americans opposing continuing English rule.
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October 3
Today's word: gridiron
A small, standing iron grate used to broil meat over a fire.
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October 4
Today's word: fire dogs
A pair of iron supports used in a fireplace to suspend burning wood above the hearth.
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October 5
Today's word: public vendue
A public auction.
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October 6
Today's word: moil
To work hard, to labor at dull chores. Heard in the phrase "toil and moil."
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October 7
Today's word: tyre
The iron rim on a wooden wheel of any vehicle.
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October 8
Today's word: taffeta
In the 18th century, a shiny silk used in dressmaking.
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October 9
Today's word: ready money
Cash.
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October 10
Today's word: cudgel
A crude, heavy walking stick.
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October 11
Today's word: japanning
Decorating wood or metal to imitate Oriental designs.
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October 12
Today's word: spider
A frying pan with short legs and a long handle used for cooking on a hearth.
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October 13
Today's word: specie
Any type of coined metallic money.
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October 14
Today's word: marriage bond
A legal document signifying a couple's intent to marry, and if the bride is underage, the consent of her father.
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October 15
Today's word: gown
A lady's dress, worn over a petticoat.
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October 16
Today's word: hemp
Plant fiber used for making rope and heavy fabrics.
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October 17
Today's word: reale
A Spanish silver coin used throughout the American colonies; also called a dollar.
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October 18
Today's word: flax
The plant that provides linen fibers.
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October 19
Today's word: fowling piece
A smooth-bore long gun that shoots shot; usually used for hunting birds.
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October 20
Today's word: bowfat
A built-in storage cupboard.
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October 21
Today's word: luster
A glass chandelier.
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October 22
Today's word: calash
A large, folding hat built with arches of cane covered with silk.
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October 23
Today's word: cistern
A vessel used at the dinner table to hold large quantities of wine.
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October 24
Today's word: headright
A grant of 50 acres of land promised to each person brought to settle in the colony.
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October 25
Today's word: joe
A coin made of gold from Portugal.
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October 26
Today's word: quit rent
Small sums paid by individual landowners to the king for the use of land, since theoretically all land belonged to the crown.
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October 27
Today's word: muster
A periodic calling together of militia troops from their homes for inspection and training.
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October 28
Today's word: shagreen
Untanned shark's skin, often dyed green or black.
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October 29
Today's word: sempstress
A seamstress.
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October 30
Today's word: warp
Lengthwise thread on the weaver's loom.
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October 31
Today's word: wight
An unfortunate wandering spirit or supernatural being.
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November 1
Today's word: apprentice
A young person taken in by an accomplished tradesperson for the purpose of learning a trade.
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November 2
Today's word: glebe
A portion of land set aside for the support of an Anglican minister.
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November 3
Today's word: stock
A short, unattached, stand-up neckband.
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November 4
Today's word: hustings
The name given to the municipal courts of towns like Williamsburg and Norfolk, Virginia.
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November 5
Today's word: cresset
An iron basket that holds burning wood, coal, or pitched rope to provide outdoor heat and light.
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November 6
Today's word: farthing
A coin worth a quarter of a penny.
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November 7
Today's word: retreat
A beat of the drum at the firing of the evening gun; the end of the soldier's working day.
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November 8
Today's word: castor
A hat made of beaver pelt.
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November 9
Today's word: gesso
A preparation of glue and inert white powder, like gypsum or chalk, used as a priming or grounding material onto which paint or metal leaf was applied.
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November 10
Today's word: carbine
A gun used by cavalry that is not as long as a traditional musket.
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November 11
Today's word: gabions
Large cylindrical wicker baskets, open at both ends, to be filled with earth and incorporated in earthen fortifications.
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November 12
Today's word: draught
When the term is applied to animals, it indicates a strong beast used for drawing a weight or pulling heavy loads.
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November 13
Today's word: landau
A four-wheeled carriage with a convertible top, named for the town in Germany where it originated.
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November 14
Today's word: journeyman
A person who has completed an apprenticeship and has become sufficiently skilled to work in a shop.
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November 15
Today's word: hogshead
A cask, specifically a wooden container for shipping tobacco in the colonial period, measuring four feet high and 30 inches in diameter at each end.
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November 16
Today's word: halfpenny
Half of a penny, pronounced "hay-penny."
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November 17
Today's word: three-cornered hat
A turned up, or "cock," hat.
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November 18
Today's word: fortnight
A phrase used to describe the span of fourteen nights.
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November 19
Today's word: spatterdashes
Gaiters of leather or canvas shaped to the leg, covering from the knee to the ankle.
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November 20
Today's word: review
The drawing out of all or part of the army for inspection.
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November 21
Today's word: skep
A straw beehive.
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November 22
Today's word: brimstone
Sulphur used in gunpowder, fireworks, and medicines.
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November 23
Today's word: counting room
An office in which a bookkeeper kept the records of the store.
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November 24
Today's word: pilgrim
A traveler who undertakes a journey, particularly one to a place of religious significance.
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November 25
Today's word: tattoo
The order for all enlisted men to retire to their quarters.
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November 26
Today's word: gallipot
A small jar often used in apothecaries to hold ointments and medicines.
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November 27
Today's word: Pontefract cakes
A licorice candy, not too sweet, from Pontefract, England.
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November 28
Today's word: pence
More than one penny.
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November 29
Today's word: weft
Crosswise thread carried in the shuttle of the loom; the woof.
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November 30
Today's word: teetotum
A top with numbered sides used instead of dice in children's games.
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December 1
Today's word: parterre
A garden feature with geometric beds planted with bushes and flowers and separated by paths.
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December 2
Today's word: lancer
A cavalryman armed with a lance who rides a light, fast horse.
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December 3
Today's word: poll
The head, as in "poll tax," or "poll comb."
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December 4
Today's word: salamander
A circular iron plate with a long handle. The plate was to be heated in the fire and used to brown the top of a pudding or other food item.
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December 5
Today's word: bowling alley
Any long, flat, outdoor green space for bowling or playing skittles.
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December 6
Today's word: trencher
A wooden disk or square from which food was served or eaten.
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December 7
Today's word: hussar
A cavalryman on a medium horse, carrying little equipment, often used as a messenger.
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December 8
Today's word: apothecary
Similar to today's pharmacists, the 18th-century apothecary diagnosed ailments and prepared treatments to ease their symptoms.
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December 9
Today's word: loo
A card game similar to whist played with either three or five cards. The penalty for losing a trick or breaking a rule is being "looed," or compelled to add money to the pool.
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December 10
Today's word: treenware
Small, useful articles made from wood.
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December 11
Today's word: ha-ha
A ditch or sunken fence to contain livestock. Because it could not be seen from the house or garden, it unified the garden with the surrounding countryside.
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December 12
Today's word: calumet
A tobacco pipe with a clay bowl, a long reed stem, and decorated with feathers.
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December 13
Today's word: blind man's buff
A party game in which one person is blindfolded and the other players jostle and taunt him. The "blind man" has to catch and name another player to end his turn.
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December 14
Today's word: piggin
A little wooden bucket with a long handle made from one of its staves, sometimes used like a ladle.
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December 15
Today's word: duffle
Thick, rough cloth made from wool and used to make rugged clothing.
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December 16
Today's word: factor
One who buys or sells for another.
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December 17
Today's word: fusil
A type of musket that weighs comparatively little.
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December 18
Today's word: ninepins
Nine skittles, or pins, are knocked down with a rolling ball in a game similar to modern bowling.
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December 19
Today's word: trammel
Several rings used to hook a cooking pot by its bail over the fire.
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December 20
Today's word: gartering
The banding used to create garters, which are small loops secured around the calf to hold stockings up.
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December 21
Today's word: bateau
A small boat used on rivers.
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December 22
Today's word: firkin
A cask roughly a quarter of the size of a barrel.
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December 23
Today's word: peltry
Fur skins or pelts.
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December 24
Today's word: portmanteau
A piece of luggage for traveling.
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December 25
Today's word: holiday
Literally, "holy day," an occasion of religious observance.
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December 26
Today's word: freeholder
Any person who owns land, including women and children under legal age.
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December 27
Today's word: goose
An 18th-century game played with counters on a compartmentalized board decorated with pictures of geese.
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December 28
Today's word: snuff
Tobacco that has been dried and ground into powder, to be inhaled or placed between the lip and gums.
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December 29
Today's word: hominy
Maize finely ground or beaten, soaked with lye-water, then boiled or baked.
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December 30
Today's word: barrow
A castrated male hog.
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December 31
Today's word: rout
A large formal evening party.
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January 1
Today's word: fishgigs
A kind of fish spear.
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January 2
Today's word: ninemen's morris
A board game similar to tic-tack-toe played between two players, each with a number (usually nine) of pebbles, wood or metal discs, pegs, or pins.
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January 3
Today's word: pirogue
A canoe-like vessel, with or without sails.
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January 4
Today's word: tun
A cask often used to hold wine or beer.
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January 5
Today's word: gorget
A metal plate worn around the neck by military officers as a symbol of rank.
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January 6
Today's word: riding chair
A light, two-wheeled vehicle built to accommodate one or two passengers, drawn by a single horse.
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January 7
Today's word: pied
Multicolored, originally black and white like a magpie.
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January 8
Today's word: steelyards
A balance with two unequal arms, the longer having a movable counterpoise and the shorter bearing a hook to hold the object being weighed.
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January 9
Today's word: baroque
A popular 18th-century architectural style with whimsical embellishments as its hallmark.
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January 10
Today's word: curiosity
A hobby or interest; a recreational pursuit.
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January 11
Today's word: housewifery
The job of running a household and managing the expenses thereof.
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January 12
Today's word: spinster
A woman who spins thread, also the legal term for an unmarried woman.
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January 13
Today's word: corn
The seed of a cereal crop, such as wheat, barley, or rye.
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January 14
Today's word: pullet
A young domestic fowl that is older than a chick but not fully mature.
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January 15
Today's word: sack
Dry white wine or sherry made in what is now the Jerez region of Spain.
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January 16
Today's word: undertaker
One who undertakes a task or job in contract with another.
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January 17
Today's word: waste-book
A blank book for rough notes on expenses and purchases. Figures from the waste-book would later be copied into a formal ledger.
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January 18
Today's word: drugget
Wool, wool-linen, or wool silk-cloth for wearing apparel, or for spreading under a table to catch crumbs.
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January 19
Today's word: rococo
A decorative or architectural style marked by ornate scroll and shell patterns.
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January 20
Today's word: phaeton
A light, four-wheeled, open vehicle drawn by a pair of horses.
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January 21
Today's word: smelt
The process of melting ore to separate pure metal from dirt, sand, and impurities.
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January 22
Today's word: hoecake
A simple bread made with cornmeal, salt, and water, fried on a hoe in front of a fire.
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January 23
Today's word: bloom
The process of melting ore to separate pure metal from dirt, sand, and impurities.
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January 24
Today's word: blancmange
Almond cream in gelatin form, a popular 18th-century dessert.
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January 25
Today's word: collation
A small meal served late in the evening, usually light food requiring little preparation.
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January 26
Today's word: isinglass
A semitransparent, whitish, pure form of gelatin made from the air bladders of sturgeons.
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January 27
Today's word: pillory
An instrument of punishment built to confine the neck and wrists in a wooden yoke.
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January 28
Today's word: marchpane
A kind of candy made from pounded almonds and sugar, formed into small cakes or ornamental shapes.
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January 29
Today's word: dinner
The main meal of the day, in the 1700s, served about 2:00 p.m.
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January 30
Today's word: sweetmeats
Delicacies such as candied fruits and nuts or sugared pastries.
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January 31
Today's word: plantation
A farm or estate where a staple crop such as cotton, sugar, or tobacco is grown.
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February 1
Today's word: mantuamaker
A dressmaker who makes mantuas, a popular style of gown in the 17th and 18th centuries.
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February 2
Today's word: chariot
An enclosed vehicle with one forward-facing seat that accommodates two to three people.
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February 3
Today's word: tenement
Any rented property, whether land or buildings.
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February 4
Today's word: supper
The last meal of the day, usually a light meal of leftovers. Also an elaborate meal for a festive social occasion.
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February 5
Today's word: parish
The district under the oversight of a single minister.
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February 6
Today's word: vestry
An assembly of elected representatives of a parish, held originally in the part of the church where robes, or vestments, were kept.
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February 7
Today's word: clerk
A legal profession of the 18th century.
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February 8
Today's word: printer's devil
A young boy hired to perform small tasks or errands in the printer's office.
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February 9
Today's word: dilettante
A connoisseur of fine arts.
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February 10
Today's word: pier
The brick or stone composing the structure of walls set between windows or doors.
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February 11
Today's word: tessera
The small bits of colorful marble and glass that comprise a mosaic.
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February 12
Today's word: gaol
Jail.
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February 13
Today's word: form
A backless bench.
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February 14
Today's word: beau
A young lady's suitor or male admirer.
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February 15
Today's word: forcemeat
Finely chopped and highly seasoned meat, formed into small balls and used as stuffing or garnish.
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February 16
Today's word: beaker
A large drinking cup with a wide mouth.
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February 17
Today's word: pitch
A sticky resin made made from the distillation of wood tar or turpentine, used to seal and waterproof ships.
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February 18
Today's word: milliner
A shop that carries exquisite goods, particularly those from Milan, Italy.
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February 19
Today's word: porter
A beer prized for its dark, bitter composition.
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February 20
Today's word: carter
The driver of a cart.
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February 21
Today's word: gazette
A newspaper or other periodical.
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February 22
Today's word: twelfth night
January 5th, the end of the Christmas holidays.
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February 23
Today's word: lottery
A fund-raising scheme for a charitable institution, wherein a distribution of prized is determined by the random selection of numbered tickets, or lots.
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February 24
Today's word: commonwealth
The happiness and security of the public, also the population of a state.
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February 25
Today's word: stocks
An instrument of punishment consisting of two planks set edgewise with two holes cut in the center. The person sat with his ankles locked between the two planks.
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February 26
Today's word: visto
A view or prospect, especially as seen through an avenue of trees or similar long and narrow opening.
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February 27
Today's word: barm
The frothy mass of fermentation formed on top of ale.
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February 28
Today's word: brawn
The fleshy part of the back leg of an animal, suitable for roasting.
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February 29
Today's word: betwattled
Surprised; confounded, out of one's senses.
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March 1
Today's word: catsup
A sauce of mashed anchovies, oysters, mushrooms, or walnuts.
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March 2
Today's word: collop
A slice of meat.
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March 3
Today's word: blackjack
A large leather jug for beer or other beverages, made black by an external coat of tar.
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March 4
Today's word: comfit
A dry sweetmeat; any kind of nut, fruit, seed or root that has been dried and preserved with sugar.
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March 5
Today's word: hartshorn
The horn or antler of a hart, or deer, used as a source of gelatin.
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March 6
Today's word: ashcake
A batter of cornmeal, salt and water, cooked in the coals of a fire.
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March 7
Today's word: johnnycake
In England, an oatmeal or barley cake. In North America, the recipe is adapted and made with cornmeal.
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March 8
Today's word: jelly
A moist gelatin of sweetmeat or preserved fruit.
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March 9
Today's word: lights
An anatomical reference to the lungs.
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March 10
Today's word: tripe
An animal's stomach, prepared as food.
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March 11
Today's word: pottage
A hearty meat and vegetable stew.
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March 12
Today's word: ragout
A flavorful stew of vegatables and chopped meat.
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March 13
Today's word: sago
The starchy pith of West Indian palms, used to thicken soups and puddings.
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March 14
Today's word: shoat
A weaned young pig.
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March 15
Today's word: sippet
A crunchy garnish of toasted or fried bread.
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March 16
Today's word: souse
A boiled, seasoned, pressed loaf of scraps from a pig's head.
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March 17
Today's word: coxcomb
A flirtatious, frivolous man.
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March 18
Today's word: squab
An immature pigeon.
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March 19
Today's word: rennet
Undigested, curdled milk from a calf's stomach used in the cheese-making process.
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March 20
Today's word: standing dish
A favorite item at the table, served each day or at each meal.
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March 21
Today's word: caster
A ceramic, glass, or metal dispenser for condiments such as vinegar, pepper, or dry mustard.
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March 22
Today's word: cruet
An oil or vinegar dispenser for use at the table.
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March 23
Today's word: demijohn
A large glass jug with a three to ten gallon capacity, often protected with a wicker or rush covering.
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March 24
Today's word: firkin
A cask made to convey fish, butter, or other liquids, equal in volume to one fourth of a barrel.
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March 25
Today's word: flagon
A hefty, lidded drinking bottle with a handle and spout.
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March 26
Today's word: tureen
A serving dish for soup or stew, characterized by its deep oval shape.
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March 27
Today's word: minuet
A triple-time dance performed by a single couple.
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March 28
Today's word: cotillion
The term for a number of French dances composed of an assortment of steps and figures.
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March 29
Today's word: country dance
A family of English dances in which couples line up in facing pairs.
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March 30
Today's word: lard
An exclamation expressing surprise, taken from the word "lord."
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March 31
Today's word: fie
A phrase denoting denial or rejection of the comments of another.
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April 1
Today's word: buss
A lusty kiss.
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April 2
Today's word: coquette
A flirtatious, silly woman.
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April 3
Today's word: gallant
A man who is a woman's partner in intrigue, often a married woman's lover.
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April 4
Today's word: swain
A charming country beau.
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April 5
Today's word: twire
A flirtatious glance.
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April 6
Today's word: baggage
An immoral woman unworthy of respect.
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April 7
Today's word: bugbear
Something superficially frightening but actually powerless.
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April 8
Today's word: hussy
A bold, saucy, or ill-mannered woman.
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April 9
Today's word: puppy
A disparaging term for a man who is young, foolish, or both.
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April 10
Today's word: genteel
A well-bred person with charming manners.
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April 11
Today's word: vulgar
Low bred or ill-mannered.
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April 12
Today's word: beauty spot
A mole-like spot which fashionable ladies applied to the face.
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April 13
Today's word: huzzah
An exclamation of agreement or encouragement: a hurray.
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April 14
Today's word: watertable
A sloping angle incorporated into masonry to channel water away from the foundation.
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April 15
Today's word: upright
A charming country beau.
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April 16
Today's word: above stairs
A building's upper floors: upstairs.
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April 17
Today's word: vice
Wicked or immoral habits or behavior.
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April 18
Today's word: constitutional
Something that is understood to have a positive effect on health, like a walk or fresh air.
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April 19
Today's word: melancholy
Suffering the effects of black bile; to be irritable, angry, or peevish.
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April 20
Today's word: phlegmatic
To have phlegm as the dominant bodily humor, characterized by passivity and inactivity.
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April 21
Today's word: bilious
To be snappish, bad-tempered.
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April 22
Today's word: humors
A medical theory that credits health with a balance of four humors: blood, phlegm, choler, and melancholy. Excess or deficit of any could cause illness or mood changes.
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April 23
Today's word: spermaceti
A fatty substance harvested from sperm whales used to make medicines and candles.
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April 24
Today's word: coney
A rabbit.
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April 25
Today's word: rush
A straight-stemmed marsh plant used as fuel for light and as a floor covering.
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April 26
Today's word: diversion
Recreation or amusement.
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April 27
Today's word: entertainment
Hospitable accommodation for the needs of a guest, especially a formal meal.
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April 28
Today's word: hall
A dwelling's principal multipurpose room.
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April 29
Today's word: passage
In Southern domestic architecture, the space at the center of a house which runs from the front door to the back door, providing a waiting area and allowing air to circulate.
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April 30
Today's word: palladian
An architectural style referring to an 18th-century English preference for the neoclassical style of Palladio and reaction against the baroque.
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May 1
Today's word: gill
A liquid measure equal to two ounces or a fourth of a pint.
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May 2
Today's word: dram
A modest serving of a cordial or alcohol, equal to one eighth of an ounce.
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May 3
Today's word: ell
A textile measurement which varies by country.
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May 4
Today's word: tithe
A tax for the support of religious establishments.
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May 5
Today's word: levy
A tax assessed by person.
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May 6
Today's word: tonic
An invigorating or bracing medicine.
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May 7
Today's word: pocketbook
A folding case for carrying papers in one's pocket, or another term for a man's wallet.
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May 8
Today's word: loyalist
In the Revolutionary War, one who remained loyal to England.
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May 9
Today's word: tarring and feathering
To smear an individual with tar and then cover him with feathers; a mob punishment inflicted on unpopular or scandalous characters.
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May 10
Today's word: osnabrug
A coarse linen or cotton made in Osnabruk, Germany. The rugged fabric was ideal for hard-wearing clothing, sacks, and tents.
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May 11
Today's word: saltpeter
Potassium nitrate used in making gunpowder and some medicines.
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May 12
Today's word: spectacles
Eyeglasses.
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May 13
Today's word: queue
A long braid of hair.
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May 14
Today's word: damask
A richly woven silk fabric ornamented with elaborate patterns.
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May 15
Today's word: bohea
One of the finest types of black tea.
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May 16
Today's word: leghorn
Braided and bleached straw used in the construction of hats and bonnets.
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May 17
Today's word: hornbook
The alphabet and Lord's prayer, mounted on a piece of wood and covered by a thin sheath of horn, used as a child's learning aid.
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May 18
Today's word: lanthorn
A transparent or translucent case made to protect a flame; a lantern.
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May 19
Today's word: dunghill fowl
Poultry, chickens.
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May 20
Today's word: idle
Once who is lazy, worthless, and of no value.
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May 21
Today's word: industrious
One who is hardworking, able, and clever.
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May 22
Today's word: liberty pole
A center of community protest.
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May 23
Today's word: midden
A domestic trash pit.
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May 24
Today's word: proclamation
Originally a king's formal order, later used to refer to any official announcement.
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May 25
Today's word: declaration
A public statement contained in a document or public act.
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May 26
Today's word: freshet
A flood caused by heavy rains or melted snow.
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May 27
Today's word: instant
The current, or present. For example, "the 21st instant" would refer to the 21st of this month.
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May 28
Today's word: vizt.
An abbreviation of the Latin "videlicet," meaning "namely," or "to wit." Used in correspondence or conversation to introduce an amplification or explanation.
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May 29
Today's word: do.
An abbreviation for "ditto," meaning "the same."
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May 30
Today's word: candlelight
The time when candles are lit: nightfall, or dusk.
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May 31
Today's word: chamberpot
A vesel kept in the bedchamber for nighttime emissions.
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June 1
Today's word: necessary house
A small structure with an enclosed seat on a raised platform built to house a latrine.
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June 2
Today's word: lady
A genteel female, or the wife of a lord.
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June 3
Today's word: dyet
An allowance or provision of food: board.
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June 4
Today's word: bumbo
A punch made from rum, sugar, water and nutmeg.
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June 5
Today's word: small beer
Beer low in alcoholic content, taken at meals and throughout the day.
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June 6
Today's word: limner
One who paints portraiture.
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June 7
Today's word: matron
A woman in charge of the maintenance and operation of a charitable institution.
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June 8
Today's word: comedian
An actor who is not a tragedian.
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June 9
Today's word: playhouse
A theater where plays are performed.
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June 10
Today's word: player
An actor or actress who performs in plays.
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June 11
Today's word: remonstrance
An appeal or request.
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June 12
Today's word: apron
A decorative or protective article worn over a woman's gown.
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June 13
Today's word: petticoat
A skirt worn under a woman's gown.
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June 14
Today's word: colors
The flag or standard of a military unit or ship.
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June 15
Today's word: stays
A shaping garment which molded a woman's torso into a conical form.
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June 16
Today's word: pap
Soft baby food made of bread moistened with milk or water.
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June 17
Today's word: pudding cap
A padded bonnet worn by toddlers to protect the head during play.
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June 18
Today's word: leading strings
Fabric lines sewn to a child's clothing used to tether a toddler to an adult.
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June 19
Today's word: pater
One who performs the duties of a legal or biological father.
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June 20
Today's word: wet nurse
A woman hired to breastfeed an infant.
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June 21
Today's word: clout
A baby's diaper.
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June 22
Today's word: dissenter
One who separates from a specified church.
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June 23
Today's word: gambol
To caper or romp like children or playful animals.
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June 24
Today's word: lark
A lighthearted adventure.
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June 25
Today's word: epergne
A branching centerpiece at the table used to hold sweetmeats, fruit, nuts, and other delicacies.
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June 26
Today's word: sexton
An officer of the church whose duties include ringing the bell and digging graves.
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June 27
Today's word: orphan
A child rendered parentless by death or abandonment. In colonial Virginia, the term might apply to a minor whose father has died but whose mother is living.
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June 28
Today's word: runaway
A fugitive or deserter.
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June 29
Today's word: ague
A malarial fever marked by fits or paroxysms. Sufferers experience cold, hot, and sweating stages.
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June 30
Today's word: quarter
A slave dwelling.
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July 1
Today's word: closet
A small room or office used for study, writing, or privacy.
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July 2
Today's word: syllabub
A sweetened cordial made with milk or cream mixed with wine or cider.
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July 3
Today's word: gentry
The rank of a gentleman or lady.
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July 4
Today's word: militia
A supplemental civilian military force.
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July 5
Today's word: sheepshead
A large, abundant, and prized species of fish found in coastal North America.
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July 6
Today's word: train oil
An oil boiled from the blubber of whales, seals, and other fish.
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July 7
Today's word: drum line
A line strung for catching a drum-fish, which gets its name from the drumming noise it makes.
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July 8
Today's word: subscriber
One who signs a letter or formal document: the undersigned.
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July 9
Today's word: wit
Sharpness, cleverness, or one who embodies those qualities.
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July 10
Today's word: artful
To be dexterous or clever.
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July 11
Today's word: posset
A sweet, curative drink of hot curdled milk and ale or spirits.
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July 12
Today's word: waistcoat
A vest-like article worn by gentlemen who would have pronounced the word "weskot."
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July 13
Today's word: neck handkerchief
A piece of fabric worn at the top of a woman's low gown.
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July 14
Today's word: dutch oven
A capacious iron cooking pot which is nested in embers and whose lid is covered with coals.
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July 15
Today's word: wench
A young enslaved female servant.
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July 16
Today's word: greengage
A greenish plum with a fine flavor.
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July 17
Today's word: salad oil
olive oil
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July 18
Today's word: N.B.
An abbreviated form of the Latin phrase, "nota bene," meaning "note well."
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July 19
Today's word: perukemaker
One who makes perukes, which today are known as wigs.
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July 20
Today's word: cordwainer
A shoemaker.
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July 21
Today's word: bursar
An organizations' treasurer.
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July 22
Today's word: embargo
A boycott which prohibits the entry of foreign ships and the departure of native ones, generally issued under threat of conflict.
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July 23
Today's word: treatise
A literary work which examines a particular subject in some detail.
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July 24
Today's word: compleat
Entire; complete
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July 25
Today's word: sparrowgrass
Asparagus
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July 26
Today's word: middling
The middle class, or people of moderate means.
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July 27
Today's word: shift
A long, sleeved undergarment worn under a gown.
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July 28
Today's word: banyan
A man's slightly fitted dressing gown; popular leisure wear in the 18th century.
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July 29
Today's word: draper
A seller of wool or linen cloth.
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July 30
Today's word: punch
The most popular mixed drink of the 18th century, made with citrus, sugar, water, spice, and spirits.
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July 31
Today's word: Michaelmas
The feast of St. Michael, celebrated September 29 and pronounced "Mickelmas."
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August 1
Today's word: cimling
A summer squash with a scalloped edge.
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August 2
Today's word: dentifrice
Tooth powder, or toothpaste.
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August 3
Today's word: landskip
A painted depiction of inland scenery, as distinguished from a sea picture, portrait, or other subject.
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August 4
Today's word: tea canister
A caddy for holding dry, unused tea leaves.
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August 5
Today's word: perry
A cider-like alcoholic beverage made from pear juice.
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August 6
Today's word: arrack
A distilled beverage made from the fermented sap of the coconut palm.
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August 7
Today's word: tippling
To drink alcohol often and in small quantities; the habitual indulgence in intoxicating beverages.
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August 8
Today's word: dropsy
A morbid condition characterized by the accumulation of fluid in the body's serous cavities or connective tissue.
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August 9
Today's word: wassail
A beer-based hot holiday punch popular in the Christmas season.
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August 10
Today's word: pettiauger
A common pleasure boat of the colonial period, adapted from American Indian log canoes.
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August 11
Today's word: post rider
One who delivers mail on horseback.
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August 12
Today's word: physick
The professional practice of medicine.
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August 13
Today's word: indenture
A binding contract which obligates a servant to a master or an apprentice to a trade.
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August 14
Today's word: joiner
A woodworker who creates objects by joining wood.
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August 15
Today's word: slipshod
Wearing loose or shabby footwear suggestive of an overall state of decrepitude.
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August 16
Today's word: allarums
A call to arms; a signal for men to arm themselves.
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August 17
Today's word: tocsin
A ringing alarm bell.
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August 18
Today's word: domestic economy
The knowledge of household management, to include food preparation, sewing, and laundry.
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August 19
Today's word: billet
An order to provide food and shelter for troops.
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August 20
Today's word: consort
A companion or partner, sometimes a spouse.
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August 21
Today's word: bother
A petty trouble or disturbance, or the exclamation made in the presence of one.
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August 22
Today's word: bepester
To nag or annoy.
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August 23
Today's word: chocolate
A beverage made from roasted and ground seeds of the cacao pod and heated milk, water, brandy, or wine.
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August 24
Today's word: outlandish
A strange and unfamiliar denizen of a foreign country.
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August 25
Today's word: circular letter
Correspondence written to be circulated among people with a shared interest in its contents.
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August 26
Today's word: metropolis
A country's foremost city or seat of government.
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August 27
Today's word: continental
A designation attributed to those things coming from or belonging to the colonies during and after the Revolutionary War.
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August 28
Today's word: quartermaster
A military officer whose responsibility is the overseeing of military provisions and supplies.
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August 29
Today's word: pamphleteer
A writer of brief political tracts or pamphlets.
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August 30
Today's word: orangerie
A greenhouse optimized for the cultivation of oranges and other exotic citrus in cold climes.
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August 31
Today's word: herbal
A written work about plants and the garden.
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September 1
Today's word: alderman
A city magistrate, subordinate in stature to the mayor.
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September 2
Today's word: pockets
A small pouch sewn into a woman's waistband and worn under her gown.
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September 3
Today's word: hothead
One whose even temper is easily lost.
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September 4
Today's word: beeves
The plural of beef; cattle or oxen.
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September 5
Today's word: kine
The plural of cow.
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September 6
Today's word: dovecote
A raised house for nesting doves or pigeons.
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September 7
Today's word: Whitsunday
The seventh Sunday after Easter; Pentecost
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September 8
Today's word: hautboy
An oboe, a reeded wind instrument.
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September 9
Today's word: armonica
Benjamin Franklin's musical invention, a glass cylinder mounted horizontally and played by touching moistened fingertips to the rotating instrument.
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September 10
Today's word: savages
A term applied to groups regarded as uncivilized and uneducated. Often used to refer to American Indians.
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September 11
Today's word: palisade
A series of wooden posts forming a wall or fortress.
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September 12
Today's word: abscond
To run away with the intent of concealing oneself, as a criminal before the law.
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September 13
Today's word: maize
Also known as Indian corn, a cereal grass of North America.
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September 14
Today's word: milk pan
A shallow dish where milk rests as the cream rises.
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September 15
Today's word: seething
A cooking term analogous to boiling.
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September 16
Today's word: dispensatory
A manual of medicines and instructions for the method of their application.
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September 17
Today's word: battery
A small complement of artillery pieces used for tactical missions.
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September 18
Today's word: pioneers
Infantrymen whose job it is to clear a path to admit the passing of the troop as a whole.
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September 19
Today's word: inventory
A list of the property and holdings of a deceased person.
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September 20
Today's word: appraisement
An inventory which lists the value of the property of a deceased person.
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September 21
Today's word: fabric
The structure or construction of anything, especially of buildings.
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September 22
Today's word: senight
A phrase used to describe the span of seven nights.
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September 23
Today's word: smokehouse
A small outbuilding or room used to cure meat by means of smoke.
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September 24
Today's word: suit
The collective term for a gentleman's coat, waistcoat, and breeches.
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September 25
Today's word: warehouse
A building used to store merchandise, especially tobacco in 18th-century Williamsburg.
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September 26
Today's word: sugar islands
The Caribbean, where sugar was the main crop in the 18th and 19th centuries.
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September 27
Today's word: chamber
A particular room or set of rooms in a house, often a bedroom.
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September 28
Today's word: cocoa
Corruption of the Spanish word "cacao," the Mexican name of the cacao-seed. By 1604, a beverage made from the seeds of the cacao-tree was called chocolate.
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September 29
Today's word: robin
The name English colonists gave to the red-breasted thrush of North America.
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September 30
Today's word: almanac
An annual table or book of tables containing a calendar of months, days, holidays, and useful information.