Defenestration is the action of throwing someone (or something) out of a window. It can also be used to describe the process or action of removing someone from a position of authority or power.

You can defenestrate someone or be defenestrated.

Defenestration is early 17th century in origin, stemming from de- meaning ‘down from’ and the Latin fenestra meaning ‘window’.

The word is thought to have been coined around the time of the Defenestration of Prague in 1618. The incident at Prague Castle saw two Catholic governors and their scribe thrown from windows by Protestant citizens. The defenestration helped to start the Thirty Years War.

You might be familiar with a nursery rhyme about three men in a tub. Or the BBC’s version about socks (if my socks had that many holes, I would just get rid of them).

Rub-a-dub was originally a word for the sound made by beating a drum or for a drumming sound.

It is often used to describe a rhythmic sound or motion, such as rubbing or scrubbing to make something clean.

Rub-a-dub is also rhyming slang for pub.

Grandiloquent is usually considered an autological word.

It means pompous, lofty or extravagant in language, style or manner, especially in a way that is intended to impress or attract admiration.

The word’s origin is late 16th century. It stems from the Latin grandiloquus, meaning ‘grand-speaking’.  The association with eloquent has altered the ending in English.

Magniloquent is considered a synonym of grandiloquent. And they rhyme.

Here’s a new type of interesting word for this blog – a word that is autological. Autological words are members of or have features of the category they describe. They have or represent the property they denote.

Sesquipedalian means ‘having many syllables’. It can also be used to describe something as given to using long words or being long-winded.

Its origin is mid 17th century, from the Latin sesquipedalis meaning ‘a foot and a half long’.

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