These words have different meanings, although both are connected to groups of people or things gathering together. Hoard can mean “a collection of something stored up” (noun) or “to collect and save something” (verb). It connotes possession and possessiveness; a dragon’s hoard is the most famous cliché. And during the COVID pandemic there was a problem with people […]

The meanings of these adverbs are simple, although they are used in some special ways. Basically, hence means “from here,” thence means “from there,” and whence means “from where”:         We shall depart hence, from here in Los Angeles tomorrow morning. Our friends who live far  away in New York will depart thence at the same time, and we hope […]

These words have different meanings but are sometimes pronounced the same, in some English dialects. One can pronounce both words with the second syllable sounding like ill, or one can pronounce the second syllable of hostile like aisle. Hostel is a noun referring to an establishment similar to a hotel, but much more casual, cheaper, and often thought […]

Freeze refers to the process of a liquid becoming a solid, such as water becoming ice, or the same process when for materials containing liquid, such as when we freeze meat, or vegetables. It can be a noun or a verb; as a verb, it can be used both transitively (with an object) or intransitively (without […]

Surprisngly, these are quite different words. Both are adjectives, and they both have noun forms (fluourescence/florescence) and verb forms (fluoresce/floresce). Fluorescent describes two kinds of things that shine or glow with their own light: (1) natural things which give off light, such as fireflies, deep sea fish, some bacteria, and some minerals; and (2) anything which […]