10 lost words from the Collins English Dictionary to build into everyday conversation

With the recent research unveiled by the University of York discovering lost words in historic texts, we decided to root around in the Collins English Dictionary to uncover a selection of unusual linguistic gems that can be used in everyday conversation.

1. Whiffler – ‘a person who vacillates or shifts position frequently in argument

2. Cokes – ‘a fool

3. Impeticos – ‘to put in a pocket

4. Snollygoster – ‘a politician who cares more for personal gain than serving the people

5. Pinchcommons – ‘a person who is frugal with food

6. Attic salt – ‘refined incisive wit

7. Blatherskite – ‘a talkative, foolish person

8. Deipnosophist – ‘a person who is a master of dinner-table conversation

9. Grok – ‘to understand completely and intuitively

10. Widechapped – ‘open-mouthed’

How many of these words have you heard of before? Are there any lost or uncommon words that you think should make a come back to the Collins Dictionary? Let us know in the comments.

By Rachel Quin
Collins Dictionary

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