9 English Words That Have Gone Extinct

As time goes by, we experience changes in technology, the way we live, medicine, and even the sorts of hobbies that people find popular; 80 years ago Yoga wasn't as much of a trend as it is today. The same thing happens with the way we speak. Year after year words are created to accompany the transformations of our lives, and new words like "fro-yo" need to be added in the dictionary because we can’t stop enjoying a frozen yogurt during a hot summer.

In the same way that words are added and created, other words have become practically extinct; not only do they disappear from our daily conversations but they are also taken out of the dictionary. These word have been erased in order to add new and useful ones, but we don't want to forget them! Here is a list of 9 words you might have never heard before (and probably won't hear ever again):

1. Hodad

(n.): a word from The Beach Boys era that refers to a non-surfer who often visits surfing beaches and pretends to be a surfer

2. Growlery

(n.): place to growl in, private room, den (similar to what we might call a “man cave” today)

3. Frutescent

(adj.): relating to, or looking like, shrubbery or a group of plants

4. Brabble

(n.): A noisy argument

5. Cicisbeo

(n.): a married woman's male companion or lover

6. Millennium bug

(n.): the inability in older computing software to deal correctly with dates of 1 January 2000 or later

7. Malison

(n.): a curse

8. Bedlam

(n.): an insane asylum (or hospital for the mentally ill)

9. Esurient

(adj.): hungry or greedy

Are there any other English words that you don’t hear anymore that you think should be added to this list? Let us know in the comments! If you’re interested in learning more about our English programs, get in touch with one of our advisors.