Succulent

Someone who watches the Food Channel too much asked about the word succulent. It owes its existence to two Latin components: succus, which means juicy, and the suffix –ulentus, signifying “full of or abounding in.”

Other well-known words using the -ulent suffix include corpulent, esculent, flatulent, fraudulent, opulent, truculent, turbulent, and virulent.

But as always, it’s the little-known words that fascinate me. Let’s look at just a few, most of which are no longer used.

• amarulent: full of bitterness
• bucculent: blubber-cheeked
• cinerulent: full of ashes
• crassulent: very fat
• flocculent: resembling tufts of wool
• frustulent: full of small pieces
• jussulent: full of broth
• lutulent: muddy
• pisculent: full of fish
• rorulent: covered with dew
• temulent: intoxicated

Available from McFarland & Co.: Word Parts Dictionary, 2nd edition

Check out Mike's program-based books here:
Arbutus Press
or at Amazon.com

Listen to Mike’s program in real time every Tuesday morning, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. EST, by going to wtcmradio.com and clicking on Listen Now.

There is a collection of podcasts. Go to wtcmradio.com and click on Podcasts. Scroll down The Ron Jolly Show to find the Words to the Wise audio button.

Visit The Senior Corner at seniors.tcnet.org