Definition: the worship of words
Pronunciation: ep-EE-ohl-uh-tree
Origin:
First cited by Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., an American writer and physician, in 1860. From the ancient Greek “epos” (word) and “latry” (worship of). The word appeared in Professor at the Breakfast Table, a collection of his essays.
Why this word?
Because unusedwords.com is a haven for epeolatry. If we didn’t worship words and devote some portion of our time to bringing them to the masses, this site wouldn’t exist. It’s a worship with which any writer, reader, or speaker can identify with. It’s one of those words that clearly describe a phenomenon we’ve all encountered, yet for some reason, is almost never used. Instead, we use cumbersome phrases like “the worship of words” or “obsession with words” where “epeolatry” would convey the same idea in a much quicker manner.
How to use epeolatry in a sentence:
Epeolatry is a noun. It’s a concrete idea – devotion to the art of language. Use it in this position and dress it up with adjectives. Make it verb, if you’d like.
“Kyle’s epeolatry has gotten to the point where he’s unfriended people on Facebook for misspelling common words.”
“I always give to the tithe at the Church of Webster. It’s a small price to pay for a place to express my epeolatry freely.”
