There are four varieties of commercially viable coffee: Arabica, Liberica, Excelsa, and Robusta. Growers predominantly plant the Arabica species. Although less popular, Robusta tastes slightly more bitter and contains more caffeine.
ABORTIVE
abortive, stillborn, unsuccessful
(adjective) failing to accomplish an intended result; “an abortive revolt”; “a stillborn plot to assassinate the President”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
abortive (comparative more abortive, superlative most abortive)
(obsolete) Produced by abortion; born prematurely and therefore unnatural. [Attested from around (1350 to 1470) until the mid 18th century.]
Coming to nothing; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
(biology) Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile. [First attested in the mid 18th century.]
(pharmaceutical effect, medicine, rare, attributive) Causing abortion; abortifacient
(medicine) Cutting short; acting to halt or slow the progress (of a disease).
Made from the skin of a still-born animal.
Noun
abortive (plural abortives)
(obsolete) That which is born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion. [Attested from around (1150 to 1350) until the mid 18th century.]
(obsolete) A fruitless effort or issue. [Attested from the early 17th century until the early 18th century.]
(obsolete) A medicine to which is attributed the property of causing abortion, abortifacient.
Verb
abortive (third-person singular simple present abortives, present participle abortiving, simple past and past participle abortived)
(transitive, obsolete) To cause an abortion; to render without fruit. [Attested only in the 17th century.]
Source: Wiktionary
A*bor"tive, a. Etym: [L. abortivus, fr. aboriri. See Abort, v.]
1. Produced by abortion; born prematurely; as, an abortive child. [R.]
2. Made from the skin of a still-born animal; as, abortive vellum. [Obs.]
3. Rendering fruitless or ineffectual. [Obs.] "Plunged in that abortive gulf." Milton.
4. Coming to naught; failing in its effect; miscarrying; fruitless; unsuccessful; as, an abortive attempt. "An abortive enterprise." Prescott.
5. (Biol.)
Definition: Imperfectly formed or developed; rudimentary; sterile; as, an abortive organ, stamen, ovule, etc.
6. (Med.) (a) Causing abortion; as, abortive medicines. Parr. (b) Cutting short; as, abortive treatment of typhoid fever.
A*bor"tive, n.
1. That which is born or brought forth prematurely; an abortion. [Obs.] Shak.
2. A fruitless effort or issue. [Obs.]
3. A medicine to which is attributed the property of causing abortion. Dunglison.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
31 March 2025
IMPROVISED
(adjective) done or made using whatever is available; “crossed the river on improvised bridges”; “the survivors used jury-rigged fishing gear”; “the rock served as a makeshift hammer”
Coffee Trivia
