The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
ABRUPT
abrupt
(adjective) surprisingly and unceremoniously brusque in manner; “an abrupt reply”
abrupt
(adjective) exceedingly sudden and unexpected; “came to an abrupt stop”; “an abrupt change in the weather”
abrupt, precipitous, sharp
(adjective) extremely steep; “an abrupt canyon”; “the precipitous rapids of the upper river”; “the precipitous hills of Chinese paintings”; “a sharp drop”
abrupt, disconnected
(adjective) marked by sudden changes in subject and sharp transitions; “abrupt prose”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
abrupt (comparative more abrupt or abrupter, superlative most abrupt or abruptest)
(obsolete, rare) Broken away (from restraint). [Attested only in the late 16th century.]
Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
Curt in manner. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
Synonyms: brusque, rude, uncivil, impolite
Having sudden transitions from one subject or state to another; unconnected; disjointed. [First attested in the late 16th century.]
(obsolete) Broken off. [Attested from the early 17th century until the mid 18th century.]
Extremely steep or craggy as if broken up; precipitous. [First attested in the early 17th century.]
(botany) Suddenly terminating, as if cut off; truncate. [First attested in the early 19th century.]
Synonyms
• (precipitous): broken, rough, rugged
• (without time to prepare): sudden; see also sudden
• (uncivil): blunt, brusque
• (without transition): disconnected, unexpected
Verb
abrupt (third-person singular simple present abrupts, present participle abrupting, simple past and past participle abrupted)
(transitive, archaic) To tear off or asunder. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
To interrupt suddenly. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
Noun
abrupt (plural abrupts)
(poetic) Something which is abrupt; an abyss. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
Source: Wiktionary
Ab*rupt", a. Etym: [L. abruptus, p. p. of abrumpere to break off; ab + rumpere to break. See Rupture.]
1. Broken off; very steep, or craggy, as rocks, precipices, banks; precipitous; steep; as, abrupt places. "Tumbling through ricks abrupt," Thomson.
2. Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious. "The cause of your abrupt departure." Shak.
3. Having sudden transitions from one subject to another; unconnected. The abrupt style, which hath many breaches. B. Jonson.
4. (Bot.)
Definition: Suddenly terminating, as if cut off. Gray.
Syn.
– Sudden; unexpected; hasty; rough; curt; unceremonious; rugged; blunt; disconnected; broken.
Ab*rupt", n. Etym: [L. abruptum.]
Definition: An abrupt place. [Poetic] "Over the vast abrupt." Milton.
Ab*rupt", v. t.
Definition: To tear off or asunder. [Obs.] "Till death abrupts them." Sir T. Browne.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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