The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
ABSTRUSE
abstruse, deep, recondite
(adjective) difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge; “the professor’s lectures were so abstruse that students tended to avoid them”; “a deep metaphysical theory”; “some recondite problem in historiography”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
abstruse (comparative abstruser or more abstruse, superlative abstrusest or most abstruse)
Difficult to comprehend or understand. [from late 16th c.]
Synonyms: esoteric, obscure, recondite
(obsolete) Concealed or hidden out of the way; secret. [from late 16th c. until mid 18th c.]
Usage notes
More abstruse and most abstruse are the preferred forms over abstruser and abstrusest.
Synonyms
• (concealed): clandestine, secret, surreptitious; See also covert
• (difficult to comprehend): esoteric, obscure, recondite; See also incomprehensible
Anagrams
• Staubers, Straubes, surbates, surbeats
Source: Wiktionary
Ab*struse", a. Etym: [L. abstrusus, p. p. of abstrudere to thrust away, conceal; ab, abs + trudere to thrust; cf. F. abstrus. See Threat.]
1. Concealed or hidden out of the way. [Obs.] The eternal eye whose sight discerns Abstrusest thoughts. Milton.
2. Remote from apprehension; difficult to be comprehended or understood; recondite; as, abstruse learning. Profound and abstruse topics. Milman.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
3 February 2025
CRAZY
(adjective) possessed by inordinate excitement; “the crowd went crazy”; “was crazy to try his new bicycle”
Coffee Trivia
