In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.
abutment
(noun) a masonry support that touches and directly receives thrust or pressure of an arch or bridge
abutment
(noun) point of contact between two objects or parts
Source: WordNet® 3.1
abutment (countable and uncountable, plural abutments)
The point of junction between two things, in particular a support, that abuts. [First attested in the mid 17th century.]
(engineering, architecture) The solid portion of a structure that supports the lateral pressure of an arch or vault. [First attested in the mid 18th century.]
(engineering) A construction that supports the ends of a bridge; a structure that anchors the cables on a suspension bridge. [First attested in the mid 18th century.]
(meteorology) The part of a valley or canyon wall against which a dam is constructed.
Something that abuts, or on which something abuts. [First attested in the mid 18th century.]
The state of abutting.
(architecture) That element that shares a common boundary or surface with its neighbor.
(dentistry) The tooth that supports a denture or bridge.
A fixed point or surface where resistance is obtained.
Source: Wiktionary
A*but"ment, n.
1. State of abutting.
2. That on or against which a body abuts or presses; as (a) (Arch.) The solid part of a pier or wall, etc., which receives the thrust or lateral pressure of an arch, vault, or strut. Gwilt. (b) (mech.) A fixed point or surface from which resistance or reaction is obtained, as the cylinder head of a steam engine, the fulcrum of a lever, etc. (c) In breech-loading firearms, the block behind the barrel which receives the pressure due to recoil.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
4 April 2025
(verb) kill by cutting the head off with a guillotine; “The French guillotined many Vietnamese while they occupied the country”
In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.