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
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
Etymology
Noun
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
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GUILLOTINE
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