In 1884, Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, demonstrated the first working example of an espresso machine.
AFFLICT
afflict, smite
(verb) cause physical pain or suffering in; “afflict with the plague”
afflict
(verb) cause great unhappiness for; distress; “she was afflicted by the death of her parents”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
afflict (third-person singular simple present afflicts, present participle afflicting, simple past and past participle afflicted)
(transitive) To cause (someone) pain, suffering or distress.
(obsolete) To strike or cast down; to overthrow.
(obsolete) To make low or humble.
Source: Wiktionary
Af*flict", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Afflicted; p. pr. & vb. n. Afflicting.] Etym: [L. afflictus, p. p. of affigere to cast down, deject; ad + fligere to strike: cf. OF. aflit, afflict, p. p. Cf. Flagellate.]
1. To strike or cast down; to overthrow. [Obs.] "Reassembling our afflicted powers." Milton.
2. To inflict some great injury or hurt upon, causing continued pain or mental distress; to trouble grievously; to torment. They did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. Exod. i. 11. That which was the worst now least afflicts me. Milton.
3. To make low or humble. [Obs.] Spenser. Men are apt to prefer a prosperous error before an afflicted truth. Jer. Taylor.
Syn.
– To trouble; grieve; pain; distress; harass; torment; wound; hurt.
Af*flict", p. p. & a. Etym: [L. afflictus, p. p.]
Definition: Afflicted. [Obs.] Becon.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
6 May 2025
HEEDLESS
(adjective) marked by or paying little heed or attention; “We have always known that heedless self-interest was bad morals; we know now that it is bad economics”--Franklin D. Roosevelt; “heedless of danger”; “heedless of the child’s crying”
Coffee Trivia
