In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
AGITATE
agitate, vex, disturb, commove, shake up, stir up, raise up
(verb) change the arrangement or position of
agitate, rouse, turn on, charge, commove, excite, charge up
(verb) cause to be agitated, excited, or roused; “The speaker charged up the crowd with his inflammatory remarks”
shake, agitate
(verb) move or cause to move back and forth; “The chemist shook the flask vigorously”; “My hands were shaking”
stir, shift, budge, agitate
(verb) move very slightly; “He shifted in his seat”
agitate, foment, stir up
(verb) try to stir up public opinion
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
agitate (third-person singular simple present agitates, present participle agitating, simple past and past participle agitated)
(transitive) To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb. [from 16th c.]
(transitive) To cause to move with a violent, irregular action; to shake. [from 16th c.]
(transitive, obsolete) To set in motion; to actuate. [16th–18th c.]
(transitive, now, rare) To discuss or debate. [from 16th c.]
(transitive, now, rare) To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to consider, to devise. [from 17th c.]
Synonyms
• (discuss actively): discuss, debate, canvass
• move, shake, excite, rouse, disturb, distract, revolve
Antonyms
• (stir up): appease, calm, quieten
Source: Wiktionary
Ag"i*tate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Agitated; p. pr. & vb. n. Agitating.] Etym: [L. agitatus, p. p. of agitare to put in motion, fr. agere to move: cf. F. agiter. See Act, Agent.]
1. To move with a violent, irregular action; as, the wind agitates the sea; to agitate water in a vessel. "Winds . . . agitate the air." Cowper.
2. To move or actuate. [R.] Thomson.
3. To stir up; to disturb or excite; to perturb; as, he was greatly agitated. The mind of man is agitated by various passions. Johnson.
4. To discuss with great earnestness; to debate; as, a controversy hotly agitated. Boyle.
5. To revolve in the mind, or view in all its aspects; to contrive busily; to devise; to plot; as, politicians agitate desperate designs.
Syn.
– To move; shake; excite; rouse; disturb; distract; revolve; discuss; debate; canvass.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
23 January 2025
LEFT
(adjective) being or located on or directed toward the side of the body to the west when facing north; “my left hand”; “left center field”; “the left bank of a river is bank on your left side when you are facing downstream”
Coffee Trivia
