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.
ALKAHEST
alkahest, alcahest, universal solvent
(noun) hypothetical universal solvent once sought by alchemists
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
alkahest (plural alkahests)
(now historical) A universal solvent sought by the alchemists. [from 17th c.]
Source: Wiktionary
Al"ka*hest, n. Etym: [LL. alchahest, F. alcahest, a word that has an Arabic appearance, but was probably arbitrarily formed by Paracelsus.]
Definition: The fabled "universal solvent" of the alchemists; a menstruum capable of dissolving all bodies.
– Al`ka*hes"tic, a.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
27 November 2024
NAUSEATING
(adjective) causing or able to cause nausea; “a nauseating smell”; “nauseous offal”; “a sickening stench”
Coffee Trivia
