Raw coffee beans, soaked in water and spices, are chewed like candy in many parts of Africa.
alums
plural of alum
• alumnae (female only)
• alumni
• lumas, malus, mauls, musal
Source: Wiktionary
Al"um, n. Etym: [OE. alum, alom, OF. alum, F. alun, fr. L. alumen alum.] (Chem.)
Definition: A double sulphate formed of aluminium and some other element (esp. an alkali metal) or of aluminium. It has twenty-four molecules of water of crystallization.
Note: Common alum is the double sulphate of aluminium and potassium. It is white, transparent, very astringent, and crystallizes easily in octahedrons. The term is extended so as to include other double sulphates similar to alum in formula.
Al"um, v. t.
Definition: To steep in, or otherwise impregnate with, a solution of alum; to treat with alum. Ure.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
29 May 2025
(adjective) characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; “a critical reading”; “a critical dissertation”; “a critical analysis of Melville’s writings”
Raw coffee beans, soaked in water and spices, are chewed like candy in many parts of Africa.