The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
ASCERTAIN
see, insure, see to it, ensure, control, ascertain, assure
(verb) be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something; “He verified that the valves were closed”; “See that the curtains are closed”; “control the quality of the product”
ascertain
(verb) learn or discover with certainty
determine, find, find out, ascertain
(verb) establish after a calculation, investigation, experiment, survey, or study; “find the product of two numbers”; “The physicist who found the elusive particle won the Nobel Prize”
determine, find out, see, ascertain, watch, learn
(verb) find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort; “I want to see whether she speaks French”; “See whether it works”; “find out if he speaks Russian”; “Check whether the train leaves on time”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
ascertain (third-person singular simple present ascertains, present participle ascertaining, simple past and past participle ascertained)
To find out definitely; to discover or establish.
Synonyms: determine, discover, establish, find out, learn, work out
(obsolete) To make (someone) certain or confident about something; to inform.
(archaic) To establish, to prove.
(archaic) To ensure or effect.
Anagrams
• Cartesian, arsacetin, cartesian, craniates, intracase, sectarian
Source: Wiktionary
As`cer*tain", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ascertained; p. pr. & vb. n. Ascertaining.] Etym: [OF. acertener; a (L. ad) + certain. See Certain.]
1. To render (a person) certain; to cause to feel certain; to make confident; to assure; to apprise. [Obs.] When the blessed Virgin was so ascertained. Jer. Taylor. Muncer assured them that the design was approved of by Heaven, and that the Almighty had in a dream ascertained him of its effects. Robertson.
2. To make (a thing) certain to the mind; to free from obscurity, doubt, or change; to make sure of; to fix; to determine. [Archaic] The divine law . . . ascertaineth the truth. Hooker. The very deferring [of his execution] shall increase and ascertain the condemnation. Jer. Taylor. The ministry, in order to ascertain a majority . . . persuaded the queen to create twelve new peers. Smollett. The mildness and precision of their laws ascertained the rule and measure of taxation. Gibbon.
3. To find out or learn for a certainty, by trial, examination, or experiment; to get to know; as, to ascertain the weight of a commodity, or the purity of a metal. He was there only for the purpose of ascertaining whether a descent on England was practicable. Macaulay.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
28 May 2025
AIR
(noun) a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing; “an air of mystery”; “the house had a neglected air”; “an atmosphere of defeat pervaded the candidate’s headquarters”; “the place had an aura of romance”
Coffee Trivia
