In 1884, Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, demonstrated the first working example of an espresso machine.
ASPERITY
asperity, sharpness
(noun) harshness of manner
asperity, grimness, hardship, rigor, rigour, severity, severeness, rigorousness, rigourousness
(noun) something hard to endure; “the asperity of northern winters”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
asperity (countable and uncountable, plural asperities)
Roughness as of stone or weather.
Harshness, as of temper.
Something that is harsh and difficult to endure.
(geology) A part of a geological fault line that does not move.
Source: Wiktionary
As*per"i*ty, n.; pl. Asperities. Etym: [L. asperitas, fr. asper rough: cf. F. aspérité.]
1. Roughness of surface; unevenness; -- opposed to smoothness. "The asperities of dry bodies." Boyle.
2. Roughness or harshness of sound; that quality which grates upon the ear; raucity.
3. Roughness to the taste; sourness; tartness.
4. Moral roughness; roughness of manner; severity; crabbedness; harshness; -- opposed to mildness. "Asperity of character." Landor. It is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received. Johnson.
5. Sharpness; disagreeableness; difficulty. The acclivities and asperities of duty. Barrow.
Syn.
– Acrimony; moroseness; crabbedness; harshness; sourness; tartness. See Acrimony.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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Word of the Day
1 June 2025
BACKFIRE
(verb) come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect; “Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble”; “the political movie backlashed on the Democrats”
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