AUTODAFE

Au"to-da-fé", n.; pl. Autos-da-fé (. Etym: [Pg., act of the faith; auto act, fr. L. actus + da of the + fé faith, fr. L. fides.]

1. A judgment of the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal condemning or acquitting persons accused of religious offenses.

2. An execution of such sentence, by the civil power, esp. the burning of a heretic. It was usually held on Sunday, and was made a great public solemnity by impressive forms and ceremonies.

3. A session of the court of Inquisition.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

24 May 2025

EARTHSHAKING

(adjective) sufficiently significant to affect the whole world; “earthshaking proposals”; “the contest was no world-shaking affair”; “the conversation...could hardly be called world-shattering”


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Coffee Trivia

“Coffee, the favorite drink of the civilized world.” – Thomas Jefferson, third president of the United States

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