Beet, n. Etym: [AS. bete, from L. beta.]
1. (Bot.)
Definition: A biennial plant of the genus Beta, which produces an edible root the first year and seed the second year.
2. The root of plants of the genus Beta, different species and varieties of which are used for the table, for feeding stock, or in making sugar.
Note: There are many varieties of the common beet (Beta vulgaris). The Old "white beet", cultivated for its edible leafstalks, is a distinct species (Beta Cicla).
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
29 March 2025
(adjective) without care or thought for others; “the thoughtless saying of a great princess on being informed that the people had no bread; ‘Let them eat cake’”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
