borax
(noun) an ore of boron consisting of hydrated sodium borate; used as a flux or cleansing agent
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Bo"rax, n. Etym: [OE. boras, fr. F. borax, earlier spelt borras; cf. LL. borax, Sp. borraj; all fr. Ar. b, fr. Pers. b.]
Definition: A white or gray crystalline salt, with a slight alkaline taste, used as a flux, in soldering metals, making enamels, fixing colors on porcelain, and as a soap. It occurs native in certain mineral springs, and is made from the boric acid of hot springs in Tuscany. It was originally obtained from a lake in Thibet, and was sent to Europe under the name of tincal. Borax is a pyroborate or tetraborate of sodium, Na2B4O7.10H2O. Borax bead. (Chem.) See Bead, n., 3.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
29 April 2024
(noun) a geological process in which one edge of a crustal plate is forced sideways and downward into the mantle below another plate
Coffee dates back to the 9th century. Goat herders in Ethiopia noticed their goats seem to be “dancing” after eating berries from a particular shrub. They reported it to the local monastery, and a monk made a drink out of it. The monk found out he felt energized and kept him awake at night. That’s how the first coffee drink was born.
