bottomry (plural bottomries)
(nautical) An early form of maritime contract in which owner of a ship could borrow money using the ship as collateral.
Source: Wiktionary
Bot"tom*ry, n. Etym: [From 1st Bottom in sense 8: cf.D. bodemerij. Cf. Bummery.] (Mar.Law)
Definition: A contract in the nature of a mortgage, by which the owner of a ship, or the master as his agent, hypothecates and binds the ship (and sometimes the accruing freight) as security for the repayment of money advanced or lent for the use of the ship, if she terminates her voyage successfully. If the ship is lost by perils of the sea, the lender loses the money; but if the ship arrives safe, he is to receive the money lent, with the interest or premium stipulated, although it may, and usually does, exceed the legal rate of interest. See Hypothecation.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
7 June 2025
(noun) a unit of astronomical length based on the distance from Earth at which stellar parallax is 1 second of arc; equivalent to 3.262 light years
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.
