In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
BRIAR
briar, briar pipe
(noun) a pipe made from the root (briarroot) of the tree heath
bullbrier, greenbrier, catbrier, horse brier, horse-brier, brier, briar, Smilax rotundifolia
(noun) a very prickly woody vine of the eastern United States growing in tangled masses having tough round stems with shiny leathery leaves and small greenish flowers followed by clusters of inedible shiny black berries
sweetbrier, sweetbriar, brier, briar, eglantine, Rosa eglanteria
(noun) Eurasian rose with prickly stems and fragrant leaves and bright pink flowers followed by scarlet hips
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Proper noun
Briar
A topographic surname.
A male or female given name from English.
Anagrams
• birra
Etymology 1
Noun
briar (plural briars)
Any of many plants with thorny stems growing in dense clusters, such as many in the Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax genera.
(figurative) Anything sharp or unpleasant to the feelings.
Etymology 2
Noun
briar (plural briars)
The white heath, Erica arborea, a thorny Mediterranean shrub.
A pipe for smoking, made from the roots of that shrub.
Anagrams
• birra
Source: Wiktionary
Bri"ar, n.
Definition: Same as Brier.
Bri"er, Bri"ar, n. Etym: [OE. brere, brer, AS. brer, brær; cf. Ir. briar prickle, thorn, brier, pin, Gael. preas bush, brier, W. prys, prysg.]
1. A plant with a slender woody stem bearing stout prickles; especially, species of Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax.
2. Fig.: Anything sharp or unpleasant to the feelings. The thorns and briers of reproof. Cowper. Brier root, the root of the southern Smilax laurifolia and S. Walleri; -- used for tobacco pipes.
– Cat brier, Green brier, several species of Smilax (S. rotundifolia, etc.) -- Sweet brier (Rosa rubiginosa). See Sweetbrier.
– Yellow brier, the Rosa Eglantina.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
27 May 2025
DIRECTIONALITY
(noun) the property of being directional or maintaining a direction; “the directionality of written English is from left to right”
Coffee Trivia
