In 1884, Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, demonstrated the first working example of an espresso machine.
BRIER
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
brier, brierpatch, brier patch
(noun) tangled mass of prickly plants
brier
(noun) a thorny stem or twig
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Noun
brier (plural briers)
Alternative spelling of briar
Proper noun
Brier (plural Briers)
A surname.
Statistics
• According to the 2010 United States Census, Brier is the 16012nd most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1813 individuals. Brier is most common among White (89.58%) individuals.
Source: Wiktionary
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
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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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