brigands
plural of brigand
• bardings
Source: Wiktionary
Brig"and, n. Etym: [F. brigand, OF. brigant light-armed soldier, fr. LL. brigans light-armed soldier (cf. It. brigante.) fr. brigare to strive, contend, fr. briga quarrel; prob. of German origin, and akin to E. break; cf. Goth. brikan to break, brakja strife. Cf. Brigue.]
1. A light-armed, irregular foot soldier. [Obs.]
2. A lawless fellow who lives by plunder; one of a band of robbers; especially, one of a gang living in mountain retreats; a highwayman; a freebooter. Giving them not a little the air of brigands or banditti. Jeffery.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
31 March 2025
(adjective) done or made using whatever is available; “crossed the river on improvised bridges”; “the survivors used jury-rigged fishing gear”; “the rock served as a makeshift hammer”
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.
