The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
CAPSTANS
Noun
capstans
plural of capstan
Source: Wiktionary
CAPSTAN
Cap"stan, n. Etym: [F. cabestan, fr. Sp. cabestrante, cabrestante, fr. cabestrar to bind with a halter, fr. cabestrohalter, fr. L. capistrum halter, fr. capere to hold (see Capacious); or perh. the Spanish is fr. L. caper goat + stans, p. pr. of stare to stand; cf. F. chèvre she-goat, also a machine for raising heavy weights.]
Definition: A vertical cleated drum or cylinder, revolving on an upright spindle, and surmounted by a drumhead with sockets for bars or levers. It is much used, especially on shipboard, for moving or raising heavy weights or exerting great power by traction upon a rope or cable, passing around the drum. It is operated either by steam power or by a number of men walking around the capstan, each pushing on the end of a lever fixed in its socket. [Sometimes spelt Capstern, but improperly.] Capstan bar, one of the long bars or levers by which the capstan is worked; a handspike..
– To pawl the capstan, to drop the pawls so that they will catch in the notches of the pawl ring, and prevent the capstan from turning back.
– To rig the capstan, to prepare the for use, by putting the bars in the sockets.
– To surge the capstan, to slack the tension of the rope or cable wound around it.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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26 February 2025
ACRIMONIOUS
(adjective) marked by strong resentment or cynicism; “an acrimonious dispute”; “bitter about the divorce”
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