Some 16th-century Italian clergymen tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be “satanic.” However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600.
CARTESIAN
Cartesian
(adjective) of or relating to Rene Descartes or his works; “Cartesian linguistics”
Cartesian
(noun) a follower of Cartesian thought
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Car*te"sian, a. Etym: [From Renatus Cartesius, Latinized from of René Descartes: cf. F. cartésien.]
Definition: Of or pertaining to the French philosopher René Descartes, or his philosophy. The Cartesion argument for reality of matter. Sir W. Hamilton. Cartesian coördinates (Geom), distance of a point from lines or planes; -- used in a system of representing geometric quantities, invented by Descartes.
– Cartesian devil, a small hollow glass figure, used in connection with a jar of water having an elastic top, to illustrate the effect of the compression or expansion of air in changing the specific gravity of bodies.
– Cartesion oval (Geom.), a curve such that, for any point of the curve mr + m'r' = c, where r and r' are the distances of the point from the two foci and m, m' and c are constant; -- used by Descartes.
Car*te"sian, n.
Definition: An adherent of Descartes.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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