In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
CATAPHRACT
Etymology 1
Noun
cataphract (plural cataphracts)
(military, historical) Defensive armour covering the entire body of a soldier and often the soldier's horse as well, especially the linked mail or scale armour of some eastern nations.
(ichthyology, by extension, obsolete) An outer covering of some fish resembling armour or plate.
Etymology 2
Adjective
cataphract
(nautical, historical) Of a galley such as a trireme: with the upper tier of rowers shielded rather than exposed.
Antonym: aphract
Noun
cataphract (plural cataphracts)
(military, historical) A soldier (especially a horseman) covered with a cataphract (etymology 1, sense 1).
Source: Wiktionary
Cat"a*phract, n. Etym: [L. cataphractes, Gr.
1. (Mil. Antiq.)
Definition: Defensive armor used for the whole body and often for the horse, also, esp. the linked mail or scale armor of some eastern nations.
2. A horseman covered with a cataphract. Archers and slingers, cataphracts, and spears. Milton.
3. (Zoöl.)
Definition: The armor or plate covering some fishes.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
21 April 2025
ENCYCLOPEDIA
(noun) a reference work (often in several volumes) containing articles on various topics (often arranged in alphabetical order) dealing with the entire range of human knowledge or with some particular specialty
Coffee Trivia
