Co*lum"bi*ad, n. Etym: [From Columbia the United States.] (Mil.)
Definition: A form of seacoast cannon; a long, chambered gun designed for throwing shot or shells with heavy charges of powder, at high angles of elevation.
Note: Since the War of 1812 the Columbiad has been much modified form now used in seacoast defense is often called the Rodman gun.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
25 November 2024
(noun) infestation with slender threadlike roundworms (filaria) deposited under the skin by the bite of black fleas; when the eyes are involved it can result in blindness; common in Africa and tropical America
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.
