In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
CONTAGIOUS
catching, communicable, contagious, contractable, transmissible, transmittable
(adjective) (of disease) capable of being transmitted by infection
contagious
(adjective) easily diffused or spread as from one person to another; “a contagious grin”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
contagious (comparative more contagious, superlative most contagious)
(of a disease) Easily transmitted to others.
Synonyms: catching, infectious
(figurative) Easily passed on to others.
Synonym: infectious
(of a person) Having a disease that can be transmitted to another person.
Antonyms
• non-contagious
Source: Wiktionary
Con*ta"gious, a. Etym: [L. contagiosus: cf. F. contagieux.]
1. (Med.)
Definition: Communicable by contact, by a virus, or by a bodily exhalation; catching; as, a contagious disease.
2. Conveying or generating disease; pestilential; poisonous; as, contagious air.
3. Spreading or communicable from one to another; exciting similar emotions or conduct in others. His genius rendered his courage more contagious. Wirt. The spirit of imitation is contagious. Ames.
Syn.
– Contagious, Infectious. These words have been used in very diverse senses; but, in general, a contagious disease has considered as one which is caught from another by contact, by the breath, by bodily effluvia, etc.; while an infectious disease supposes some entirely different cause acting by a hidden influence, like the miasma of prison ships, of marshes, etc., infecting the system with disease. "This distinction, though not universally admitted by medical men, as to the literal meaning, of the words, certainly applies to them in their figurative use. Thus we speak of the contagious influence of evil associates; their contagion of bad example, the contagion of fear, etc., when we refer to transmission by proximity or contact. On the other hand, we speak of infection by bad principles, etc., when we consider anything as diffused by some hidden influence.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
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16 January 2025
BOOK
(noun) a collection of rules or prescribed standards on the basis of which decisions are made; “they run things by the book around here”
Coffee Trivia
