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.
CONTENTION
competition, contention, rivalry
(noun) the act of competing as for profit or a prize; “the teams were in fierce contention for first place”
contention
(noun) a point asserted as part of an argument
controversy, contention, contestation, disputation, disceptation, tilt, argument, arguing
(noun) a contentious speech act; a dispute where there is strong disagreement; “they were involved in a violent argument”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
contention (countable and uncountable, plural contentions)
Argument, contest, debate, strife, struggle.
A point maintained in an argument, or a line of argument taken in its support; the subject matter of discussion of strife; a position taken or contended for.
(computing, telecommunications) Competition by parts of a system or its users for a limited resource.
Synonyms
• gainstrife, gainstriving, wrangling
Hyponyms
• (computing) resource contention
Source: Wiktionary
Con*ten"tion, n. Etym: [F. contention, L. contentio. See Contend.]
1. A violent effort or struggle to obtain, or to resist, something; contest; strife. I would my arcontenion. Shak.
2. Strife in words; controversy; altercation quarrel; dispute; as, a bone of contention. Contentions and strivings about the law. Titus iii. 9.
3. Vehemence of endeavor; eagerness; ardor; zeal. An end . . . worthy our utmost contenion to obtain. Rogers.
4. A point maintained in an argument, or a line of argument taken in its support; the subject matter of discussion of strife; a position taken or contended for. All men seem agreed what is to be done; the contention is how the subject is to be divided and defined. Bagehot. This was my original contention, and I still maintain that you should abide by your former decision. Jowett.
Syn.
– Struggle; strife; contest; quarrel; combat; conflict; feud; litigation; controversy; dissension; variance; disagreement; debate; competition; emulation.
– Contention, Strife. A struggle between two parties is the idea common to these two words. Strife is a struggle for mastery; contention is a struggle for the possession of some desired object, or the accomplishment of some favorite end. Neither of the words is necessairly used in a bad sense, since there may be a generous strife or contention between two friends as to which shall incur danger or submit to sacrifices. Ordinarily, however, these words denote a struggle arising from bad passions. In that case, strife usually springs from a quarrelsome temper, and contention from, a selfish spirit which seeks its own aggrandizement, or is fearful lest others should obtain too such. Strife has more reference to the manner than to the object of a struggle, while contention takes more account of the end to be gained.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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Coffee Trivia
