In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
COTTER
cotter, cottar
(noun) fastener consisting of a wedge or pin inserted through a slot to hold two other pieces together
cotter, cottier
(noun) a medieval English villein
cotter, cottar
(noun) a peasant farmer in the Scottish Highlands
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Proper noun
Cotter (plural Cotters)
A surname.
Statistics
• According to the 2010 United States Census, Cotter is the 3010th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 11904 individuals. Cotter is most common among White (94.52%) individuals.
Etymology 1
Noun
cotter (plural cotters)
(mechanical engineering) A pin or wedge inserted through a slot to hold machine parts together.
(informal) A cotter pin.
Usage notes
The terms cotter and cotter pin are sometimes used interchangeably, although they have different functions. For a more detailed explanation see Wikipedia articles on cotter pin, cotter (pin), and split pin.
Verb
cotter (third-person singular simple present cotters, present participle cottering, simple past and past participle cottered)
(transitive) To fasten with a cotter.
Etymology 2
Noun
cotter (plural cotters)
(historical) A peasant who performed labour in exchange for the right to live in a cottage.
Synonyms
• coscet
• cottager
Source: Wiktionary
Cot"ter, Cot"tar (kt"tr), n. Etym: [LL. cotarius, cottarius, coterius. See Cot.]
Definition: A cottager; a cottier. Burns. Through Sandwich Notch the West Wind sang Good morrow to the cotter. Whittier.
Cot"ter (kt"tr), n.
1. A piece of wood or metal, commonly wedge-shaped, used for fastening together parts of a machine or structure. It is driven into an opening through one or all of the parts.
Note: [See Illust.] In the United States a cotter is commonly called a key.
2. A toggle.
Cot"ter, v. t.
Definition: To fasten with a cotter.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
8 May 2025
INSULATION
(noun) the act of protecting something by surrounding it with material that reduces or prevents the transmission of sound or heat or electricity
Coffee Trivia
