In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
decretal (comparative more decretal, superlative most decretal)
Pertaining to a decree.
decretal (plural decretals)
A papal decree, particularly one derived from an ecclesiastical letter.
(now rare) Any decree or pronounced instruction.
• clareted, treacled
Source: Wiktionary
De*cre"tal, a. Etym: [L. decretalis, fr. decretum. See Decree.]
Definition: Appertaining to a decree; containing a decree; as, a decretal epistle. Ayliffe.
De*cre"tal, n. Etym: [LL. decretale, neut. of L. decretalis. See Decretal, a.]
1. (R. C. Ch.)
Definition: An authoritative order or decree; especially, a letter of the pope, determining some point or question in ecclesiastical law. The decretals form the second part of the canon law.
2. (Canon Law)
Definition: The collection of ecclesiastical decrees and decisions made, by order of Gregory IX., in 1234, by St. Raymond of Pennafort.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
21 June 2025
(noun) the condition of being deprived of oxygen (as by having breathing stopped); “asphyxiation is sometimes used as a form of torture”
In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.