In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.
ELECTROCUTE
electrocute, fry
(verb) kill by electrocution, as in the electric chair; “The serial killer was electrocuted”
electrocute
(verb) kill by electric shock; “She dropped the hair dryer into the bathtub and was instantly electrocuted”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
electrocute (third-person singular simple present electrocutes, present participle electrocuting, simple past and past participle electrocuted)
(transitive) To kill by electric shock.
(transitive) To execute by electric shock, often by means of an electric chair.
(transitive, proscribed, informal) To inflict a severe electric shock (not necessarily fatal) upon.
Usage notes
• Formally, the words electrocute and electrocution always imply fatality. Informally, however, these terms are rather often used to refer to serious but nonfatal electric shocks. Standard usage is to reserve electrocute and electrocution for fatal electric shocks, and to use shock or electric shock for nonfatal ones.
Synonyms
• (Nonfatal electric shock) electrify
Source: Wiktionary
E*lec"tro*cute`, v. t. Etym: [Electro- + cute in execute.]
Definition: To execute or put to death by electricity.
– E*lec`tro*cu"tion, n.
Note: [Recent; Newspaper words]
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
23 November 2024
THEORETICAL
(adjective) concerned primarily with theories or hypotheses rather than practical considerations; “theoretical science”
Coffee Trivia
