There are four varieties of commercially viable coffee: Arabica, Liberica, Excelsa, and Robusta. Growers predominantly plant the Arabica species. Although less popular, Robusta tastes slightly more bitter and contains more caffeine.
FID
Etymology
Noun
fid (plural fids)
(nautical) A pointed tool without any sharp edges, used in weaving or knotwork to tighten and form up weaves or complex knots; used in sailing ships to open the strands of a rope before splicing. Compare marlinespike.
(nautical) A square bar of wood or iron, with a shoulder at one end, to support the weight of the topmast (on a ship).
A plug of oakum for the vent of a gun.
A small thick piece of anything.
A wooden or metal bar or pin, used to support or steady anything.
(nautical, slang) The penis.
Verb
fid (third-person singular simple present fids, present participle fiding, simple past and past participle fided)
To support a topmast using a fid.
Anagrams
• DFI, DIF, FDI, IDF, dif
Source: Wiktionary
Fid, n. Etym: [Prov. E. fid a small, thick lump.]
1. (Naut.)
Definition: A square bar of wood or iron, used to support the topmast, being passed through a hole or mortise at its heel, and resting on the trestle trees.
2. A wooden or metal bar or pin, used to support or steady anything.
3. A pin of hard wood, tapering to a point, used to open the strands of a rope in splicing.
Note: There are hand fids and standing fids (which are larger than the others, and stand upon a flat base). An iron implement for this purpose is called a marline spike.
4. (Mil.)
Definition: A block of wood used in mounting and dismounting heavy guns.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
29 May 2025
CRITICAL
(adjective) characterized by careful evaluation and judgment; “a critical reading”; “a critical dissertation”; “a critical analysis of Melville’s writings”
Coffee Trivia
