In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
FLEA
flea
(noun) any wingless bloodsucking parasitic insect noted for ability to leap
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Noun
flea (plural fleas)
A small, wingless, parasitic insect of the order Siphonaptera, renowned for its bloodsucking habits and jumping abilities.
(derogatory) A thing of no significance.
Verb
flea (third-person singular simple present fleas, present participle fleaing, simple past and past participle fleaed)
(transitive) To remove fleas from (an animal).
Synonym: deflea
Etymology 2
Alternative forms.
Verb
flea (third-person singular simple present fleas, present participle fleaing, simple past and past participle flead)
Obsolete spelling of flay.
Anagrams
• Lafe, Leaf, alef, feal, leaf
Source: Wiktionary
Flea, v. t. Etym: [See Flay.]
Definition: To flay. [Obs.] He will be fleaced first And horse collars made of's skin. J. Fletcher.
Flea, n. Etym: [OE. fle, flee, AS. fleá, fleáh; akin to D. fl, G. floh, Icel. fl, Russ. blocha; prob. from the root of E. flee. Flee.] (Zoöl.)
Definition: An insect belonging to the genus Pulex, of the order Aphaniptera. Fleas are destitute of wings, but have the power of leaping energetically. The bite is poisonous to most persons. The human flea (Pulex irritans), abundant in Europe, is rare in America, where the dog flea (P. canis) takes its place. See Aphaniptera, and Dog flea. See Illustration in Appendix. A flea in the ear, an unwelcome hint or unexpected reply, annoying like a flea; an irritating repulse; as, to put a flea in one's ear; to go away with a flea in one's ear.
– Beach flea, Black flea, etc. See under Beach, etc.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
24 April 2024
DECIDE
(verb) reach, make, or come to a decision about something; “We finally decided after lengthy deliberations”
Coffee Trivia
