The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
FRUITLESS
bootless, fruitless, futile, sleeveless, vain
(adjective) unproductive of success; “a fruitless search”; “futile years after her artistic peak”; “a sleeveless errand”; “a vain attempt”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
fruitless (comparative more fruitless, superlative most fruitless)
Bearing no fruit; barren.
(figuratively) Unproductive, useless.
(figuratively, archaic) Of a person: unable to have children; barren, infertile.
(rare) Of a diet, etc.: without fruit.
Synonyms
• See futile
Antonyms
• fruitful
• (unproductive): effective, efficacious, productive, useful
Anagrams
• resistful
Source: Wiktionary
Fruit"less, a.
1. Lacking, or not bearing, fruit; barren; destitute of offspring; as, a fruitless tree or shrub; a fruitless marriage. Shak.
2. Productive of no advantage or good effect; vain; idle; useless; unprofitable; as, a fruitless attempt; a fruitless controversy. They in mutual accusation spent The fruitless hours. Milton.
Syn.
– Useless; barren; unprofitable; abortive; ineffectual; vain; idle; profitless. See Useless.
– Fruit"less*ly, adv.
– Fruit"lness*ness, n.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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Word of the Day
27 May 2025
DIRECTIONALITY
(noun) the property of being directional or maintaining a direction; “the directionality of written English is from left to right”
Coffee Trivia
