Some 16th-century Italian clergymen tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be “satanic.” However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600.
GORGONIAN
gorgonian, gorgonian coral
(noun) corals having a horny or calcareous branching skeleton
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
gorgonian (comparative more gorgonian, superlative most gorgonian)
Of or relating to the mythical gorgon; terrible or repulsive.
Of or relating to any coral of the order Alcyonacea.
Noun
gorgonian (plural gorgonians)
A member of the order Alcyonacea, comprising the soft corals.
Source: Wiktionary
Gor*go"ni*an, a. Etym: [L. Gorgoneus.]
1. Pertaining to, or resembling, a Gorgon; terrifying into stone; terrific. The rest his look Bound with Gorgonian rigor not to move. Milton.
2. (Zoöl.)
Definition: Pertaining to the Gorgoniacea; as, gorgonian coral.
Gor*go"ni*an, n. (Zoöl.)
Definition: One of the Gorgoniacea.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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Word of the Day
17 April 2025
SPONGE
(noun) a porous mass of interlacing fibers that forms the internal skeleton of various marine animals and usable to absorb water or any porous rubber or cellulose product similarly used
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