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.
GRADATION
gradation, graduation
(noun) the act of arranging in grades
grade, gradation
(noun) a degree of ablaut
gradation, step
(noun) relative position in a graded series; “always a step behind”; “subtle gradations in color”; “keep in step with the fashions”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
gradation (countable and uncountable, plural gradations)
A sequence of gradual, successive stages; a systematic progression.
A passing by small degrees from one tone or shade, as of color, to another.
Synonym: nuance
The act of gradating or arranging in grades.
Any degree or relative position in an order or series.
(countable) A calibration marking.
(music) A gradual change within one parameter, or an overlapping of two blocks of sound.
(music) A diatonic succession of chords.
(phonetics) Apophony.
Verb
gradation (third-person singular simple present gradations, present participle gradationing, simple past and past participle gradationed)
(transitive) To form with gradations.
Anagrams
• adorating, indagator, tanagroid
Source: Wiktionary
Gra*da"tion, n., Etym: [L. gradatio: cf. F. gradation. See Grade.]
1. The act of progressing by regular steps or orderly arrangement; the state of being graded or arranged in ranks; as, the gradation of castes.
2. The act or process of bringing to a certain grade.
3. Any degree or relative position in an order or series. The several gradations of the intelligent universe. I. Taylor.
4. (Fine Arts)
Definition: A gradual passing from one tint to another or from a darker to a lighter shade, as in painting or drawing.
6. (Mus.)
Definition: A diatonic ascending or descending succession of chords.
Gra*da"tion, v. t.
Definition: To form with gradations. [R.]
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
19 April 2025
CATCH
(verb) grasp with the mind or develop an understanding of; “did you catch that allusion?”; “We caught something of his theory in the lecture”; “don’t catch your meaning”; “did you get it?”; “She didn’t get the joke”; “I just don’t get him”
Coffee Trivia
