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.
HORNBOOK
hornbook
(noun) a primer that provides instruction in the rudiments or basic skills of a branch of knowledge
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
hornbook (plural hornbooks)
A single page containing the alphabet, covered with a sheet of transparent horn, formerly used for teaching children to read.
(legal) A legal textbook that gives a basic overview of a particular area of law.
Source: Wiktionary
Horn"book`, n.
1. The first book for children, or that from which in former times they learned their letters and rudiments; -- so called because a sheet of horn covered the small, thin board of oak, or the slip of paper, on which the alphabet, digits, and often the Lord's Prayer, were written or printed; a primer. "He teaches boys the hornbook." Shak.
2. A book containing the rudiments of any science or branch of knowledge; a manual; a handbook.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
25 November 2024
ONCHOCERCIASIS
(noun) infestation with slender threadlike roundworms (filaria) deposited under the skin by the bite of black fleas; when the eyes are involved it can result in blindness; common in Africa and tropical America
Coffee Trivia
