In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
HYPHEN
hyphen, dash
(noun) a punctuation mark (-) used between parts of a compound word or between the syllables of a word when the word is divided at the end of a line of text
hyphenate, hyphen
(verb) divide or connect with a hyphen; âhyphenate these words and namesâ
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
hyphen (plural hyphens)
The symbol "â", typically used to join two or more words to form a compound term, or to indicate that a word has been split at the end of a line.
(figuratively) Something that links two more consequential things.
An enclosed walkway or passage that connects two buildings.
Someone who belongs to a marginalized subgroup, and can therefore described by a hyphenated term, such as "German-American", "female-academic", etc.
Usage notes
Because the original symbol "-" (technically the hyphen-minus) covered usages aside from hyphenation there have been additional subsequent symbols created for hyphenation needs. They include the "â" (hyphen), â (non-breaking hyphen) and the non-visible soft hyphen.
Verb
hyphen (third-person singular simple present hyphens, present participle hyphening, simple past and past participle hyphened)
(transitive, dated) To separate or punctuate with a hyphen; to hyphenate.
Conjunction
hyphen
Used to emphasize the coordinating function usually indicated by the punctuation "-".
Synonyms
• (used as coordinator): slash, cum
Source: Wiktionary
Hy"phen, n. Etym: [L., fr. Gr. Hypo-.] (Print.)
Definition: A mark or short dash, thus [-], placed at the end of a line which terminates with a syllable of a word, the remainder of which is carried to the next line; or between the parts of many a compound word; as in fine-leaved, clear-headed. It is also sometimes used to separate the syllables of words.
Hy"phen, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Hyphened; p. pr. & vb. n. Hyphening.]
Definition: To connect with, or separate by, a hyphen, as two words or the parts of a word.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
23 April 2025
UNMARRIED
(adjective) not married or related to the unmarried state; âunmarried men and womenâ; âunmarried lifeâ; âsex and the single girlâ; âsingle parenthoodâ; âare you married or single?â
Coffee Trivia
