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.
MEERSCHAUM
meerschaum
(noun) a pipe having a bowl made of meerschaum
meerschaum, sepiolite
(noun) a white clayey mineral
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
meerschaum (countable and uncountable, plural meerschaums)
(uncountable) A soft white mineral, chiefly used for smoking-pipes and cigar holders.
Synonym: sepiolite
(countable) A smoking-pipe made from meerschaum.
Source: Wiktionary
Meer"schaum, n. Etym: [G., lit., sea foam; meer sea + schaum foam; but it perh. is a corruption of the Tartaric name myrsen. Cf. Mere a lake, and Scum.]
1. (Min.)
Definition: A fine white claylike mineral, soft, and light enough when in dry masses to float in water. It is a hydrous silicate of magnesia, and is obtained chiefly in Asia Minor. It is manufacturd into tobacco pipes, cigar holders, etc. Also called sepiolite.
2. A tobacco pipe made of this mineral.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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