Coffee has initially been a food – chewed, not sipped. Early African tribes consume coffee by grinding the berries together, adding some animal fat, and rolling the treats into tiny edible energy balls.
MERCERIZE
mercerize, mercerise
(verb) treat to strengthen and improve the luster; “mercerize cotton”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
mercerize (third-person singular simple present mercerizes, present participle mercerizing, simple past and past participle mercerized)
To treat cotton fabric with sodium hydroxide to make it more lustrous and accepting of dyes.
Source: Wiktionary
Mer"cer*ize, v. t. [imp. & p. p. -ized; p. pr. & vb. n. -izing.] [From (John) Mercer (1791-1866), an English calico printer who introduced the process + -ize.]
Definition: To treat (cotton fiber or fabrics) with a solution of caustic alkali. Such treatment causes the fiber to shrink in length and become stronger and more receptive of dyes. If the yarn or cloth is kept under tension during the process, it assumes a silky luster. -- Mer`cer*i*za"tion (#), n.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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Word of the Day
22 June 2025
STRAP
(noun) an elongated leather strip (or a strip of similar material) for binding things together or holding something in position
Coffee Trivia
