The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
wail, whimper, mewl, pule
(verb) cry weakly or softly; “she wailed with pain”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
mewl (third-person singular simple present mewls, present participle mewling, simple past and past participle mewled)
To cry weakly with a soft, high-pitched sound; to whimper; to whine.
mewl (plural mewls)
A soft cry or whimper; an act of mewling.
Source: Wiktionary
Mewl, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Mewled; p. pr. & vb. n. Mewling.] Etym: [Cf. F. miauler to mew, E. mew to cry as a cat. Cf. Miaul.]
Definition: To cry, as a young child; to squall. [Written also meawl.] Shak.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
25 June 2025
(noun) a state of being confined (usually for a short time); “his detention was politically motivated”; “the prisoner is on hold”; “he is in the custody of police”
The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.