The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
nugatory
(adjective) of no real value; “a nugatory law”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
nugatory (comparative more nugatory, superlative most nugatory)
Trivial, trifling or of little importance.
Ineffective, invalid or futile.
(legal) Having no force, inoperative, ineffectual.
(computing) Removable from a computer program with safety, but harmless if retained.
Source: Wiktionary
Nu"ga*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. nugatorius, fr. nugari to trifle, nugae jests, trifles.]
1. Trifling; vain; futile; insignificant.
2. Of no force; inoperative; ineffectual. If all are pardoned, and pardoned as a mere act of clemency, the very substance of government is made nugatory. I. Taylor.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
2 May 2025
(noun) excavation consisting of a vertical or sloping passageway for finding or mining ore or for ventilating a mine
The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.