In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
OPAL
opal
(noun) a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color; some varieties are used as gemstones
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
opal (plural opals)
(mineral) A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity, of the chemical formula SiO2·nH2O.
(biology, genetics, biochemistry) A colloquial name used in molecular biology referring to a particular stop codon sequence, "UGA."
Any of various lycaenid butterflies of the genus Nesolycaena.
Anagrams
• OLAP, POLA, Palo, alop, aplo-, pola
Proper noun
Opal
A female given name from English from the precious stone, invented in the nineteenth century.
(Australia) A type of petrol made by British Petroleum designed to be unable to be used for petrol sniffing.[Developed 2005.]
A hamlet in Alberta, Canada
A census-designated place in Virginia
A town in Wyoming
Anagrams
• OLAP, POLA, Palo, alop, aplo-, pola
Source: Wiktionary
O"pal, n. Etym: [L. opalus: cf. Gr. upala a rock, stone, precious stone: cf. F. opale.] (Min.)
Definition: A mineral consisting, like quartz, of silica, but inferior to quartz in hardness and specific gravity.
Note: The precious opal presents a peculiar play of colors of delicate tints, and is highly esteemed as a gem. One kind, with a varied play of color in a reddish ground, is called the harlequin opal. The fire opal has colors like the red and yellow of flame. Common opal has a milky appearance. Menilite is a brown impure variety, occurring in concretions at Menilmontant, near Paris. Other varieties are cacholong, girasol, hyalite, and geyserite.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
22 February 2025
ANALYSIS
(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., ‘the father of the bride’ instead of ‘the bride’s father’
Coffee Trivia
