In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
opeidoscope (plural opeidoscopes)
An instrument, consisting of a tube with one end open and the other end covered with a thin flexible membrane with a mirror attached to its centre, used for exhibiting upon a screen, by means of rays reflected from the mirror, the vibratory motions caused by sounds that enter the tube.
Source: Wiktionary
O*pei"do*scope, n. Etym: [Gr. -scope.] (Physics)
Definition: An instrument, consisting of a tube having one end open and the other end covered with a thin flexible membrance to the center of which is attached a small mirror. It is used for exhibiting upon a screen, by means of rays reflected from the mirror, the vibratory motions caused by sounds produced at the open end of the tube, as by speaking or singing into it. A. E. Dolbear.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
6 June 2025
(noun) wit having a sharp and caustic quality; “he commented with typical pungency”; “the bite of satire”
In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.