In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
OVERAWE
overawe, cow
(verb) subdue, restrain, or overcome by affecting with a feeling of awe; frighten (as with threats)
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
overawe (third-person singular simple present overawes, present participle overawing, simple past and past participle overawed)
(transitive) To restrain, subdue, or control by awe; to cow. [from 16th c.]
Antonyms
• underwhelm
Source: Wiktionary
O`ver*awe", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Overawed; p. pr. & vb. n. Overawing.]
Definition: To awe exceedingly; to subjugate or restrain by awe or great fear. The king was present in person to overlook the magistrates, and overawe these subjects with the terror of his sword. Spenser.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
25 December 2024
UNAMBIGUOUS
(adjective) having or exhibiting a single clearly defined meaning; “As a horror, apartheid...is absolutely unambiguous”- Mario Vargas Llosa
Coffee Trivia
