The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
OVERSHADOW
overshadow
(verb) cast a shadow upon; “The tall tree overshadowed the house”
shadow, overshadow, dwarf
(verb) make appear small by comparison; “This year’s debt dwarfs that of last year”
overshadow, dominate, eclipse
(verb) be greater in significance than; “the tragedy overshadowed the couple’s happiness”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
overshadow (third-person singular simple present overshadows, present participle overshadowing, simple past and past participle overshadowed)
(transitive) To obscure something by casting a shadow.
(transitive) To dominate something and make it seem insignificant.
(transitive) To shelter or protect.
Synonyms
• (dominate): eclipse, outshadow, outshine, outdo, put to shame, upstage, surpass, outmatch, outstrip, dwarf
Source: Wiktionary
O`ver*shad"ow, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Overshadowed(); p. pr. & vb. n. Overshadowing. ] Etym: [Cf. Overshade. ]
1. To throw a shadow, or shade, over; to darken; to obscure. There was a cloud that overshadowed them. Mark ix. 7.
2. Fig.: To cover with a superior influence. Milton.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
13 February 2025
BREAK
(verb) cause the failure or ruin of; “His peccadilloes finally broke his marriage”; “This play will either make or break the playwright”
Coffee Trivia
