In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
PARTISAN
partisan, partizan
(adjective) devoted to a cause or party
partisan, partizan
(noun) a pike with a long tapering double-edged blade with lateral projections; 16th and 17th centuries
enthusiast, partisan, partizan
(noun) an ardent and enthusiastic supporter of some person or activity
partisan, zealot, drumbeater
(noun) a fervent and even militant proponent of something
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Noun
partisan (plural partisans)
An adherent to a party or faction.
A fervent, sometimes militant, supporter or proponent of a party, cause, faction, person, or idea.
A member of a band of detached light, irregular troops acting behind occupying enemy lines in the ways of harassment or sabotage; a guerrilla fighter.
(now rare) The commander of a body of detached light troops engaged in making forays and harassing an enemy.
Adjective
partisan (comparative more partisan, superlative most partisan)
Serving as commander or member of a body of detached light troops.
Adherent to a party or faction; especially, having the character of blind, passionate, or unreasonable adherence to a party.
Devoted to or biased in support of a party, group, or cause.
Etymology 2
Noun
partisan (plural partisans)
(historical) A long-handled spear with a triangular, double-edged blade having lateral projections, in some forms also used in boar hunting.
(obsolete) A soldier armed with such a weapon.
Anagrams
• Partains, aspirant, spartina
Source: Wiktionary
Par"ti*san, n. Etym: [F., fr. It. partigiano. See Party, and cf. Partisan a truncheon.] [Written also partizan.]
1. An adherent to a party or faction; esp., one who is strongly and passionately devoted to a party or an interest. "The violence of a partisan." Macaulay. Both sides had their partisans in the colony. Jefferson.
2. (Mil.) (a) The commander of a body of detached light troops engaged in making forays and harassing an enemy. (b) Any member of such a corps.
Par"ti*san, a. Etym: [Written also partizan.]
1. Adherent to a party or faction; especially, having the character of blind, passionate, or unreasonable adherence to a party; as, blinded by partisan zeal.
2. (Mil.)
Definition: Serving as a partisan in a detached command; as, a partisan officer or corps. Partisan ranger (Mil.), a member of a partisan corps.
Par"ti*san, n. Etym: [F. pertuisane, prob. fr. It. partigiana, influenced in French by OF. pertuisier to pierce. It was prob. so named as the weapon of some partisans, or party men. Cf. Partisan one of a corps of light troops.]
Definition: A kind of halberd or pike; also, a truncheon; a staff. And make him with our pikes and partisans a grave. Shak.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
1 February 2025
GRIP
(noun) an intellectual hold or understanding; “a good grip on French history”; “they kept a firm grip on the two top priorities”; “he was in the grip of a powerful emotion”; “a terrible power had her in its grasp”
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