pavis, pavise
(noun) (Middle Ages) a large heavy oblong shield protecting the whole body; originally carried but sometimes set up in permanent position
Source: WordNet® 3.1
pavise (plural pavises)
Alternative form of pavis
Source: Wiktionary
Pa*vise, n. Etym: [OF. pavaix, F. pavois; cf. It. pavese, LL. pavense; perh. named from Pavia in Italy.] (Mil. Antiq.)
Definition: A large shield covering the whole body, carried by a pavisor, who sometimes screened also an archer with it. [Written also pavais, pavese, and pavesse.] Fairholt.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
28 May 2025
(noun) a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing; “an air of mystery”; “the house had a neglected air”; “an atmosphere of defeat pervaded the candidate’s headquarters”; “the place had an aura of romance”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.