The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.
PENDULUM
pendulum
(noun) an apparatus consisting of an object mounted so that it swings freely under the influence of gravity
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
pendulum (plural pendulums or pendula) (See usage notes.)
A body suspended from a fixed support so that it swings freely back and forth under the influence of gravity, commonly used to regulate various devices such as clocks.
A lamp, etc. suspended from a ceiling.
A watch's guard-ring by which it is attached to a chain.
Usage notes
The plural form pendula is significantly rarer than pendulums; see etymology at pendula for details. However, pendula is occasionally used in physics.
Anagrams
• unplumed
Source: Wiktionary
Pen"du*lum, n.; pl. Pendulums. Etym: [NL., fr. L. pendulus hanging, swinging. See Pendulous.]
Definition: A body so suspended from a fixed point as to swing freely to and fro by the alternate action of gravity and momentum. It is used to regulate the movements of clockwork and other machinery.
Note: The time of oscillation of a pendulum is independent of the arc of vibration, provided this arc be small. Ballistic pendulum. See under Ballistic.
– Compensation pendulum, a clock pendulum in which the effect of changes of temperature of the length of the rod is so counteracted, usually by the opposite expansion of differene metals, that the distance of the center of oscillation from the center of suspension remains invariable; as, the mercurial compensation pendulum, in which the expansion of the rod is compensated by the opposite expansion of mercury in a jar constituting the bob; the gridiron pendulum, in which compensation is effected by the opposite expansion of sets of rodsof different metals.
– Compound pendulum, an ordinary pendulum; -- so called, as being made up of different parts, and contrasted with simple pendulum.
– Conical or Revolving, pendulum, a weight connected by a rod with a fixed point; and revolving in a horizontal cyrcle about the vertical from that point.
– Pendulum bob, the weight at the lower end of a pendulum.
– Pendulum level, a plumb level. See under Level.
– Pendulum wheel, the balance of a watch.
– Simple or Theoretical, pendulum, an imaginary pendulum having no dimensions except length, and no weight except at the center of oscillation; in other words, a material point suspended by an ideal line.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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Word of the Day
22 February 2025
ANALYSIS
(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., ‘the father of the bride’ instead of ‘the bride’s father’
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