In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
PIERCING
cutting, keen, knifelike, piercing, stabbing, lancinate, lancinating
(adjective) painful as if caused by a sharp instrument; “a cutting wind”; “keen winds”; “knifelike cold”; “piercing knifelike pains”; “piercing cold”; “piercing criticism”; “a stabbing pain”; “lancinating pain”
acute, discriminating, incisive, keen, knifelike, penetrating, penetrative, piercing, sharp
(adjective) having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions; “an acute observer of politics and politicians”; “incisive comments”; “icy knifelike reasoning”; “as sharp and incisive as the stroke of a fang”; “penetrating insight”; “frequent penetrative observations”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
piercing
present participle of pierce
Noun
piercing (countable and uncountable, plural piercings)
(uncountable) The action of the verb to pierce.
A hole made in the body so that jewellery/jewelry can be worn through it.
An item of jewelry designed to be fitted through a piercing.
Adjective
piercing (comparative more piercing, superlative most piercing)
Appearing to look deeply into; penetrating.
Of temperature, extremely cold so that it penetrates through clothing and shelter.
Of sound, loud and sharp; shrill.
Source: Wiktionary
Pier"cing, a.
Definition: Forcibly entering, or adapted to enter, at or by a point; perforating; penetrating; keen; -- used also figuratively; as, a piercing instrument, or thrust. "Piercing eloquence." Shak.
– Pier"cing*ly, adv.
– Pier"cing*ness, n.
PIERCE
Pierce, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pierced; p. pr. & vb. n. Piercing.] Etym: [OE. percen, F. percer, OF. percier, perchier, parchier; perh. fr. (assumed) LL. pertusiare for pertusare, fr. L. pertundere, pertusum, to beat, push, bore through; per through + tundere to beat: cf. OF. pertuisier to pierce, F. pertuis a hole. Cf. Contuse, Parch, Pertuse.]
1. To thrust into, penetrate, or transfix, with a pointed instrument. "I pierce . . . her tender side." Dryden.
2. To penetrate; to enter; to force a way into or through; to pass into or through; as, to pierce the enemy's line; a shot pierced the ship.
3. Fig.: To penetrate; to affect deeply; as, to pierce a mystery. "Pierced with grief." Pope. Can no prayers pierce thee Shak.
Pierce, v. i.
Definition: To enter; to penetrate; to make a way into or through something, as a pointed instrument does; -- used literally and figuratively. And pierced to the skin, but bit no more. Spenser. She would not pierce further into his meaning. Sir P. Sidney.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
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4 April 2025
GUILLOTINE
(verb) kill by cutting the head off with a guillotine; “The French guillotined many Vietnamese while they occupied the country”
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