In 1884, Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, demonstrated the first working example of an espresso machine.
PINCHBECK
pinchbeck
(adjective) serving as an imitation or substitute; “pinchbeck heroism”
pinchbeck
(noun) an alloy of copper and zinc that is used in cheap jewelry to imitate gold
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Named after Christopher Pinchbeck, an 18th century London watchmaker who developed the alloy.
Noun
pinchbeck (usually uncountable, plural pinchbecks)
An alloy of copper and zinc once used as imitation gold for cheap jewelry.
Adjective
pinchbeck (comparative more pinchbeck, superlative most pinchbeck)
(not comparable) Made of pinchbeck.
Sham; spurious, artificial; being a cheap substitution; only superficially attractive.
Source: Wiktionary
Pinch"beck, n. Etym: [Said to be from the name of the inventor; cf. It. prencisbecco.]
Definition: An alloy of copper and zinc, resembling gold; a yellow metal, composed of about three ounces of zinc to a pound of copper. It is much used as an imitation of gold in the manufacture of cheap jewelry.
Pinch"beck, a.
Definition: Made of pinchbeck; sham; cheap; spurious; unreal. "A pinchbeck throne." J. A. Symonds.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
29 November 2024
POPULATED
(adjective) furnished with inhabitants; “the area is well populated”; “forests populated with all kinds of wild life”
Coffee Trivia
