In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
POLLUTION
contamination, pollution
(noun) the act of contaminating or polluting; including (either intentionally or accidentally) unwanted substances or factors
befoulment, defilement, pollution
(noun) the state of being polluted
pollution
(noun) undesirable state of the natural environment being contaminated with harmful substances as a consequence of human activities
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
pollution (countable and uncountable, plural pollutions)
(now, rare) The desecration of something holy or sacred; defilement, profanation. [from 14th c.]
(now, archaic) The ejaculation of semen outside of sexual intercourse, especially a nocturnal emission. [from 14th c.]
Moral or spiritual corruption; impurity, degradation, defilement. [from 15th c.]
Physical contamination, now especially the contamination of the environment by harmful substances, or by disruptive levels of noise, light etc. [from 18th c.]
Something that pollutes; a pollutant. [from 17th c.]
Synonyms
• soilage
• (masturbation): self-pollution
Antonyms
• conservation
• purity
Source: Wiktionary
Pol*lu"tion, n. Etym: [L. pollutio: cf. F. pollution.]
1. The act of polluting, or the state of being polluted (in any sense of the verb); defilement; uncleanness; impurity.
2. (Med.)
Definition: The emission of semen, or sperm, at other times than in sexual intercourse. Dunglison.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
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10 February 2025
PROSCENIUM
(noun) the part of a modern theater stage between the curtain and the orchestra (i.e., in front of the curtain)
Coffee Trivia
