Some 16th-century Italian clergymen tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be “satanic.” However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600.
PONTIFEX
pontifex
(noun) a member of the highest council of priests in ancient Rome
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
pontifex (plural pontifices)
(historical) A pontiff, or high priest, in Ancient Rome.
Source: Wiktionary
Pon"ti*fex, n.; pl. Pontifices. Etym: [L.]
Definition: A high priest; a pontiff.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
6 June 2025
PUNGENCY
(noun) wit having a sharp and caustic quality; “he commented with typical pungency”; “the bite of satire”
Coffee Trivia
