In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
POTENCY
potency, effectiveness, strength
(noun) capacity to produce strong physiological or chemical effects; “the toxin’s potency”; “the strength of the drinks”
authority, authorization, authorisation, potency, dominance, say-so
(noun) the power or right to give orders or make decisions; “he has the authority to issue warrants”; “deputies are given authorization to make arrests”; “a place of potency in the state”
potency, potence
(noun) the state of being potent; a male’s capacity to have sexual intercourse
potential, potentiality, potency
(noun) the inherent capacity for coming into being
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
potency (countable and uncountable, plural potencies)
Strength
Power
The ability or capacity to perform something.
Source: Wiktionary
Po"ten*cy, n. Etym: [L. potentia, from potens, -entis, potent. See Potent, and cf. Potance, Potence, Puissance.]
Definition: The quality or state of being potent; physical or moral power; inherent strength; energy; ability to effect a purpose; capability; efficacy; influence. "Drugs of potency." Hawthorne. A place of potency and away o' the state. Shak.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
1 June 2025
BACKFIRE
(verb) come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect; “Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble”; “the political movie backlashed on the Democrats”
Coffee Trivia
