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.
PURGATORY
purgatory
(noun) (theology) in Roman Catholic theology the place where those who have died in a state of grace undergo limited torment to expiate their sins
purgatory
(noun) a temporary condition of torment or suffering; “a purgatory of drug abuse”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
purgatory (countable and uncountable, plural purgatories)
(Christianity) Alternative letter-case form of Purgatory
Any situation where suffering is endured, particularly as part of a process of redemption.
Adjective
purgatory (comparative more purgatory, superlative most purgatory)
Tending to cleanse; expiatory.
Proper noun
Purgatory
(Christianity) An intermediate state after death in which some of those ultimately destined for Heaven must first undergo purification prior to entering Heaven.
Synonyms
• See afterlife
Coordinate terms
• Heaven, Hell, Limbo; see also afterlife
Source: Wiktionary
Pur"ga*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. purgatorius.]
Definition: Tending to cleanse; cleansing; expiatory. Burke.
Pur"ga*to*ry, n. Etym: [Cf. F. purgatoire.]
Definition: A state or place of purification after death; according to the Roman Catholic creed, a place, or a state believed to exist after death, in which the souls of persons are purified by expiating such offenses committed in this life as do not merit eternal damnation, or in which they fully satisfy the justice of God for sins that have been forgiven. After this purgation from the impurities of sin, the souls are believed to be received into heaven.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
8 May 2025
INSULATION
(noun) the act of protecting something by surrounding it with material that reduces or prevents the transmission of sound or heat or electricity
Coffee Trivia
