The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
RATIFY
sign, ratify
(verb) approve and express assent, responsibility, or obligation; “All parties ratified the peace treaty”; “Have you signed your contract yet?”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
ratify (third-person singular simple present ratifies, present participle ratifying, simple past and past participle ratified)
(transitive) To give formal consent to; make officially valid, sign off on.
Synonyms
• (give formal consent to): approve
Source: Wiktionary
Rat"i*fy, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Ratified; p. pr. & vb. n. Ratifying.] Etym: [F. ratifier, fr. L. ratus fixed by calculation, firm, valid + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See Rate, n., and -fy.]
Definition: To approve and sanction; to make valid; to establish; to settle; especially, to give sanction to, as something done by an agent or servant; as, to ratify an agreement, treaty, or contract; to ratify a nomination. It is impossible for the divine power to set a seal to a lie by ratifying an imposture with such a miracle. South.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
28 May 2025
AIR
(noun) a distinctive but intangible quality surrounding a person or thing; “an air of mystery”; “the house had a neglected air”; “an atmosphere of defeat pervaded the candidate’s headquarters”; “the place had an aura of romance”
Coffee Trivia
