In the 18th century, the Swedish government made coffee and its paraphernalia (including cups and dishes) illegal for its supposed ties to rebellious sentiment.
RELENT
yield, relent, soften
(verb) give in, as to influence or pressure
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
relent (plural relents)
Stay; stop; delay.
(obsolete) A relenting.
Verb
relent (third-person singular simple present relents, present participle relenting, simple past and past participle relented)
(intransitive) To become less severe or intense; to become less hard, harsh, or cruel; to soften in temper
(intransitive) To slacken; to abate.
(obsolete, transitive) To lessen, make less severe or intense.
(dated, intransitive, of substance) To become less rigid or hard; to soften; to yield, for example by dissolving or melting
Adjective
relent (comparative more relent, superlative most relent)
(obsolete) softhearted; yielding
Source: Wiktionary
Re*lent" (r-lnt"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Relented; p. pr. & vb. n. Relenting.] Etym: [F. ralentir, fr. L. pref. re- re- + ad to + lentus pliant, flexible, slow. See Lithe.]
1. To become less rigid or hard; to yield; to dissolve; to melt; to deliquesce. [Obs.] He stirred the coals till relente gan The wax again the fire. Chaucer. [Salt of tartar] placed in a cellar will . . . begin to relent. Boyle. When opening buds salute the welcome day, And earth, relenting, feels the genial ray. Pope.
2. To become less severe or intense; to become less hard, harsh, cruel, or the like; to soften in temper; to become more mild and tender; to feel compassion. Can you . . . behold My sighs and tears, and will not once relent Shak.
Re*lent", v. t.
1. To slacken; to abate. [Obs.] And oftentimes he would relent his pace. Spenser.
2. To soften; to dissolve. [Obs.]
3. To mollify ; to cause to be less harsh or severe. [Obs.]
Re*lent" (r-lnt"), n.
Definition: Stay; stop; delay. [Obs.] Nor rested till she came without relent Unto the land of Amazona. Spenser.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
31 March 2025
IMPROVISED
(adjective) done or made using whatever is available; “crossed the river on improvised bridges”; “the survivors used jury-rigged fishing gear”; “the rock served as a makeshift hammer”
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