taipan, Oxyuranus scutellatus
(noun) large highly venomous snake of northeastern Australia
Source: WordNet® 3.1
taipan (plural taipans)
A foreign businessman in China; a tycoon. [from 19th c.]
Relatively narrow usage, and somewhat dated (early/mid 20th century); primarily known outside of China due to use in fiction set in Hong Kong, notably The Taipan (1922) by Somerset Maugham and Tai-Pan (1966) by James Clavell. Even in Hong Kong, the more globally widespread (and distantly related) tycoon is more common today.
taipan (plural taipans)
Any venomous elapid snake of the genus Oxyuranus, found in Australia and New Guinea. [from 20th c.]
• Aptian, patina, pinata, piñata
Source: Wiktionary
24 March 2025
(adjective) (music) marked by or composed of disconnected parts or sounds; cut short crisply; “staccato applause”; “a staccato command”; “staccato notes”
The word “coffee” entered the English language in 1582 via the Dutch “koffie,” borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish “kahve,” borrowed in turn from the Arabic “qahwah.” The Arabic word qahwah was traditionally held to refer to a type of wine.
