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.
TERRORISM
terrorism, act of terrorism, terrorist act
(noun) the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature; this is done through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
terrorism (usually uncountable, plural terrorisms)
The deliberate commission of an act of violence to create public fear through the suffering of the victims in the furtherance of a political or social agenda.
The use of unlawful violence against people or property to achieve political objectives.
A form of psychological manipulation through warfare to the purpose of political or religious gains, by means of deliberately creating a climate of fear amongst the inhabitants of a specific geographical region.
Hyponyms
• agroterrorism
• antiterrorism
• bioterrorism
• cyberterrorism
• ecoterrorism
• electronic terrorism
• narcoterrorism
Source: Wiktionary
Ter"ror*ism, n. Etym: [Cf. F. terrorisme.]
Definition: The act of terrorizing, or state of being terrorized; a mode of government by terror or intimidation. Jefferson.
Definition: The practise of coercing governments to accede to political demands by committing violence on civilian targets; any similar use of violence to achieve goals.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
22 February 2025
ANALYSIS
(noun) the use of closed-class words instead of inflections: e.g., ‘the father of the bride’ instead of ‘the bride’s father’
Coffee Trivia
