testudos
plural of testudo
Source: Wiktionary
Tes*tu"do, n.; pl. Testudines. Etym: [L., from testa the shell of shellfish, or of testaceous animals.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Definition: A genus of tortoises which formerly included a large number of diverse forms, but is now restricted to certain terrestrial species, such as the European land tortoise (Testudo Græca) and the gopher of the Southern United States.
2. (Rom. Antiq.)
Definition: A cover or screen which a body of troops formed with their shields or targets, by holding them over their heads when standing close to each other. This cover resembled the back of a tortoise, and served to shelter the men from darts, stones, and other missiles. A similar defense was sometimes formed of boards, and moved on wheels.
3. (Mus.)
Definition: A kind of musical instrument. a species of lyre; -- so called in allusion to the lyre of Mercury, fabled to have been made of the shell of a tortoise.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
15 May 2024
(noun) acquiring or coming into something (usually undesirable); “incurring debts is easier than paying them”
The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.
