In 1511, leaders in Mecca believed coffee stimulated radical thinking and outlawed the drink. In 1524, the leaders overturned that order, and people could drink coffee again.
TIGHTEN
reduce, tighten
(verb) narrow or limit; “reduce the influx of foreigners”
stiffen, tighten, tighten up, constrain
(verb) severely restrict in scope or extent; “tighten the rules”; “stiffen the regulations”
tighten
(verb) become tight or tighter; “The rope tightened”
tighten, fasten
(verb) make tight or tighter; “Tighten the wire”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
tighten (third-person singular simple present tightens, present participle tightening, simple past and past participle tightened)
(transitive) To make tighter.
(intransitive) To become tighter.
(economics) To make money harder to borrow or obtain.
(economics) To raise short-term interest rates.
Antonyms
• (make tighter): loosen
Anagrams
• tingeth
Source: Wiktionary
Tight"en, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Tightened; p. pr. & vb. n. Tightening.]
Definition: To draw tighter; to straiten; to make more close in any manner. Just where I please, with tightened rein I'll urge thee round the dusty plain. Fawkes. Tightening pulley (Mach.), a pulley which rests, or is forced, against a driving belt to tighten it.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
25 May 2025
ALBUTEROL
(noun) a bronchodilator (trade names Ventolin or Proventil) used for asthma and emphysema and other lung conditions; available in oral or inhalant forms; side effects are tachycardia and shakiness
Coffee Trivia
