In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
USURPING
Verb
usurping
present participle of usurp
Noun
usurping (plural usurpings)
usurpation
Anagrams
• pursuing
Source: Wiktionary
USURP
U*surp", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Usurped; p. pr. & vb. n. Usurping.] Etym: [L. usurpare, usurpatum, to make use of, enjoy, get possession of, usurp; the first part of usurpare is akin to usus use (see Use, n.): cf. F. usurper.]
Definition: To seize, and hold in possession, by force, or without right; as, to usurp a throne; to usurp the prerogatives of the crown; to usurp power; to usurp the right of a patron is to oust or dispossess him. Alack, thou dost usurp authority. Shak. Another revolution, to get rid of this illegitimate and usurped government, would of course be perfectly justifiable. Burke.
Note: Usurp is applied to seizure and use of office, functions, powers, rights, etc.; it is not applied to common dispossession of private property.
Syn.
– To arrogate; assume; appropriate.
U*surp", v. i.
Definition: To commit forcible seizure of place, power, functions, or the like, without right; to commit unjust encroachments; to be, or act as, a usurper. The parish churches on which the Presbyterians and fanatics had usurped. Evelyn. And now the Spirits of the Mind Are busy with poor Peter Bell; Upon the rights of visual sense Usurping, with a prevalence More terrible than magic spell. Wordsworth.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
4 June 2025
LEND
(verb) bestow a quality on; “Her presence lends a certain cachet to the company”; “The music added a lot to the play”; “She brings a special atmosphere to our meetings”; “This adds a light note to the program”
Coffee Trivia
