In the 16th century, Turkish women could divorce their husbands if the man failed to keep his family’s pot filled with coffee.
VENALITY
venality
(noun) prostitution of talents or offices or services for reward
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
venality (countable and uncountable, plural venalities)
The fact or state of being for sale, especially with reference to bribes or corruption.
Usage notes
Not to be confused with veniality (mildly wrong behavior).
Anagrams
• natively
Source: Wiktionary
Ve*nal"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. venalitas: cf. F. vénalité.]
Definition: The quality or state of being venal, or purchasable; mercenariness; prostitution of talents, offices, or services, for money or reward; as, the venality of a corrupt court; the venality of an official. Complaints of Roman venality became louder. Milton.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
6 January 2025
PREMATURELY
(adverb) (of childbirth) before the end of the normal period of gestation; “the child was born prematurely”
Coffee Trivia
