The expression “coffee break” was first attested in 1952 in glossy magazine advertisements by the Pan-American Coffee Bureau.
VILIPEND
deprecate, depreciate, vilipend
(verb) belittle; “The teacher should not deprecate his student’s efforts”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
vilipend (third-person singular simple present vilipends, present participle vilipending, simple past and past participle vilipended)
(transitive, dated, formal) To treat (something) as inconsequential or worthless; to despise, to look down on.
Synonyms: belittle, contemn, misprize, slight
(transitive, dated, formal) To express a disparaging opinion of; to slander or vilify.
Synonyms: abuse, disparage, derogate, Thesaurus:defame
Conjugation
Source: Wiktionary
Vil"i*pend, v. t. Etym: [L. vilipendere; vilis vile + pendere to weigh, to value: cf. F. vilipender.]
Definition: To value lightly; to depreciate; to slight; to despise. To vilipend the art of portrait painting. Longfellow.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
31 March 2025
IMPROVISED
(adjective) done or made using whatever is available; “crossed the river on improvised bridges”; “the survivors used jury-rigged fishing gear”; “the rock served as a makeshift hammer”
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