Oak has been used as a Quinine substitute in the treatment of fevers. Tannins provide many of the healing properties of oak. Tannins bind with proteins in tissues, making a barrier resistant to bacterial invasion. Tannins strengthen tissues and blood vessels.
The opposite term Occident derives from the Latin word occidens, meaning west (lit. setting < occido fall/set). This term meant the west (where the sun sets) but has fallen into disuse in English, in favor of Western world.
Princeton's WordNet(3.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition: 1  independence, independency(noun) freedom from control or influence of another or others. 2  independence(noun) the successful ending of the American Revolution. 3  Independence(noun) a city in western Missouri; the beginning of the Santa Fe Trail.