Online Etymology Dictionary

Exeter: Old English Exanceaster, Escanceaster, from Latin Isca (c. 150), from Celtic river name Exe "the water" + Old English ceaster "Roman town" (see Chester).
exeunt (v.): stage direction, late 15c., from Latin, literally "they go out," third person plural present indicative of exire (see exit).
exfoliate (v.): 1610s, transitive; 1670s intransitive; from Late Latin exfoliatus, past participle of exfoliare "to strip of leaves," from ex- "off" (see ex-) + folium "leaf" (see folio). Related: Exfoliated; exfoliating.
exfoliation (n.): early 15c., noun of action from Latin exfoliare (see exfoliate).
exhalation (n.): late 14c., "act of exhalation; that which is exhaled," from Latin exhalationem (nominative exhalatio) "an exhalation, vapor," noun of action from past participle stem of exhalare "to breathe out" (see exhale).
exhale (v.): c. 1400, transitive, originally of liquids, perfumes, etc., from Middle French exhaler (14c.), from Latin exhalare "breathe out, evaporate," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + halare "breathe." Of living things, "to breathe out," 1580s transitive; 1863 intransitive. Related: Exhaled; exhaling.
exhaust (v.): 1530s, "to draw off or out, to use up completely," from Latin exhaustus, past participle of exhaurire "draw off, take away, use up, empty," from ex- "off" (see ex-) + haurire "to draw up" (as water), from PIE *aus- (3) "to draw water." Meaning "make weak or helpless, as by fatigue" is from 1630s. Related: Exhausted; exhausting; exhaustible.
exhaust (n.): "waste gas," 1848, originally from steam engines, from exhaust (v.). In reference to internal combustion engines by 1896. Exhaust pipe is from 1889.
exhausted (adj.): mid-17c., "consumed, used up;" of persons, "tired out," past participle adjective from exhaust (v.). Related: Exhaustedly.
exhaustion (n.): 1640s, "fatigue," noun of action from exhaust (v.) in sense of "drawing off" of strength. Etymological sense "act of drawing out or draining off" is from 1660s in English.
exhaustive (adj.): 1780s, from exhaust (v.) + -ive. Related: Exhaustively; exhaustiveness.
exhibit (v.): "offer or present to view," mid-15c., from Latin exhibitus, past participle of exhibere "to hold out, display, show, present, deliver" (see exhibition). Related: Exhibited; exhibiting.
exhibit (n.): 1620s, "document or object produced as evidence in court," from Latin exhibitum, noun use of neuter past participle of exhibere "to display, show" (see exhibition). Meaning "object displayed in a fair, museum, etc." is from 1862. Transferred use of exhibit A "important piece of evidence" is by 1906.
exhibition (n.): early 14c., "action of displaying," from Old French exhibicion, exibicion "show, exhibition, display," from Late Latin exhibitionem (nominative exhibitio), noun of action from past participle stem of Latin exhibere "to show, display, present," literally "hold out, hold forth," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + habere "to hold" (see habit (n.)). Also from early 15c. as "sustenance, food, source of support." Meaning "that which is exhibited" is from 1786.
exhibitionist (n.): 1821, "one who takes part in an exhibition;" psychosexual sense is from 1893, in Craddock's translation of Krafft-Ebing; see exhibition + -ist. Related: Exhibitionism (1893); exhibitionistic (1928). Exhibitioner is from 1670s in the English university sense.
exhibitor (n.): 1650s (as exhibiter, 1590s), from Late Latin exhibitor, agent noun from past participle stem of Latin exhibere "to display, show" (see exhibition).
exhilarate (v.): 1530s, from Latin exhilaratus "cheerful, merry," past participle of exhilarare "gladden, cheer," from ex- "thoroughly" (see ex-) + hilarare "make cheerful," from hilarus "cheerful" (see hilarity). Related: Exhilarated; exhilarating.
exhilaration (n.): 1620s, from Late Latin exhilarationem (nominative exhilaratio) "a gladdening," noun of action from past participle stem of exhilarare (see exhilarate).
exhort (v.): c. 1400, "to exhort, encourage," from Old French exhorer (13c.) and directly from Latin exhortari "to exhort, encourage, stimulate" (see exhortation). Related: Exhorted; exhorting.
exhortation (n.): late 14c., from Old French exhortacion and directly from Latin exhortationem (nominative exhortatio) "an exhortation, encouragement," noun of action from past participle stem of exhortari "to exhort, encourage," from ex- "thoroughly" (see ex-) + hortari "encourage, urge" (see hortatory). From early 15c. as "speech for the purpose of exhortation."
exhortatory (adj.): early 15c., from Late Latin exhortatorius, from Latin exhortari (see exhort).
exhumation (n.): early 15c., from Medieval Latin exhumationem (nominative exhumatio), noun of action from past participle stem of exhumare (see exhume).
exhume (v.): early 15c., from Medieval Latin exhumare "to unearth" (13c.), from Latin ex- "out of" (see ex-) + humare "bury," from humus "earth" (see chthonic). An alternative form was exhumate (1540s), taken directly from Medieval Latin. Figurative use by 1819. Related: Exhumed; exhuming.
exigence (n.): mid-15c., "what is needed" (in a given situation), from Middle French exigence or directly from Latin exigentia "urgency," from exigentem (nominative exigens), present participle of exigere "to drive out; require, demand, claim" (see exact (v.)). From 1580s as "state of being urgent."
exigency (n.): 1580s, "that which is needed," from Middle French exigence, from Latin exigentia "urgency" (see exigence). Meaning "state of being urgent" is from 1769. Related: Exigencies (1650s).
exigent (adj.): 1660s, "urgent," a back-formation from exigency or else from Latin exigentem (nominative exigens), present participle of exigere "to demand; drive out, drive forth" (see exact (v.)).
exiguous (adj.): "scanty, small, diminutive," 1650s, from Latin exiguus "small, short; petty, paltry, poor, mean; scanty in measure or number; strict," literally "measured, exact," from exigere "drive out, take out" (see exact (v.)). Compare immense "huge," literally "unmeasured."
exile (v.): c. 1300, from Old French essillier "exile, banish, expel, drive off" (12c.), from Late Latin exilare/exsilare, from Latin exilium/exsilium "banishment, exile; place of exile," from exul "banished person," from ex- "away" (see ex-) + PIE root *al- (2) "to wander" (source also of Greek alaomai "to wander, stray, or roam about"). In ancient times folk etymology derived the second element from Latin solum "soil." Related: Exiled; exiling.
exile (n.): c. 1300, "forced removal from one's country," from Old French exil, essil (12c.), from Latin exilium "banishment; place of exile" (see exile (v.)). From c. 1300 as "a banished person," from Latin exsul, exul.
Several etymologies are possible. It might be a derivative of a verb *ex-sulere 'to take out' to the root *selh- 'to take', cf. consul and consulere; hence exsul 'the one who is taken out'. It might belong to amb-ulare < *-al- 'to walk', hence 'who walks out'. It might even belong to *helh-, the root of [Greek elauno] 'to drive': ex-ul 'who is driven out' [de Vaan, "Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages"]
exist (v.): c. 1600, from French exister (17c.), from Latin existere/exsistere "to step out, stand forth, emerge, appear; exist, be" (see existence). "The late appearance of the word is remarkable" [OED]. Related: Existed; existing.
existence (n.): late 14c., "reality," from Old French existence, from Medieval Latin existentia/exsistentia, from existentem/exsistentem (nominative existens/exsistens) "existent," present participle of Latin existere/exsistere "stand forth, come out, emerge; appear, be visible, come to light; arise, be produced; turn into," and, as a secondary meaning, "exist, be;" from ex- "forth" (see ex-) + sistere "cause to stand" (see assist).
existent (adj.): 1560s, a back-formation from existence, or else from Latin existentem/exsistentem (nominative existens/exsistens), present participle of existere/exsistere (see existence).
existential (adj.): 1690s, "pertaining to existence," from Late Latin existentialis/exsistentialis, from existentia/exsistentia (see existence). As a term in logic, from 1819; in philosophy, from 1937, tracing back to the Danish works of Kierkegaard (see existentialism). Related: Existentially.
existentialism (n.): 1941, from German Existentialismus (1919), replacing Existentialforhold (1849), ultimately from Danish writer Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855), who wrote (1846) of Existents-Forhold "condition of existence," existentielle Pathos, etc. (see existential), and whose name means in Danish, literally, "churchyard" (compare Middle English cognate kirrkegærd (c. 1200), dialectal church-garth).
existentialist: 1945 (n.); 1946 (adj.), from French existentialiste, from existentialisme (1940); see existentialism. Related: Existentialistic.
exit (n.): 1530s (late 15c. as a Latin word in English), originally a stage direction, from Latin exit "he or she goes out," third person singular present indicative of exire "go out, go forth, depart," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + ire "to go" (see ion). Also from Latin exitus "a leaving, a going out," noun of action from exire. Meaning "a departure" (originally from the stage) is from 1580s. Meaning "a way of departure" is from 1690s; specific meaning "door for leaving" is from 1786. The verb is c. 1600, from the noun; it ought to be left to stage directions and the clunky jargon of police reports. Related: Exited; exiting.
Those who neither know Latin nor read plays are apt to forget or not know that this is a singular verb with plural exeunt. [Fowler]
Exit poll attested by 1980.
exo-: word-forming element meaning "outer, outside, outer part" used from mid-19c. in scientific words (such as exoskeleton), from Greek exo "outside," related to ex "out of" (see ex-).
Exocet (n.): 1970, proprietary name of a rocket-propelled short-range guided missile, trademarked 1970 by Société Nationale Industrielle Aerospatiale, from French exocet "flying fish" (16c.), from Latin exocoetus, from Greek exokoitos "sleeping fish, fish that sleeps upon the beach," from exo "outside" (see exo-) + koitos "bed."
Exodus: late Old English, the second book of the Old Testament, from Latin exodus, from Greek exodos "a military expedition; a solemn procession; departure; death," literally "a going out," from ex- "out" (see ex-) + hodos "way" (see cede). General sense (with lower-case -e-) is from 1620s.
exogamy (n.): 1865, Modern Latin, literally "outside marriage," from exo- + -gamy. Related: Exogamous (1865). Apparently coined by Scottish anthropologist John Ferguson McLennan (1827-1881) in "Primitive Marriage" (see endogamy).
exogenous (adj.): "growing by additions on the outside," 1830, from Modern Latin exogenus (on model of indigenus); see exo- + -genous.
exonerate (v.): mid-15c., from Latin exoneratus, past participle of exonerare "remove a burden, discharge, unload," from ex- "off" (see ex-) + onerare "to unload; overload, oppress," from onus (genitive oneris) "burden" (see onus). Related: Exonerated; exonerating.
exoneration (n.): 1630s, from Late Latin exonerationem (nominative exoneratio) "an unloading, lightening," noun of action from past participle stem of exonerare "free from a burden" (see exonerate).
exorable (adj.): 1570s, "susceptible of being moved by entreaty" (a word much rarer than its opposite and probably existing now only as a back-formation from it), from Latin exorabilis "easily entreated, influenced by prayer," from exorare "to persuade" (see inexorable). Related: Exorably.
exorbitance (n.): mid-15c., from exorbitant + -ance. Related: Exorbitancy.
exorbitant (adj.): mid-15c., a legal term, "deviating from rule or principle, eccentric;" from Late Latin exorbitantem (nominative exorbitans), present participle of exorbitare "deviate, go out of the track," from ex- "out of" (see ex-) + orbita "wheel track" (see orb). General sense of "excessive, immoderate" is from 1620s; of prices, rates, etc., from 1660s. Related: Exorbitantly.
exorcise (v.): c. 1400, "to invoke spirits," from Old French exorciser (14c.), from Late Latin exorcizare, from Greek exorkizein "banish an evil spirit; bind by oath" (see exorcism). Sense of "call up evil spirits to drive them out" became dominant 16c. Formerly also exorcize; a rare case where -ise trumps -ize on both sides of the Atlantic, perhaps due to influence of exercise. Related: Exorcised; exorcising.
exorcism (n.): early 15c., "a calling up or driving out of evil spirits," from Late Latin exorcismus, from Greek exorkismos "administration of an oath," in Ecclesiastical Greek, "exorcism," from exorkizein "exorcize, bind by oath," from ex "out of" (see ex-) + horkizein "cause to swear," from horkos "oath." Earlier in the same sense was exorcization (late 14c.).
exorcist (n.): "one who drives out evil spirits," late 14c., from Late Latin exorcista, from Ecclesiastical Greek exorkistes "an exorcist," from exorkizein (see exorcism).
exoskeleton (n.): 1841, from exo- + skeleton. Said to have been introduced by English anatomist Sir Richard Owen (1804-1892). Related: Exoskeletal.